George Orwell Nineteen Eighty-four

George Orwell 

George Orwell, pseudonym of Eric Arthur Blair, (born June 25, 1903, Motihari, Bengal, India—died January 21, 1950, London, England), English novelist, essayist, and critic famous for his novels Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen Eighty-four (1949), the latter a profound anti-utopian novel that examines the dangers of totalitarian rule.

Born Eric Arthur Blair, Orwell never entirely abandoned his original name, but his first book, Down and Out in Paris and London, appeared in 1933 as the work of George Orwell (the surname he derived from the beautiful River Orwell in East Anglia). In time his nom de plume became so closely attached to him that few people but relatives knew his real name was Blair. The change in name corresponded to a profound shift in Orwell’s lifestyle, in which he changed from a pillar of the British imperial establishment into a literary and political rebel.

About the Novel Nineteen Eighty-Four 

Nineteen Eighty-four, also published as 1984, novel by English author George Orwell published in 1949 as a warning against totalitarianism. The chilling dystopia made a deep impression on readers, and his ideas entered mainstream culture in a way achieved by very few books. The book’s title and many of its concepts, such as Big Brother and the Thought Police, are instantly recognized and understood, often as bywords for modern social and political abuses.

Summary

The book is set in 1984 in Oceania, one of three perpetually warring totalitarian states (the other two are Eurasia and Eastasia). Oceania is governed by the all-controlling Party, which has brainwashed the population into unthinking obedience to its leader, Big Brother. The Party has created a propagandistic language known as Newspeak, which is designed to limit free thought and promote the Party’s doctrines. Its words include doublethink (belief in contradictory ideas simultaneously), which is reflected in the Party’s slogans: “War is peace,” “Freedom is slavery,” and “Ignorance is strength.” The Party maintains control through the Thought Police and continual surveillance.

The book’s hero, Winston Smith, is a minor party functionary living in a London that is still shattered by a nuclear war that took place not long after World War II. He belongs to the Outer Party, and his job is to rewrite history in the Ministry of Truth, bringing it in line with current political thinking. However, Winston’s longing for truth and decency leads him to secretly rebel against the government. He embarks on a forbidden affair with Julia, a like-minded woman, and they rent a room in a neighborhood populated by Proles (short for proletariats). Winston also becomes increasingly interested in the Brotherhood, a group of dissenters. Unbeknownst to Winston and Julia, however, they are being watched closely (ubiquitous posters throughout the city warn residents that “Big Brother is watching you.”

When Winston is approached by O’Brien—an official of the Inner Party who appears to be a secret member of the Brotherhood—the trap is set. O’Brien is actually a spy for the Party, on the lookout for “thought-criminals,” and Winston and Julia are eventually caught and sent to the Ministry of Love for a violent reeducation. The ensuing imprisonment, torture, and reeducation of Winston are intended not merely to break him physically or make him submit but to root out his independence and destroy his dignity and humanity. In Room 101, where prisoners are forced into submission by exposure to their worst nightmares, Winston panics as a cage of rats is attached to his head. He yells out for his tormentors to “Do it to Julia!” and states that he does not care what happens to her. With this betrayal, Winston is released. He later encounters Julia, and neither is interested in the other. Instead Winston loves Big Brother.

Themes

Totalitarianism 

The most important theme in 1984 is totalitarianism. The Party has almost achieved the idea of a totalitarian state completely. Totalitarianism is a form of government that theoretically permits no 

individual freedom and that seeks to subordinate all aspects of the individual's life to the authority of the government.Or simply said: the belief that a government should have total power over its citizens.The society the protagonist (Winston Smith) lives in, is a totalitarian state. They achieved that in approximately 60 years. The state was formed mainly by using all sorts of propaganda and by making the entire life of a Party member (as well Inner Party as Outer Party) revolve around the Party. 

For example, everywhere in the streets there are monstrous posters with the Party slogans and the face of Big Brother. Especially the one with the phrase Big Brother is watching you. 

The regime keeps on making clear to its people that they are monitored, that the Party knows everything about what the people do and think. The Party keeps the people small by creating a kind of fear. That fear leads to the obedience of the inhabitants of London.

Not only the Party or their neighbors could betray a Party member, even their own children are used. From the moment they can walk and talk, they join the Youth Leagues, and are trained to become Spies.

Identity/Identification and Loyalty

Identity is a weird thing in this book. On one hand, the protagonist is an individual human 

being who controls his mind, but throughout the book he and his lover completely lose their identity. They do live on, but as shells of the people they once were.‘’By the time we had finished with them they were only the shells of men. There was nothing left in them except sorrow for what they had done, and love of Big Brother.’’

 

Technology

Technology doesn’t seem to play a major part in 1984, but it indispensable to control the 

citizens. The telescreens (a television screen that can be used as a television screen and a 

security camera at the same time) which are almost everywhere (in every room, on the 

streets, in public areas, etc.) are quite advanced. They are used to record conversations and spread information like the news and play songs. They don’t have night vision, but they do continue recording sounds and movements when it is dark. They are monitored by the Thought Police. The telescreens can’t be turned off completely for Outer-Party members, they can dim the screen. The Inner-Party members however, can. When Winston and Julia visit O’Brien, he is able to turn off his telescreen for half an hour, longer would be too suspicious.

Tiny microphones are hidden in the entire city and beyond. These are also used to monitor 

people and to record their conversations. 

There are scientists, but they are not free to invent whatever they want. Their research field is limited to inventing new ways to further restrict human identity and military capacity.

Poverty vs. Wealth

In 1984, there were three sorts of people: Inner-Party members, Outer-Party members and the Proles. Less than 2 percent of the population is an Inner-Party member. These people are the most wealthy, have the most rights and best jobs. Being an Inner-Party member has its advantages. They are monitored less, they can turn off their telescreen completely, they get food of a higher quality than the others and even foods 

or drinks that are not available for the others. Like wine, real coffee, real tea and sugar. 

Children of Inner-Party members do not automatically become Inner-Party members.A 

a prospective Inner-Party member is selected when he/she is young through several tests. 

Racial origin and family heritage are not important. The main thing is loyalty. Side note, the Inner-Party members are more likely to rebel than Outer-Party members because they are monitored less than Outer-Party members. Outer-Party members make up approximately 13% of the population. They are constantly monitored. They are the middle class of Oceania and do most of the work in the ministries and the Party government. They all wear blue overalls. The products they get are from a lower quality than the products the Inner-Party gets.

The Proles (working class) make up 85% of the population. They are the working class of 

Oceania and they are not really monitored. There are Thought Police members among them, to spread (false) rumors and to keep them down. Just like the protagonist Winston has said, If there is hope, it lies in the Proles. But, as long as the proles are under educated and don't realize they live under bad circumstances, they probably won’t try to overthrow the Party or something like that. 

The function of the proles is to work and breed. The Party treats them sort of like animals. As the Party slogan put it: 'Proles and animals are free.

Because they aren’t monitored that much and sort of live their own lives, they are free. If they would be interested in religion, it would be permitted. They don’t have to wear uniforms, they are allowed to use cosmetics. Even divorce and prostitution is permitted. 

Probably the biggest difference between the Proles and the Party-members is that the Proles are still humans. They have emotions and are able to express them. And instead of 

Newspeak, the Proles still speak Oldspeak. And as long as they don’t use words that are 

forbidden in Newspeak, they will continue to use the old language.

Lowne, Cathy. "Nineteen Eighty-four". Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 May. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nineteen-Eighty-four. Accessed 9 May 2022.

Woodcock, George. "George Orwell". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Jan. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Orwell. Accessed 9 May 2022.