Orwell, George: 1984

Book report on George Orwell?s

”1984"

The negative Utopia ”1984" was written and published in 1949.

In that imaginary year 1984 the world is divided between three

superstates with similar political

systems that have been waring with each other for the last 20 years.

Nevertheless these states form

allies from time to time it is impossible to overthrow one of them due

to their natural boundaries.

Not only the world but also the population of the state this novel is

set in is divided into three group:

The lowest and largest group are the proles who are treated like

animals. The second group is some

kind of ”middle class” called the ”Outer Party” which members are

rather poor and have to be

completely obedient. The control lies in the ”Inner Party” which

comprises only few members with

special rights. On the top of the state is the imaginary ”Big Brother”

who is some kind of substitute

god.

The Inner Party uses the never ending war to control its people: Even

tough the fighting is in some

remote part of China people are deluded into believing to be in constant

danger so that they are ready

to hand power to a small ruling class.

Furthermore the war effects a shortage of goods that does not allow the

establishment of a powerful

middle class that might long for power.

A very powerful menace to keep control is the thought police: everywhere

are ”telescreens!” which

transmit propaganda but also receive what is going on in their field of

vision. People cannot even get

a bit of privacy at home but the party despites any feelings that are

not related to the their fame or the

hate of the enemy ,anyway.

So they even cut the link between parents and child since children are

used to spy if their parents,

neighbours and friends might act against the will of the party.

The unlucky ones who get caught vanish forever. Even worse: they have

never existed as the party

destroys or changes all records mentioning them.

Thanks to the principle of ”doublethink” most people don?t have any

problems in putting up with

that.

”Doublethink” simply means that you believe anything the party says and

forget what was fact one

moment earlier.

The main character Winston Smith is one of the people that see the truth

as his work in the Record

Department is to chance newspaper articles to make them match the new

facts

An other thing that makes Winston different are his feelings: He does

not share any interest in the

matters of the party but longs for human affection instead which he gets

from a woman working in the

same building. They have to take great risks to see each other as deep

friendship or passion is not

wanted in their society. The two hate the party for different reasons:

Winstons hastes it for its betrayal

Julia for not being able to do what she feels.

Winston is not as much effected by propaganda as most other people even

though he always joins in

shouting during the “Two minutes hate”.

The two minutes hate is a daily occasion to refresh people?s feelings

for the party.

During these two minutes they are shown a very emotive film about the

enemy threatening their lives.

Everyone goes frenzy till the picture of their saviour - Big Brother -

is shown.

Winston always tries to keep calm but even though he hates the Party he

always joins the crowd.

One time he catches the eyes of the Inner Party member O?Brien and seems

to read understanding.

Till that moment he was always afraid of being the only person able to

see what is happening but now

he hopes to have found and allay. And really: some time later O?Brien

gives him a secret sign to visit

him in his flat which is a very unusual behaviour.

O?Brien pretends to be member of an underground organisation undermining

the Party. Winston and

Julia do not hesitate to join but get to know quite soon that they were

betrayed.

As the party only kills people who truly believe in Big Brother they

burn out every belief in Winston

by torturing him. In the end he even betrays his lover when he faces to

his greatest fear.

”1984" is certainly one of my favourite books as this nightmarish vision

is absolutely disturbing.

It is quite obvious that the author found a lot of inspiration in the

happenings of the Third Reich.

The telescreen for example corresponds to the ”Volksempfänger”, the

Nazis also alienated children

from their parents and the Thought Police resembles very much of the

Gestapo but of course the

conditions in Orwell?s novel are even worse as you can hide absolutely

nothing from eyes of the party

- not even your most secret thoughts.

Winston Smith is one of the few people able to remember the time before

the Party came into power.

That is probably one reason for realizing what is going on as the other

people have no comparison

especially if they use doublethink automatically.

Even though I suppose Gerorge Orwell chose the common name ”Smith” to

show that he is not the

only person opposing this total system. Julia for example hates it for

not being allowed to live her life

the way she wants. On the other hand she feel not the slightest anger

for the alternation of the past as

it does not really effect her life.

But no matter how many people there are wishing to fight against the

party they have no possibility to

meet or even get to now who is on their side due to the constant fear of

spies.

In my opinion this makes the book very depressing as no matter what you

do it is impossible to change

anything and as Winston says: You are already dead when you commit

”thoughcrime”.

One other thing that struck me is the lack of compassion caused by the

party replacing all human

feelings against hatred and political triumph.

This point is very well highlighted at the point when Winston writes

about going to the cinema:

” Audience much amused by shots of a great huge fat man trying to swim

wallowing along in

the water like a porpoise, then you saw him through the helicopter

gunsights, then he was full

of holes and the sea round him turned pink and he sank as suddenly as

though the holes had let

in the water. audience shouting with laughter when he sank.” (P.11)

There is only one thing I am not a 100 per cent content with: the title.

In a way it is really good as by choosing a date only about 35 years in

the future he indicates that his

novel in not just Science Fiction and totally unlikely to happen.

He probably saw some development that might lead to such a state.

On the other hand I would have preferred a title that shows that

totalism is something that is always

a possible danger as there are always people longing for power.

written by Alexandra von Kleist

alexandra.von.kleist@t-online.de

Englisch LK, 12. Jg