The Asian Read Team
BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
COVER ARTIST: Michelle Kennar
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
LANGUAGE: English
GENRE: Dystopian, Political fiction, social science fiction.
PUBLISHER: Secker and Warburg
PUBLICATION DATE: 8th June 1949.
Author’s background:
As a writer, Orwell produced LITERARY criticism, poetry, fiction and Polemical journalism; and is best known for the allegorical novella, animal farm (1945) and Dystopian novel, nineteen Eighty four (1949). His works have directly or indirectly aimed at the totalitarianism and the democratic socialism. His novels pull out a great impact on the reader and his choice of words are defined and help the readers imagine the world he tries to create.
Theme and plot:
In the future world of 1984 the world is divided into 3 super states namely Oceania East Asia and That are deadlocked in a permanent war.The reason behind the continous War is to keep their economies productive and to prevent I think to the wealth of the citizens, Who except a few privileged, live in a state of fear and poverty. Oceana is ruled by a group known as the party. the inner party, who’s members make up of the 2% of the population, Effectively govern, while the outer party, who constitute about 13% of the population, Unquestioningly carry out their orders. the remaining population Are the proles, who are who are ignored Because they are thought to be intellectually incapable.
in order to maintain its power, the party keeps its citizens under constant surveillance, monitoring even their thoughts and punishing those who are found showing signs of nonconformity.The party Is ruled by Big Brother, whose face is displayed on posters and coins, and towards whom every citizen Is supposed to feel love and allegiance.
Winston Smith, a quiet outer party member, who lives in a one room apartment is disturbed by the parties willingness to alter history in order to present its regime as infallible and just. He attempts on Trying to reveal the deepest secrets of the inner party but ends up Falling in its trap.The party made sure that nobody could Even Think about going against it.
The themes in this novel by or well deal with-
- TOTALITARIANISM AND COMMUNISM
- THE INDIVIDUAL VS COLLECTIVE IDENTITY
- REALITY CONTROL
- SEX, LOVE AND LOYALTY
- CLASS STRUGGLE
Every sentence from this book gives you cold shivers and the more one tries to understand it, the more one can resonate with it. For example when one talks about the surveillance in the world of 1984, it is applicable to today’s time as well; our personal information is saved on our smartphones and if tried it can be hacked and made public. Another example is the CCTV cameras around the cities, proving that we are always being watched.
The slogans from 1984:-
“War is peace”
“freedom is slavery”
“Ignorance is strength”
These slogans are contradictory and opposite of what we usually believe. In the world of 1984, the superstates are always at war with each other; no one is free and everyone is ignorant to the wrong doings of the party.
This book is highly recommended for it’s thrilling roller coaster ride and the terms used by or well to predict a world as relevant to the one we live in.
