LogFAQs > #912509518

3. 1984 (28 points)
Nominated by: handsomeboy2012 (0/5 remaining)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/326569/1984-by-george-orwell/9780735234611/excerpt

Importance: 10
Fear: 9
Snake: 9

It's common to hear people say over and over that "1984 was ahead of its time", but you know what, it's because it's so true. It's right in the title of the book, a terrifying future that Orwell felt could become a reality. This tale of censorship, surveillance, and totalitarianism feels totally relevant in our modern day times, as we our tracked everywhere, whether online, on our phones, in store's using our credit cards, or even in our cars. The FCC and governments try repeatedly to throttle and limit our online experience (and is already a reality in many countries), while Youtube demonetizes videos with cursing, viewpoints that don't align with their own, or for any other reason that may be deemed "offensive". Our society often feels over-commercialized, over-sanitized, and over-regulated. This brings us to 1984 and the world of Oceania. Oceania is a superstate governed with total power by "Big Brother", with constant reminders everywhere that Big Brother is watching you. The list of keeps Big Brother in this position is seemingly endless. Everyone has screens in their homes that monitor your every action, work days are long and exhausting and boring, and you must do your "Physical Jerks" to ensure you don't even make the wrong facial expression at the wrong time. You may not even think, and I mean literally think, anything negative about Big Brother, or else the Thought Police will make you an "unperson", by altering your records and making everyone forget about you, either that or they will torture you into becoming an undying supporter of Big Brother. Big Brother is built on misdirection, and will fabricate any lie necessary to keep its people in check and obedient. One of its biggest means of control is called "Newspeak" which eliminates any words from human lexicon relating to freedom of thought.

Our main protagonist is Winston Smith, a perfect everyman avatar for the reader to attach to. He works for the Ministry of Truth (the ultimate of misnomers), rewriting historical documents to match party belief. Winston buys a diary to secretly write hateful thoughts about Big Brother, knowingly creating a downward spiral for his life, as his rebellious actions grow ever more dangerous. Winston isn't inherently rebellious, but he thinks of himself as nonexistant in the world, which triggers his desire to strike out against Big Brother and not care whether he gets caught or not. Winston eventually enters a forbidden relationship with Julia, a more naturally inclined rebel, but one who's smarter about the way she goes about it. Winston also strikes up a relationship with O'Brien, a high ranking party member who appears to be in opposition to it. In reality, everything Winston does to "rebel" just plays into the hands of Big Brother. O'Brien isn't a member of some idealistic rival to Big Brother, he's a member of the Thought Police and always had been. Julia, despite her rebellious tendencies and dirty-mindedness, immediately sells out Winston without a second thought, and though Winston lasts several months longer, even he caves to the pressure after being confronted with his worst fear, rats. In the world of Oceania, no one escapes Big Brother, and it now fills the loveless void Julia and Winston both have within them now. Orwell perfectly captures how hopeless such a society as this one is here, and you can never really be sure if your actions are truly your own, or just part of some deviously orchestrated plot.
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If the suspense doesn't kill you, something else will!
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