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George Orwell: Nineteen Eighty-Four
Review by Marc Drolshagen (13th grade)
George Orwell's real name was Eric Blair. Born in India on 25 June 1903, he chose his
pen name in 1933, using a river in Suffolk for his surname. In November 1943 Orwell became
the editor of a Socialist newspaper (Tribune). At this time he began his famous novel
(Animal Farm), which was published in 1945. When Orwell's wife died he was in poor health
himself and he decided to live with his adopted son on the island of Jura. There he wrote
"1984" and published it in 1949, but his health was beginning to worsen. Orwall
died at the age of forty-six on 21st January 1950.
Nineteen Eighty-Four is a warning, a strong and violent book that aims to disturb, even to shock, not to provide cheap entertainment but to show how easily humanity can be destroyed by its own actions. The world has split into three giant superstates: Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia. Eurasia is present-day Europe and the Soviet Union. Orwell depicts the state of the world, especially Europe, after the Second World War. He invents an Utopia, but one that is corrupted and bankrupt expect for a powerful totalitarian minority.
Winston Smith works as a minor member of the ruling Party in London, under the leadership of all-seeing and all-powerful Big Brother, under the eye of a TV monitor. If Winston does anything out of order, a voice barks out instructions. The Party frowns on art, on sex, on the life of the mind. Their posters warn: "Big Brother is watching you". Every Party member knows the worst crime of all is "Thoughtcrime": having evil thoughts against the Party or Big Brother. Winston is also troubled by dreams and memories of better times, inspired by secret glances form O'Brien, a powerful member of the Inner Party. Winston's job is to alter books to keep up with the changing of Party history.
He meets Julia, a dark haired rebel Party member. They begin an affair in a private room. Winston thinks it is love like theirs that will destroy the Party. Later he gets a message from O'Brien to help O'Brien's secret group, the Brotherhood, to overthrow the Party. Winston's determination is strenghthened by a sudden political change. Oceania is no longer at war with Eurasia. O'Brien has given Winston a forbidden book by Goldstein, the enemy of the Party. Winston takes it and reads the extensive writing on Party philosophy. He thinks that the proles are the hope of the future when suddenly his world collapses. Within seconds the police crashes in, Winston is hold prisoner and tortured in the Ministry of Love, where O'Brien spends months trying to brainwash him. The final step comes when O'Brien takes Winston to room 101, where he has to face what he most fears. As a cage full of rats closes over his face, he forgets everything, even his love for Julia. His spirit is broken. As the novel ends, Winston is back at work, his affair ended and his diary destroyed, along with his memories and the last fragments of his personality. The State has triumphed and Winston has learned to love Big Brother.
My opinion:
In my opinion, Orwell writes like many English novelists, with an eye for detail and the occasional comic touch. His style is basically clean, sharp and unornamented. Orwell does not rely on numerous colourful adjectives and he does not overwrite.
An internet project of Integrierte Gesamtschule Bonn-Beuel
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Stand: 27.03.1998 |
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