1984 Book Report

The year 1984, a time of true conformity. The nation of Oceania, its citizens united and scrutinized through a common dictator, the citizens go about their day to day lives with only one goal, serving the purpose of his cause. An era where human emotion is meaningless and lost, the only sign of life displayed is dedication shown to the totalitarian government. The leader of this all powerful government in 1984 is Big Brother, a ruthless dictator whose reign of terror stands as an allegory for Josef Stalin’s communist movement. In both cases the power resides in the absolute ruler Stalin/Big Brother. These leaders heavily limited the privacy of its citizens, in the novel, Big Brother has TV like structures called telescreens installed in every home besides the lowest class of citizen; proletariats, but unlike TV’s these telescreens not only displayed programs they were also used as a looking glass into every home for monitoring by the drudges of Big Brother. Both leaders utilize any means necessary to achieve their goal. Big Brother maintains his stranglehold over the people of Oceania through the everlasting wars between Oceania, Eastasia and Eurasia, through a common enemy; constant distraction and misdirection the people of Oceania remain ever faithful and hold their trust in Big Brothers ice cold grip. Merely existing to fulfill the party’s wishes, forsaking all signs of humanity. Big Brothers government branches down as follows, there is the upper class, the inner party who are allowed great privileges. Such as servants while being accommodated with the best food and drink accessible also an incredible luxury lack of telescreens in their homes! Allowing for privacy, a seemingly preposterous concept. Then comes the outer party the middle class whose privileges extend no further than cigarettes and victory gin, the government even goes so far as to limit their sexual encounters to ensure they are only for the agenda of reproduction. Constantly dehumanizing themselves for their government, all the while under constant surveillance from the likes of Big Brother. Then comes the bottom/working class, the proletariats, living in the poorest of conditions ,doing hard labor, yet some reader believe them to be in the best means of life, due to their ability to indulge themselves in the likes of tobacco, promiscuous sex, gambling , sport and most of all lack of surveillance. This is probably in part to their lack of resources and desire to change, after working such long hard hours the last thing they would want to do is to revolt when they are already fatigued.
The main protagonist of this story’s name is Winston Smith, thirty-nine-years-old, he is frail and thin, a member of the outer party. Winston from the beginning of the novel had seemed to have enough of the totalitarian government of Big Brother, in one of the first scenes portrayed in the novel we see Winston jotting down “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” over, and over again in his journal nestled into a corner in his apartment, and the only corner that shy’s away from Big Brothers surveillance telescreen, where he can write his thoughts down without the fear of police barging through his door and doing god knows what with him. Winston Smith works for the Minitrue. The ministry of truth it is there that Winston re-writes recorded history. The party slogan goes as follows “Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past” seemingly teasing at the fact that with the amount of power Big Brother has at his disposal he can easily manipulate the records held to change the history books in favor of his regime, regardless of his actions being just or not. He is in complete and utter control of the present and he who controls the present can alter the past as he deem fit, changing the past he can manipulate the people into a tomorrow he thinks would suit him best. It’s Winston’s job in Minitrue to change the past for Big Brother. He alters any historical documents that could portray Big Brothers actions in a poor fashion or show Big Brother in a dim light. Winston is a good man; his constant searching for a way to rebel leads him to discovering a woman of pure decadence, Julia. She is a member of the Junior-Anti-Sex-League, a sect of Big Brothers government ensuring that the public is aware of the need to restrict sexual actions to better the government. Julia’s has another side, much more interesting. She is a woman with raging hormones and a cunning spirit. A highly sexual being, she sleeps with Party members regularly to satisfy her own desire to oppose Big Brothers supremacy. It is not until part 2 of the novel that Winston realizes she stands alongside him in his opposition of Big Brother. She feigns an injury whilst passing Winston in the halls of Minitrue, during this brief interaction she slips Winston a folded piece of paper, transcribed within that note were 3 words. “I love you”. It is after this interaction that Winston attempts to begin a sexual relationship with Julia. Although Julia is willing the government forbids its citizens to enjoy sex so they must organize and meet in private to protect themselves. After the note had been passed Julia and Winston met in the town square a busy crowded intersection where it would be hard to eavesdrop on their conversations. It is there that Julia gives Winston precise instructions on how to meet her in a secluded wooded area where they could further talk and act upon their feelings. While they discuss the matter of meeting, a cart strolls down road with many political prisoners shackled in chains; the citizens of Oceania know what fate awaits them. It is then that Winston catches eyes with one of the prisoners when they finally meet for the first time without the begrudging eyes of Big Brother watching over their shoulder they consummate their feelings for each other. “Their embrace has been a battle, the climax a victory. It was a political act.” It was then that Winston had finally slapped Big Brother in his face with his defiant act of intimacy. He knew that not only was this a moment of pure bliss but the beginning of his downfall, for Big Brothers stranglehold was a tight one, and no good deed goes unpunished. In part 1 we also met O’Brien a member of the inner party, one of Big Brothers higher ups. He visits the Ministry of Truth. A large, burly man with a thick neck and a brutal face, an Inner Party member, he wears ominous if unfashionable black overalls. In part 2 Winston has a dream he interacts with O’Brien and it is here that O’Brien tells Winston the phrase “we will meet in the place where there is no darkness” when he imagines that this is where O’Brien wants to meet him. Heavy foreshadowing here, because he does indeed get here eventually – at the Ministry of Love, where the lights never go out but that comes later. This authoritative man fascinates Winston. O’Brien approaches Winston in the corridor at the Ministry of Truth and asks him whether he has seen the newest newspeak dictionary. When Winston says no, O’Brien invites him to visit for a sneak preview. O’Brien turns off the telescreen at his residence when Winston and Julia visit a seemingly preposterous action. They drink wine and chat about the Brotherhood. O’Brien inducts the two into the rebellious group. In that time Winston had been renting a room above Mr. Charington’s antique shop, a perfectly preserved imitation of a room that could be in a home before Big Brother tyranny was rampant. Winston and Julia awake, the two discuss how the future depends on the proles and their progeny. They realize that they are the dead.. It is then behind a picture Mr. Charington’s voice repeats, "You are the dead." The two realize that a telescreen is hidden behind the picture, and soon stomping boots surround the house. It is then that Winston and Julia are held captive slowly brainwashed to learn the ways of doublethink and eventually turned against each other. This display of power on Big Brothers part shows just how powerful his dictatorship truly is.
The author uses symbolism many times throughout the novel to convey various points the glass paperweight Winston bought from Mr. Charington’s shop defines Winston fate throughout the novel. This symbol of the glass paperweight is crucial to Winston's development as a character. The paperweight symbolizes the past in which he seeks without any regard to the consequence. When Winston decided to go buy a paperweight from the antique store in the prole district bought from Mr. Charington, this shows his effort to reconnect to his past. Due to the fact that the paperweight symbolizes his fate when the paperweight falls to the ground this foreshadows the breakage to his spirit, conquers his mind, and destroys humanity.
1984 by George Orwell is not only a brilliant novel but a testament to the need of democracy and a free country. All of these ideas are still relevant today, and 1984 will always be a timeless classic passing on this wisdom from generation to generation.