1984 (Nineteen Eighty-four - George Orwell)

Name: marandina

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Product:	Nineteen Eighty-four - George Orwell
Date:	11/01/04 (6923 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Brilliantly written

Disadvantages: May be a bit heavy

---Introduction---

Throughout the aeons come ideas. In the greatest examinations it's been proven over and over again that material things can be destroyed, peoples crushed under the weight of superior forces but the enduring tenet that out lives all else is that ideas are immutable. The last couple of centuries have seen significant written works that have influenced millions both directly and indirectly, for the eventual good and the unimaginably bad. Nietzsche works (significantly his views on power and the gravitation towards the Ubermensch) had no small influence on Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf. Karl Marx set out a unique vision of a classless society where all were equal and the insidious upper classes were brought to heel for the greater good. All of these outstanding minds extolled the virtues of a Utopia of sorts based on ideology. However, what would happen if ideas could be crushed and the human spirit completely subjugated to a philosophy that would last forever and never be overthrown, exploiting the inevitable flaws inherent within the Third Reich of Nazi Germany and the Stalinist version of Communism in Russia?

---George Orwell---

George Orwell was born Eric Blair in 1903. His first book was published in 1933 "Down and Out in Paris and London" It's not certain why Orwell adopted the pseudonym that he did but majority thought suggests he used the name of a river in Suffolk. I've watched several programmes about the elusive Blair and little if any radio or television footage exists of the great man, which is surprising bearing in mind his involvement with the media and the BBC in particular. A Past that is shrouded in mystery saw the universally acclaimed "Animal Farm" published in 1945. A satirical review of the Russian revolution drawn in the analogy of a farm established Orwell as a major political thinker of his day. Ironically, Orwell's own political persuasions were far left of centre
typified by his departure to Spain to join the left's efforts in the Spanish Civil War of 1937. Orwell's final book of an eventful life was published in 1949. The book was 1984.

---1984 - The Story---

1984 is the story of a solitary man working in the Ministry of Truth in a totalitarian world. Winston Smith is a member of the *outer party in a State where only one party exists. The Party controls every aspect of the people's lives even including their very thoughts. Winston is at the heart of the ideology of the party. His job is to alter past records in accordance with party wishes. The very essence of social culture is the notion of "doublethink", the ability to hold two conflicting facts as true even where they are total opposites. This seemingly preposterous, paradoxical ability supports the general party philosophy contained within Ingsoc or English Socialism and enables the party to completely subsume any resemblance of opposition to it's control.

1984 is a world of conflict where a continuous state of war exists between Oceania (where the book is set) and one of the other two super powers, Eastasia or Eurasia. Oceania contains Airstrip One (formerly Britain) in which the population merely serve the greater good of the Party and all independent thought is crushed via the all seeing telescreens (secretly manned televisions in every home and building to spy on the people). Any dissension, however small or seemingly insignificant) is immediately stamped out by the enforcers - the Thought Police.

Winston is unsettled. A middle aged man with no ties (his wife had left some years ago) he constantly thinks dangerous thoughts, struggling to reconcile those events going on around him with what he feels is actually right and proper. He struggles with the concept of doublethink, desperate to rebel but unable to see how. That is until he makes an elicit contact with Julia, a fellow party worker. They embark on
an illegal affair (sex is considered a crime unless it is to procreate on behalf of the party) through a series of liaisons mainly based in a flat above a shop. As they get to know each other better, they decide to actively rebel against the party and decide to enlist the help of a senior member of the *Inner Party - O'Brien. At this point, I'll leave it to the reader to realise the later workings of the work and wonder whether O'Brien is the rebel that the couple hope he is; whether Winston and Julia do get caught and if so what the implications are and in what direction the story will take them in terms of triumph over an evil regime or disaster in being defeated by overwhelming odds.

---1984 - An analysis---

More than anything else, 1984 seems to be famous for the expressions contained within the book finding their way into everyday language. Big Brother is synonymous with being spied on by the State as well as the populist television programmes spawned all over the world. The meaning of Big Brother is much more sinister in the book as the Party has chosen to destroy the family unit through the establishment of sex crimes and the proliferation of children spying and informing on their parents. The family unit is seen as a threat to the State so the eradication of it and re-placement of a figurative Big Brother to love is at the heart of what the Party stands for.

Room 101 is portrayed as the ultimate in terror and has come into popular consciousness through the idea of putting everything that one despises into it. In recent times, the idea has been further exploited by television by using it as the basis for the same named TV programme.

Less used but still referred to are the terms "Newspeak" and "double think". The latter has been referred to earlier and whilst, potentially difficult to grasp as a concept, the notion is equally as significant as the figurative Big Brother. A further, more obvio
us example of doublethink is the three central tenets of the Party i.e. "WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH" In a world where even the ministries have double meanings (Ministry of Truth deals with the falsification of records, Ministry of Love with torture and the Ministry of Plenty with the perpetuation of food shortages), Winston has
to reconcile himself to the double standards contained within the Party objectives further fuelling his hatred of a corrupt regime.

