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1984

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(pub. 1949)

Webmaster's Note, 5/10/2007 - We have been informed by the rights holder that this work is still copyrighted in our territory. So we have removed it. You may still read our original summary though to the left.

Also commonly titled as Nineteen Eighty-Four

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1984 is possibly the definitive dystopian novel, set in a world beyond our imagining. A world where totalitarianism really is total, all power split into three roughly equal groups--Eastasia, Eurasia, and Oceania. 1984 is set in Oceania, which includes the United Kingdom, where the story is set, known as Airstrip One.

Winston Smith is a middle-aged, unhealthy character, based loosely on Orwell's own frail body, an underling of the ruling oligarchy, The Party. The Party has taken early 20th century totalitarianism to new depths, with each person subjected to 24 hour surveillance, where people's very thoughts are controlled to ensure purity of the oligarchical system in place. Figurehead of the system is the omnipresent and omnipotent Big Brother.

But Winston believes there is another way.

1984 joins Winston as he sets about another day, where his job is to change history by changing old newspaper records to match with the new truth as decided by the Party.

"He who controls the past, controls the future" is a Party slogan to live by and it gives Winston his job, but Winston cannot see it like that. Barely old enough to recall a time when things were different, he sets out to expose the Party for the cynically fraudulent organisation that it is. He is joined by Julia, a beautiful young woman much in contrast with Winston physically, but equally sickened by the excesses of her rulers.

You will meet many recognisable characters, themes, and words which have become part of our everyday life as you read 1984. Where did Big Brother first appear? Certainly not on Australian TV! Written in Orwell's inimitable journalistic style, 1984 is a tribute to a man who saw the true dangers of historian Lord Acton's (1834-1902) statement: "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely." -- Submitted by The Atheist.

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As Winston said, even if you are a minority of one it does not make you wrong.--Submitted by Anonymous.

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Winston Smith lives in a world very unlike the world of his forefathers. There have been atomic wars just thirty years in the past and some of his memories seem clouded as Winston is filled with doubt, almost as if the events did not happen at all. Winston feels he must put these thoughts down on paper or they will be forgotten forever. However,such a task is forbidden by the state controlled government. Winston decides to write his journal anyway. What transpires next in the novel is at the heart of what makes men able to exist with some degree of hope for the future. Winston's world is a very hopeless, unfriendly place.--Submitted by Tom Hickman.



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Orwell provides compelling reasons for the people of the 21st century to, much as we did in the 60's, question authority. Winston holds these thoughts dear but because of how society has been allowed to evolve he must be careful with even his own thoughts. You'll go with him as he meets Julia and as, against all odds, develops a relationship. Surprises abound in this unique and, at the time it was written, futuristic look at a world that has allowed itself to be taken over by an entity that we know even today as Big Brother. You'll find yourself asking how this man who wrote the novel in 1948 could possibly have such foresight into what would evolve into the world as we know it today. Similarities between life as we know it and life as Orwell foresaw abound. The book will cause you to look around yourself and question the policies of our government and the policies of global governments and how they impact our daily life. Definitely a compelling read !--Submitted by Anonymous.

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Recent Forum Posts on 1984

The Ultimate Purpose

It’s funny how O’Brien seems to know what Winston is always thinking. When Winston comes to the conclusion that O’Brien must know everything, because of his experience with humankind (their deterioration) and the lies from which the Party has told. There is always that common agenda that is being relentlessly pushed by O’Brien and even though he sounds like a hypocrite, claiming the torture is used for people to free willingly admit their wrong doings, instead of just vaporizing them. But also tortures them into repeating all of the Party regulated nonsense that he speaks to them, it goes to show the common agenda. Which is submission to the Party. So does O’Brien really already know what Winston is thinking or is he reading Winston’s mind somehow? Is submission to the Party really the Ultimate goal? Or is it the Party trying to prove to themselves that they can stay in power through the control of their people, which is why they weed out all of the threats (outside rational thinkers) , such as Winston, Aaronson, Jones, and Rutherford?

Could 1984 happen in the future?

I fear that we are slowly walking into a society in which our private thoughts and information are known to everyone, just like the way O’Brien can instantly know what Winston is thinking. It’s a crazy concept that our personal thoughts could no longer be our own. As easily as O’Brien can somehow spontaneously know Winston’s thoughts, our government is steadily gaining access to our current everyday information. Whether it be through online shopping accounts or a social media post, everything that we do is leaving a trail. And the scarier thing is that our generation seems not to care that much. With technology becoming more invasive every day, we have gradually become used to it and we aren’t as fazed by it as people in older generations. I think it’s possible that someday, our government, or maybe big corporations willing to pay for it, will be able to know what we’re thinking, just as O’Brien can do in 1984. And I think this will happen because we will allow it to happen.

