George Orwell's 1984

George Orwell's “1984”
 Dystopian novel – warns of dangers of totalitarianism (i.e. complete dictatorship)

 In world: strict control; going for a walk is eccentric and dangerous behaviour;
permanent surveillance; everybody wears the same clothes and eats the same
food;
 Follows character of Winston Smith as he struggles to rebel and form identity as an
individual, under a regime which does not allow individuality
 Attempts: writing diary; relationship with Julia; talking to O'Brien/'brotherhood'
 “You are prepared to lose your identity and live out the rest of your life as a waiter or
a dock-worker?”
 “'I am conscious of my own identity. I was born and I shall die. I have arms and legs.
I occupy a particular point in space. No other solid object can occupy the same
point simultaneously”
 Structure: split into 3 parts; general chronological order; contains infrequent
flashbacks/musings of his past; diary/book entries dotted throughout
 Parts: part 1 sets up his world, leading to description of him, his life and causing the
reader to empathise with him, includes diary beginning; part 2 (longest part),
becomes connected with those he believes are also against the regime, including
his relationship with Julia, reads Goldstein's book; part 3 he and Julia are caught
and undergo severe torture and brainwashing, until he succeeds in loving BB –
abandonment of intellectual integrity.
'1984' by George Orwell is a dystopian novel, warning of the dangers of totalitarianism. In

the world depicted, all citizens are under constant surveillance, and both the minds and
bodies of the citizens are under strict control from Big Brother and the Party during an
apparent war against ever-changing enemies. Under this regime, all citizens wear the
same clothes, eat the same foods and live in near identical apartments. Both jobs and
marriage partners are assigned by Party, and emotions are manipulated and restricted to
leave only fear, adulation, hatred and triumph. Religion has been eradicated, allowing
worship and reverie only of the Party, and all newspapers and written records are
constantly re-written and destroyed to make the Party appear infallible, so any
independent thought or doubt in the Party puts the citizen at risk of being 'vaporised' for
thoughtcrime or sabotage. In the novel, we see the character of Winston Smith attempting
to rebel against the party and form his own identity as an individual, under a regime which
does not allow individuality - a struggle which is ultimately unsuccessful.
Language is heavily controlled by the Party, with English being replaced by 'Newspeak',
under which no unnecessary words are used, and all remaining words have set and
arbitrary meanings, e.g. there is no 'bad', only 'good' or 'ungood'. This destruction of
language has the aim to narrow the range of thought, thereby making thoughtcrime
impossible, as there are no words with which to express it. This emphasises the complete
control of the Party, and the struggles Winston faces in trying to free himself from their
rules and ideas.
The novel is divided into three main parts, with sub-chapters within each part: Part 1
describes Winston, his life and the nature of the party, leading the reader to empathise
with him and understand why he chooses to rebel; Part 2 shows Winston becoming
connected with those he believes are also against the regime, including his relationship
with Julia and integration into what he believes is the 'Brotherhood'; In part 3, his struggle
for identity comes to a head when he is tortured and told that his independence and
notions of identity are evidence of insanity. He is driven to denouncing all of his beliefs,
leaving him a hollow shell of a man by the end of the novel, where he is shown to have
abandoned his intellectual integrity and truly believes in and loves the Party.
It is presented in chronological order, with infrequent flashbacks and musings of past
events, and Winston's diary entries dotted throughout. The diary entries in particular begin
formally, but degenerate to uncontrolled stream of consciousness, reflecting Winston's
desperation and lack of control over his situation. It is written in the 3 rd person, giving the
reader a clear view in their mind of everything that happens to and around Winston.

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George Orwell's “1984”

 Dystopian novel – warns of dangers of totalitarianism (i.e. complete dictatorship)

'1984' by George Orwell is a dystopian novel, warning of the dangers of totalitarianism. In

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