1984 even contains an appendix, which gives a fuller explanation of Newspeak but its essence is the reduction of words and expression in the English Language. By continually reducing the words in use, the idea is to reduce the ability to think through expression and, at the same time, sever all ties with the past by elimination of politically sensitive terminology. An example might be the deletion of the word "bad" and replaced with "ungood"

There is even a reference to a National Lottery which, in this case, is fixed but is used to give the *proles false hope whilst raising revenues for the party.

There is so much to say about 1984 that essays on the book might stretch to several thousand words. As a pure reading experience, 1984 is a joy to read. Orwell writes with a rhythm and expression that keeps the pages turning. At 342 pages, excluding appendix, some would even consider this a short book notwithstanding that some of the concepts are heavy. The development of the characters creates an enduring empathy, particularly with Winston Smith from whose perspective the book is written.

There is more than a suggestion of disappointment that 1984 was Orwell's last book before he died. It would be eminently possible to take the book as an extension of the allegory contained within Animal Farm published a few years earlier. Familiar elements are there within the book e.g. the image of Big Brother is clearly based on
Stalin whilst the elusive Emmanuel Goldstein is definitively, Leon Trotsky. The oppressive nature of society cries a parallel with the development of Soviet Russia. However, 1984 is much more than it's intuitive predecessor. At its core, 1984 takes the ideology of totalitarianism and
extrapolates it to the nth degree. Like all great suppositions, Orwell takes the scenario of "what if?" and walks it through to an ultimate finale. This may give you a hint as towards the book's conclusion but the point is made and, hopefully, not lost.

The message contained within the book clearly meant a great deal to the writer. Not happy with writing a story that should be clear enough for most to interpret, he includes a failsafe in the existence of the banned publication "The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism". If there was any doubt as to what was going on around Smith, his eventual reading of the text makes it plain both to him and the reader of 1984 as to the reasoning and strategy of those in power.

I guess you have to take into account when this book was written. A post war arena of Stalinism in Russia and the eventual defeat of the Nazis in Germany saw a new age develop. Clearly, Orwell was ill at ease even with the rise to power of the Labour Party in this country after the ruling Conservatives failed to re-gain power after the war. It may be that he saw himself in Smith's illegal purchase of writing paper with the carthatic but premonitionary scribbling that set the tone for the story. "For whom, it suddenly occurred to him to wonder, was he writing this story? For the future, for the unborn. His mind hovered for a moment round the doubtful date on the page, and then fetched up with a bump against the Newspeak word doublethink....either the future would resemble the present, in which case it would not listen to him: or it would be different from it, and his predicament would be meaningless?"
It is almost as though Orwell was imploring his reader to listen to him via the character of Winston Smith to establish a warning of what may come.

Of course, in hindsight, there are many facets of the book that have since actually happened. Many highly placed politicians have been influenced by Orwell's book and, I suppose, the list of examples to underline the book's events is extremely long. Rogue states such as Korea and Iraq as was, the former USSR, the evil dictatorship of Pol Pot in Cambodia all echo regimes akin to that in 1984. The combination of a fascist approach and Communist suppression make up the template of much of the goings on in the book but the principles underlined have come to be served by others since.

---1984 -A conclusion---

However, this is not the main point, at least in my view. The very heart of Orwell's message is freedom but it's how freedom is defined that makes the difference to me. Both the existence of doublethink and Newspeak as concepts both lead to the ultimate in power, the ability to deny the masses the liberty of free thought. If only we did stop and think about the myriad of sources bombarding us as people, maybe individuals might realise that they are not as free as they thought, even in countries that are supposedly free democracies. A heady concoction of other people, advertising and mass media all influence what we think and feel. How often do we actually challenge what we see and hear on the radio and television? Just think for a moment why you think about something the way you do. Inevitably, that thought will have been put there by a third party. I'm sure that this, above all is else, is what Orwell was trying to get across in his book and it's the understanding of this notion that gives us our ultimate liberation.

I could go on but that would be unfair on the reader with other things to do on a Sunday so I'll close with the conclusion I wish to draw. 198
4 is a masterpiece and stands like a colossus amongst other works of the 20th century. If there is one book that everyone should read at least once, it's this.

Thanks for reading

Marandina

ISBN 0-141-187735-2

I bought this paperback copy for £3.73 from Tesco.

There is a fascinating introduction from Thomas Pynchon giving some interesting background to the book and the man behind it, albeit his expressions do leave something to be desired at times.

*Oceanic society is made up of the privileged Inner Party, the less so Outer Party who carry out most of the routine tasks required and the proles who represent the ignorant masses (represented by the cart horse in Animal Farm)

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