The Best People In Life Are Free

I Love You

1984 by George Orwell introduces its readers to an excellent example of a negative dystopia and a totalitarian government. In a moment of desperation,  Winston Smith decides that he will be writing his diary towards O'Brien, a man who works at the Ministry of Truth and that Winston thinks is also against the Party. Winston begins writing about his wife (who he is separated from) and about proles (the poor percentage of the population), who Winston thinks are the only hope for changing the system. Then, Winston visits the proles to ask the old ones if life was better before Big Brother or after, but finds no answers. He discovers a woman, named Julia, following around but is surprised when she gives him a letter telling Winston that she loves him.

My Thoughts On...

“I understand HOW: I do not understand WHY.” (Orwell,80)

This reflects Orwell´s opinion on the world at the time the book was published. Orwell was a British man living during the Cold War who was probably disgusted with the world's events at the time, and decided to write a book about it. He understood how the constant political, economic, and military problems made themselves present in his everyday life, but he didn't understand the reason behind it. Just like the Western Bloc was in constant disagreement with the Eastern Bloc, Oceania was in constant war with Eurasia and Eastasia. George Orwell was able to incorporate events and ideas from his time living into his book, but was still able to add fiction to his novel.

This movie is about a boy who tries to find
a reason for everything in his life.

   

“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. It that is granted, all else follows.” (Orwell, 81)

I think that this is an excellent example of how deep into a person's mind the government is trying to control. Orwell is explaining that the government in 1984 is capable of changing basic operations of math in order to control the minds of citizens and, worst of all, the citizens accept it without questioning it. Will the government say that two plus two make something other than four and make the citizens accept it? Will Winston accept it?

Next Up On 1984...

This book has brought me a lot  more surprises than I thought it would, and I'm positive that there will be many more to come throughout the book. Also, I found out that the name of the author, George Orwell, is actually a pseudonym for Eric Arthur Blair. I thought this was interesting since I originally thought that George Orwell was the author's real name. I have honestly no idea of what could happen next with the book, but I do hope that more things about Winston and Julia are revealed. I hope that Winston decides to do something to change the system and gives O´Brien his diary.

Here´s To The Past

Big Brother Is Watching You

In 1949, George Orwell imagined the year 1984 as a time where the world is divided in three superstates (Eurasia, Eastasia, and Oceania) that are in constant war with one another, a totalitarian government that spies on every citizen through telescreens, a new language (called Newspeak) being developed, and children play games of war before learning what it is. The then book introduces Winston Smith, a 39 year old man who leaves in a deteriorating building and works at the Ministry of Truth, where his job is to alter speeches and announcements from the government in order to fool the population into believing everything the government says. Smith then starts a diary in which he expresses his thoughts about the government and its leader, Big Brother (whose posters are present everywhere, depicting his face and his slogan “Big Brother Is Watching You”). Winston then realizes that he will probably be vaporized (the government kills people and erases them off every document and picture there is) since he committed Thoughtcrime (thinking of a crime can get you vaporized) against the government.

Figuring It Out

“WAR IS PEACE

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH” (Orwell,4)

This is one of the many slogans of the INGSOC, which is the English Socialist Party in Oceania. Their main goal is to have total control over the population, but most importantly of their minds (this is why Thoughtcrime exists and so does Thoughtpolice). I think that these three phrases are incredible examples of double thinking, a mind program imposed by INGSOC that wants citizens to accept two contradictory beliefs as correct. War is present in Oceania, but the Party make the citizens believe that they are still at peace. The Party also convinces the people that being free of choices would make them slaves in one way or another, and that their ignorance in everything in general (no one knows what year it is exactly) makes them stronger. All of the phrases above are paradoxes that can't be present with the other but, are these still being enforced today? 

This movie (The Noble Family in English) is about
 the lessons and problems that lying can bring

"He was alone. The past was dead, the future was unimaginable." (Orwell, 26)

When I read this quote, I felt strangely pitiful towards Winston. I realized that he is the only one, that  I know of, that wants to know of the past without being lied to about it and wants to imagine a future with free choices. I think that since Smith was so foreign to change, he became extremely curious about it even though he can't change anything about his society. I wonder if he will ever share his thoughts with anybody else or just keep writing in his diary.

Then What?

So far, I'm really enjoying this book. This is the third book that I've read about negative dystopias and so far I've liked them. I honestly hope that Winston tells someone he trusts about the thoughts and curiousity he's been having. Hopefully, in the next few chapters more characters will be introduced that think the same way as Winston and that can help him do something about their current situation. I am quite sure that the book will revolove around Winston´s ideas of revolutions and rebellions. I also hope that in the next few chapters, more information about the government will be introduced in order for me to understand the plot of the book better.