The Ultimate Purpose

It’s funny how O’Brien seems to know what Winston is always thinking. When Winston comes to the conclusion that O’Brien must know everything, because of his experience with humankind (their deterioration) and the lies from which the Party has told. There is always that common agenda that is being relentlessly pushed by O’Brien and even though he sounds like a hypocrite, claiming the torture is used for people to free willingly admit their wrong doings, instead of just vaporizing them. But also tortures them into repeating all of the Party regulated nonsense that he speaks to them, it goes to show the common agenda. Which is submission to the Party. So does O’Brien really already know what Winston is thinking or is he reading Winston’s mind somehow? Is submission to the Party really the Ultimate goal? Or is it the Party trying to prove to themselves that they can stay in power through the control of their people, which is why they weed out all of the threats (outside rational thinkers) , such as Winston, Aaronson, Jones, and Rutherford?

The Ultimate Purpose

It’s funny how O’Brien seems to know what Winston is always thinking. When Winston comes to the conclusion that O’Brien must know everything, because of his experience with humankind (their deterioration) and the lies from which the Party has told. There is always that common agenda that is being relentlessly pushed by O’Brien and even though he sounds like a hypocrite, claiming the torture is used for people to free willingly admit their wrong doings, instead of just vaporizing them. But also tortures them into repeating all of the Party regulated nonsense that he speaks to them, it goes to show the common agenda. Which is submission to the Party. So does O’Brien really already know what Winston is thinking or is he reading Winston’s mind somehow? Is submission to the Party really the Ultimate goal? Or is it the Party trying to prove to themselves that they can stay in power through the control of their people, which is why they weed out all of the threats (outside rational thinkers) , such as Winston, Aaronson, Jones, and Rutherford?

Escapist fiction

There’s a running theme of escapist fiction being bad in some ways, or at least fiction with no message, julas whole job is to just man the machine that makes it. The plots are all the same, there no meaning to it,it trys to appeal to the lowest common denominator and it’s made to eat up the proles time. It’s nothing more than a longer song. Just there to keep the proles dumb and distracted. It almost and in some cases does come off as bitter, just like how the lottery is treated. Also note how the job has nothing to do with writing what so ever? The party realize that having a way of printing and spreading info quickly is horrible.

Winston's way of thought

While being tortured by O'Brian, Winston will do or say anything to rid the pain he was being caused. The part that was significant to me was that after a torture session, Winston's ENTIRE way of thinking was shifted. Well 2+2=4, Winston was unsure if it did, for all he knew anymore, it was 3, or even 5. This scene was sad, as it seemed that Winston lost all of himself, and submitted to everything he was being told. Very significant.

Mr. Parsons

From the beginning of Orwell’s 1984 Tom Parsons is the model party member, ignorant, obedient and accepting. Yet near the end of the book when Winston is being held at the ministry of Love we see parsons once more and he has been ironically arrested for saying anti-big brother things ,caught by his own daughter. I thought at first that Orwell was trying to illustrate that despite Parsons true to the Core obedience to the party his subconscious was revolting, but as I read more I came to the conclusion that Orwell was maybe trying to show that within that society no one was safe not even the most brainless obedient piece of work.

O'Brien's Message

In the beginning of 1984, Winston believes that he receives a message from O'Brien saying, "I am with you, i know precisely what you are feeling. I know all about your contempt, your hatred, your disgust. But don't worry, I am on your side!" during the Two Minutes of Hate where he felt he had shared feelings of disgust towards the Party with O'Brien. At the end of the book when Winston is in the Ministry of Love, O'Brien knowing everything that Winston thinks and feels comes to fruition. Although it is obvious that O'Brien does not think like Winston as Winston had thought; and that O'Brien does not agree with what Winston believes in. So why does the end of the message end with "But don't worry, I am on your side"?

Could 1984 happen in the future?

I fear that we are slowly walking into a society in which our private thoughts and information are known to everyone, just like the way O’Brien can instantly know what Winston is thinking. It’s a crazy concept that our personal thoughts could no longer be our own. As easily as O’Brien can somehow spontaneously know Winston’s thoughts, our government is steadily gaining access to our current everyday information. Whether it be through online shopping accounts or a social media post, everything that we do is leaving a trail. And the scarier thing is that our generation seems not to care that much. With technology becoming more invasive every day, we have gradually become used to it and we aren’t as fazed by it as people in older generations. I think it’s possible that someday, our government, or maybe big corporations willing to pay for it, will be able to know what we’re thinking, just as O’Brien can do in 1984. And I think this will happen because we will allow it to happen.

how people think

How many people have similar thoughts to Winston and Julia? Do you think over time less people will have thoughts of hatred for the party? I believe so as with newspeak wont people begin to think in that language as German people think out words in the German language and French think in the French. At 1st how much rebellion did the party get and do they deal with it the same way they deal with it now?

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