Nineteen Eighty-Four

by George Orwell

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In a word: uncomfortable

In a sentence: Winston attempts to navigate the civilization of Oceania under the constant eyes of Big Brother.

Synopsis: Ingsoc has taken over. The Thought Police are watching. A revolution is begun by the simple act of opening a diary, and The Party will quash it.

Reactions: I would like to open this reaction by stating that dystopia is not my genre of choice. However, I re-read this particular novel to remind myself that it

can be masterful despite my negative biases. Nineteen Eighty-Four is undoubtedly the ultimate dystopia and an absolutely unparalleled read. It is not, however, comfortable, beautiful, or eloquent.

In the premise of Nineteen Eighty-Four, Orwell takes the values which contemporary society prizes above all others and perverts them through the fallacy of Party Doctrine: War is Peace, Freedom of Slavery, and Ignorance is Stre

ngth. The only refreshing aspect of Ingsoc is that it unapologetically acknowledges that it only seeks power for the sake of power, and that power over other humans lives is its only true form. While this makes for a far from pleasant read, it accomplishes the fundamental societal examination which dystopia requires in a horrifyingly close manner.

Winston serves as the perfect vessel to illustrate Ingsoc in doctrine and practice. A holistically unexceptional person: not too smart or stupid, middle class, politically displeased but not brave enough for drastic action of his own volition. Winston is just old enough to remember the world before the Party, but is still young enough to participate and need supervision. He thinks like the reader because he understood the world before the party, so he poses similar questions and notices similar contracts and contradictions. He is, however, horribly pathetic and altogether repulsive from his cringing cowardice to his varicose ulcer. He is an unpleasant main character showing the reader a world even more unpleasant than its witness.

Often when people discuss Nineteen Eighty-Four they claim rather profoundly that society will reach Ingsoc at any moment and our current government is that of Big Brother. While it is certainly true that governments have a tendency towards fallacy and are gluttonous for power at the cost of the people, governments are still made of humans. Without the deified Big Brother combined with the supreme foresight and discipline exhibited by The Party, it would be utterly impossible to establish a government like Ingsoc. Humans lack foresight and discipline, and societies are full of individuals unwilling to accept fallacy and brave enough to speak out against it. The multi-faceted nature of society, and humanity's general lack of foresight and discipline make a contemporary Ingsoc a virtual impossibility.

Read if: you are interested in the examination of society or government, or simply enjoy a good dystopia.