Scan barcode
A review by moonnicoo
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
5.0
1984 is a prophetic masterpiece, written in 1948, that discusses the themes of oppression and loss of individual freedom, and it remains relevant to this day. The book is quite disturbing and horrifying, but also exposes what is happening with society. It was very ahead of its time showing a glimpse of a future that retains enough with reality to be realistic while also straying so much into the surveillance society that it becomes uncanny. It's beautifully written and the plot and themes draw you in. The concept of Big Brother is so terrifying because it is so realistic. Big Brother is a form of unchecked government power that manipulates humans into turning on each other and by that making them be their own greatest enemy. “Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.” Throughout history there have been events and wars that has led to suffering and death. These are events such as the world wars and the different communist societies. In 1984 these events are mirrored in the acts from the party, the structure of society and the forms of control. The most seen form of control in the novel is the control of free speech. “Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it.” The concept of Newspeak represents the impactful and successful attempt to control not only what people say but also what they might think. The party do this by compressing and erasing the vocabulary of people. By limiting the language they limit ideas, and thereby gain more control.
Throughout the novel we follow Winston Smith, who is a 3rd person narrator of the events of the book. It is clear from the first page and all the way to the end that we, the readers, will be rooting for Winston. Which is incredible. We are shown the whole of his character. The paranoid side of him, thinking everyone around him are spies from the thoughtpolice, to his selfish childhood where he took everything from his sister and his mother only due to the fact that he was selfish. But even though we see all these sides of him, they in a way just shows us how human he is, which is relatable. The good sides of Winston is mostly shown when he is with Julia, as she is a kind of safespace for him. He is able to express his own thoughts and feelings freely without worrying (too much) about Big Brother in her company. “Confession is not betrayal. What you say or do doesn't matter; only feelings matter. If they could make me stop loving you-that would be the real betrayal.” His deep love for Julia makes us believe in him not only as a relatable character but also as the narrator of this horrible story. All of this building of his character only adds to the ending and makes it even more painful.
The ending of 1984 leaves a huge impact on the reader. Having Winston submit to the horrific manipulation and torture from Big Brother shows how the oppressive regime can take over the individuality of the human race. The focus in the chapters leading up to the ending being Winston's obsession with, and I quote “To die hating them, that was freedom.” and then ending it on the last line being “He loved Big Brother.” is the most heart wrenching way to end the story of this character that we were rooting for. And even though I personally was left shocked and heartbroken to the fact that Winston lost the fight. Both his own fight and the fight for freedom of society. But actually, this is the only way I would have accepted it to end.
Not to say that the ending was predictable, it was just fitting. George Orwell manages to leave the reader questioning reality and society and power and most of all the state of it. Orwell lets the reader in on the identity of Big Brother, because ultimately it does not matter who Big Brother is. Big Brother is the outcome of unchecked government power. Orwell ends up provoking the reader to wonder who the Big Brotherof our nonfictional world might be.
Ultimately it’s an easy 5/5 stars for me, as there is nothing that could’ve bettered the book.
Throughout the novel we follow Winston Smith, who is a 3rd person narrator of the events of the book. It is clear from the first page and all the way to the end that we, the readers, will be rooting for Winston. Which is incredible. We are shown the whole of his character. The paranoid side of him, thinking everyone around him are spies from the thoughtpolice, to his selfish childhood where he took everything from his sister and his mother only due to the fact that he was selfish. But even though we see all these sides of him, they in a way just shows us how human he is, which is relatable. The good sides of Winston is mostly shown when he is with Julia, as she is a kind of safespace for him. He is able to express his own thoughts and feelings freely without worrying (too much) about Big Brother in her company. “Confession is not betrayal. What you say or do doesn't matter; only feelings matter. If they could make me stop loving you-that would be the real betrayal.” His deep love for Julia makes us believe in him not only as a relatable character but also as the narrator of this horrible story. All of this building of his character only adds to the ending and makes it even more painful.
The ending of 1984 leaves a huge impact on the reader. Having Winston submit to the horrific manipulation and torture from Big Brother shows how the oppressive regime can take over the individuality of the human race. The focus in the chapters leading up to the ending being Winston's obsession with, and I quote “To die hating them, that was freedom.” and then ending it on the last line being “He loved Big Brother.” is the most heart wrenching way to end the story of this character that we were rooting for. And even though I personally was left shocked and heartbroken to the fact that Winston lost the fight. Both his own fight and the fight for freedom of society. But actually, this is the only way I would have accepted it to end.
Not to say that the ending was predictable, it was just fitting. George Orwell manages to leave the reader questioning reality and society and power and most of all the state of it. Orwell lets the reader in on the identity of Big Brother, because ultimately it does not matter who Big Brother is. Big Brother is the outcome of unchecked government power. Orwell ends up provoking the reader to wonder who the Big Brotherof our nonfictional world might be.
Ultimately it’s an easy 5/5 stars for me, as there is nothing that could’ve bettered the book.