For a class I had to read George Orwell's 1984. Here is my paper :) Read the book!
George Orwell’s powerful tale of the
woes of totalitarianism is a poetic cry for the sanity of mankind, a cry for us
to stand up and think for ourselves. In 1984 Orwell cries for humanity
from the lips of Winston Smith, a man frozen in a world he cannot escape, a
world full of people he views too empty-headed to be worth very much. I
appreciated this powerful story and the message Orwell hoped to convey to his
readers. Among the things that made this book great are the setting of a
twisted London, the character of Winston Smith and his associates, as well as
the storyline and the style used by Mr. Orwell.
What first captured my attention is
the setting. This includes the odd view of London as well as the homes
described. A powerful part of the setting was the description of the posters
that showed the visage of “Big Brother”. In Winston’s description of these
posters you feel his lack of comfort and patriotism. In these posters the
reader gets their first glance at the government of 1984’s dictatorship. To
believe that the government would post such paraphernalia around the city,
right into people’s windows, tells us something of their need for complete
control. The descriptions of the homes in which the people are forced to live
lend themselves to a view of inhumanity. The home is a place we seek in order
to be away from the world. The characters of Orwell’s novel are not allowed
such a luxury. The sparse way they are required to live reminds the reader of
the tight fist with which the government rules, all the way down to telescreens
in every room in every home. The lack of privacy reminds us that this is not a
way we should choose to live.
Winston’s character is an important
piece of Orwell himself. Winston’s desire for difference reminds me of the
freedoms of which we too often take advantage, the freedoms stolen from the
lives of the people in 1984. His love of the piece of unusual rock in
the old shop is a large part of his desire to understand and remember, and even
recapture, the past. This is a driving force in Winston and is a message from
Orwell that we need to remember our past and the importance and blessing of
being able to do so. Many of the characters in the book choose to forget
things, utilizing what is referred to as “doublethink” - to at one time hold
two contradicting thoughts in your head and choosing the one the government
would prefer, even if the thought chosen is incorrect. Orwell uses his
characters as examples of people. First we have Winston, the concerned citizen,
unsure how to help or be helped but with a burning desire for change and mental
activity. Winston is the embodiment of citizens of nations who choose to desire
understanding and seek not to simply be lead around, ignoring realities and our
own cognition and perceptions. Then we see Julia. An interesting contradiction,
Julia is at once bold and fearless yet cowardly. She agrees with Winston’s
choices and thoughts and yet does nothing that will really be of a danger to
herself with the sole exception of loving Winston. Whereas Winston wants to
somehow attack or change the government, Julia wants to have silent acts of
rebellion. Winston is ashamed of the actions of those around him who blindly
follow, and Julia allows herself to be a part of these people, involving
herself in a large number of clubs and activities. The most interesting part of
Julia to me is when she says in essence to Winston, “why do these things bother
you? They don’t affect you.” It is people like this that Orwell warns against,
not only the blind followers. Julia, though aware some change needs to occur,
is passive in her actions and accepting of things she feels are too hard for
her to accomplish. Too many people are like this in today’s world, aware a
change needs to be made yet doing nothing to injure themselves.
Along with the importance of
character, is the importance of overall plot. I thought the plot of this book
was horrendous. There is lacking in it something intriguing and beautiful. But
that is Orwell’s point. Life, if allowed to become like it is in 1984
would lack beauty and interest. Something I did enjoy in the plot was his use
of psychological confusion. We witness this confusion with the doublethink, the
newspeak, and even the Party slogan of “War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery.
Ignorance is Strength.” I appreciate that by the end of the book the reader is
given some insight into the slogan, and yet it goes back to psychological
confusion and the Party’s desire to control and manipulate absolutely everything,
all the way down to the individual’s understanding of concepts and reality. Orwell’s
writing style is simple and lacks complexity. I believe the point of this is to
take away any barriers from the reader to truly understand what Orwell is
striving to teach.
It was a struggle to open the pages
of this book. Often I had to remind myself that something was to be gained by
its completion other than a grade. Books such as this teach us of the true
importance of living in a world together, where we are not isolated from one
another’s actions and standards. Orwell insists to his readers through a
strange London, a lack of a home, a clarity of character, and a simple style of
writing that work is to be done to keep the world from becoming the monster
that it is in 1984. It is a truly scary way to view the world at
constant war to have constant control. I drew from this book a greater desire
for peace, a peace that comes from the feeling of security one gets when they
can walk into their house and have it be a home.
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