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A review by killaria
1984 by George Orwell
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
1984 is a terrifying cautionary tale.
I was immediately hooked on the prospect of what made past dictatorships from Russia and Germany terrifying and elevated it towards the extremes that turned such a reality leagues beyond more evil, cruel and insidious.
Following Winston as an expendable figure of helpless, hopeless and tragic example is heartbreaking to read about. It’s horrific to think and ponder about how the citizens of Oceania and including Eurasia and Eastasia, which meant anywhere around the world is experiencing the extreme totalitarianism, it’s what’s normal everywhere.
In this case, the people as individuals are isolated from any kind of freedom.
Freedom for their sexualities, attraction and pleasure is taken by ridding the people of the human nature and instinct of sexual pleasure and turning that energy into mass hysteria that fuels the hatred, triumph, loyalty and other emotions needed to maintain the Party.
Freedom for familial, friendship and romantic loyalties and relations by putting a rift between child and parent where the parents are scared of their own children since they are subjected and groomed towards only being loyal to the Party. The same can be said with friendships and especially with partners, women are especially subjected to believing that bearing children is their duty to the Party. There’s even a plan to rid children from their mothers as soon as they are born or the plan to bear children without sex.
Freedom for their own thoughts and words. Many offenses are considered punishable by death like simply owning a notebook. A notebook and a pen serves as a method of self-expression. People are not allowed to have their own thoughts and words even with the simplest disagreement and dissent that doesn’t even involve the Party. Two plus two cannot be four if the Party said it’s five or any other number.
Freedom for their own personal privacy. The people are subjected to 24/7 surveillance, they are being watched and even the smallest micro expressions that makes the Party suspicious is not allowed.
Freedom for their own feelings. Love is considered the biggest acts of betrayal in the story, considering Winston and Julia’s union became their form of resistance against the Party, especially loving each other. There is only love for Big Brother and the Party and Winston’s journey towards resignation and acceptance of it to the end is a major implication that Winston’s story isn’t the first. That if not all, almost everyone had a similar experience once they were taken away.
I can see why this book is a must read! This novel paints such a vivid picture of what could happen if a government subjects its citizens to the extremes.
The details and explanations made through Goldstein’s book is so fascinating at contextualizing the story and the world behind it. However, it did feel like those entries could have been turned into essays instead of being very textbook heavy because I was admittedly zoning out and had to repeatedly read paragraphs just to understand what is being said.
Overall, I like the book. I thoroughly enjoyed Winston’s journey and how he wasn’t even unique to have rebellious thoughts and tendencies against the Party. He isn’t the first and his offenses weren’t even grave but the Party making an example out of him was truly a dreadful experience in the best way.
I’m glad I went into the story blind. I was expecting that there was going to be some rebellion and abolishment against the Party. I did not expect the more insidious reality of specific persons being handpicked to be taken for their offenses. What makes it even more terrifying is how O’Brien said that he has been monitoring Winston for years, the implication that the Party didn’t even stop him from having his first rebellious thought and action, that they baited him towards acting out makes me think that the Party tests and handpicks people to keep acting out until it was time to take them and subject them to the most cruel conditioning and torture towards complete submission just because they enforce and gain power for the sake of power and having it.
It’s a horror story. One with no ghosts and grotesque monster hiding in closets.
I was immediately hooked on the prospect of what made past dictatorships from Russia and Germany terrifying and elevated it towards the extremes that turned such a reality leagues beyond more evil, cruel and insidious.
Following Winston as an expendable figure of helpless, hopeless and tragic example is heartbreaking to read about. It’s horrific to think and ponder about how the citizens of Oceania and including Eurasia and Eastasia, which meant anywhere around the world is experiencing the extreme totalitarianism, it’s what’s normal everywhere.
In this case, the people as individuals are isolated from any kind of freedom.
Freedom for their sexualities, attraction and pleasure is taken by ridding the people of the human nature and instinct of sexual pleasure and turning that energy into mass hysteria that fuels the hatred, triumph, loyalty and other emotions needed to maintain the Party.
Freedom for familial, friendship and romantic loyalties and relations by putting a rift between child and parent where the parents are scared of their own children since they are subjected and groomed towards only being loyal to the Party. The same can be said with friendships and especially with partners, women are especially subjected to believing that bearing children is their duty to the Party. There’s even a plan to rid children from their mothers as soon as they are born or the plan to bear children without sex.
Freedom for their own thoughts and words. Many offenses are considered punishable by death like simply owning a notebook. A notebook and a pen serves as a method of self-expression. People are not allowed to have their own thoughts and words even with the simplest disagreement and dissent that doesn’t even involve the Party. Two plus two cannot be four if the Party said it’s five or any other number.
Freedom for their own personal privacy. The people are subjected to 24/7 surveillance, they are being watched and even the smallest micro expressions that makes the Party suspicious is not allowed.
Freedom for their own feelings. Love is considered the biggest acts of betrayal in the story, considering Winston and Julia’s union became their form of resistance against the Party, especially loving each other. There is only love for Big Brother and the Party and Winston’s journey towards resignation and acceptance of it to the end is a major implication that Winston’s story isn’t the first. That if not all, almost everyone had a similar experience once they were taken away.
I can see why this book is a must read! This novel paints such a vivid picture of what could happen if a government subjects its citizens to the extremes.
The details and explanations made through Goldstein’s book is so fascinating at contextualizing the story and the world behind it. However, it did feel like those entries could have been turned into essays instead of being very textbook heavy because I was admittedly zoning out and had to repeatedly read paragraphs just to understand what is being said.
Overall, I like the book. I thoroughly enjoyed Winston’s journey and how he wasn’t even unique to have rebellious thoughts and tendencies against the Party. He isn’t the first and his offenses weren’t even grave but the Party making an example out of him was truly a dreadful experience in the best way.
I’m glad I went into the story blind. I was expecting that there was going to be some rebellion and abolishment against the Party. I did not expect the more insidious reality of specific persons being handpicked to be taken for their offenses. What makes it even more terrifying is how O’Brien said that he has been monitoring Winston for years, the implication that the Party didn’t even stop him from having his first rebellious thought and action, that they baited him towards acting out makes me think that the Party tests and handpicks people to keep acting out until it was time to take them and subject them to the most cruel conditioning and torture towards complete submission just because they enforce and gain power for the sake of power and having it.
It’s a horror story. One with no ghosts and grotesque monster hiding in closets.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: War
Minor: Rape