City News
1984 by George Orwell
Review by Selin
Set in a dystopian society called Oceania, 1984 by George Orwell follows the life of Winston Smith, a low-ranking member of the reigning political party. Throughout the novel, Winston grows increasingly disillusioned with Big Brother, the ever-present dictatorship that insists on spying on every aspect of its citizen’s lives. The level of control is so extreme that even “thoughtcrime”, where a citizen is suspected of having rebellious thoughts, is punishable by imprisonment.
Winston is first introduced as a worker in the Records Department of the Ministry of Truth, where his job is to rewrite historical documents so they match the Party’s twisted version of events. We learn that Oceania is involved in a brutal war, which leaves many citizens tense, distrustful, and creates a fearful atmosphere. In a bold act of defiance and bravado, Winston buys a diary to record his secret thoughts about the Party. Later on in the novel, a striking and outspoken woman named Julia is introduced, whom Winston begrudgingly allies with. One aspect I enjoyed about 1984 was the exploration of the romance between Winston and Julia, especially because romance of any nature was frowned upon and discouraged in their society. Their developing relationship provides a sense of hope in the reader- maybe their world isn't so cruel after all. However, all good things must come to an end, and Orwell masterfully shatters Winston’s aspirations in a thrilling climax that readers are sure to be shocked by. Without giving spoilers, the ending of 1984 is in my opinion, perfect, because it is the most realistic ending to Winston’s story and serves to remind the reader that not everyone can have a happy ending despite all of their struggles. In that sense, 1984 is the perfect bleak and grim dystopian novel for readers who enjoy both a morally gray protagonist and realistic themes.
I would recommend 1984 to highschoolers ages 16 and above who are not bothered by the novel’s writing style. 1984 is not a quick read. Although Orwell does not use a lot of figurative language- mainly to stress how bleak and lifeless Winston’s world is- the diction itself is old-fashioned and quite formal. Furthermore, new terms coined by Orwell such as “Newspeak”, and “thoughtcrime” are important to the story and should not be overlooked or skimmed over by impatient readers.
Throughout the novel, readers can draw many comparisons between Winston’s society and our current world. Themes of technology, oppression, and control are explored in 1984. What makes the novel such a harrowing read, in my opinion, is the notion that the complete control that the Party was able to exercise over its citizens is in fact very possible in our world today, or perhaps our future. Keeping this thought in the back of one's mind as one reads will allow the reader to see Orwell’s warning for the human race, which adds to the experience of reading this novel. With an unreliable narrator that slowly loses his coherency as the story progresses, Orwell masterfully creates a perfect dystopia that I would recommend to those looking to experience a classic tale.