1984

By George Orwell

Season 4, Episode 7, “The Festival of Living Art”

Lorelai: Fine, keep jiggling. I was just going through something, I thought you might be interested. It’s from 1984.

Sookie: The book?

Lorelai: No, the year. It’s my baby box. It’s full of all these little things, mementos and stuff from the night Rory was born. I haven’t taken it out in ages.

1984 should certainly be required reading, as it only seems to get MORE relevant as time goes on. Which is a little crazy to think since it was written in the 1940’s. Although, I’m not sure as a high schooler I would have been able to fully relate to it. My world view was so small. I trusted authority. I had no fear of my freedoms being stripped away. Today, it’s becoming an all too real adult nightmare, as I know the government does not have my best interests at heart. 

Before I dive into the themes of the book I will disclose, just for posterity’s sake, that I went to see “1984” on Broadway first, before ever reading it. While the Broadway show was very impressive for many reasons (the acting, the special effects), I think I found it harder, not having read the original source material, to follow the story. Reading the book for myself set up a completely different visual world for me from what I saw on stage. But that’s the great thing about books- they’re all about OUR imagination.

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” 

1984 is a dystopian nightmare. It centers around protagonist Winston who can clearly sense that things “aren’t quite right” in his world. He is a low-ranking member of the ruling party of fictional Oceania. The party – Big-Brother – controls EVERYTHING, including language and history and even math. “Who controls the past’ ran the Party slogan, ‘controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.’” You believe what the party wants you to believe. They watch their subjects’ every move through “telescreens”, making sure they are loyal to the party at all costs. “Thoughtcrime”, the worst of all crimes, means even thinking about anything rebellious to the party. So Big-Brother is implementing a new way of thinking called “Newspeak” which is designed to squash any political rebellion by eliminating all words related to it. The problem becomes, as Winston could clearly see, once you allow Big Brother to eliminate any words they deem “unnecessary”, they could eventually eliminate language altogether. There is no grace period given to anyone who does not immediately understand and use Newspeak. Big Brother even uses children to do their bidding. Children, who are naturally self-absorbed and prone to not understanding the full consequences of their actions, are conditioned to turn their parents in for impure thoughts. “Cut the links between child and parent, and between man and man, and between man and woman”. Cutting family bonds and sowing distrust between friends are common themes in 1984. 

As I was reading, it was impossible not to draw parallels with our own world. Thematically, this book illustrates the importance of keeping the government in check and not letting them obtain too much power. With too much power comes the desire for more power. Then comes corruption and when a government is corrupt, it inevitably takes advantage of its citizens. I believe we should all be a little fearful of the government obtaining too much power. “We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it.”

Changing the meaning of words is another major theme in the book. As a proofreader, the whole concept of “Newspeak” was one of the most chilling to me. I find words to be invaluable. My aim is never to change a writer’s intention, but rather to make their words more clear and more intentional. Because words have meaning. Words are important. Words have power. We should be very cautious about our institutions changing the meaning of words. 1984 perfectly illustrates what can happen when you allow the government to dictate the meaning of words. Words such as thoughtcrime and doublethink (which have been added to certain dictionaries) and Thought Police hold a very different weight to them today, especially in the digital age, where much of our communicating is done online and we knowthere are media overlords censoring speech. I believe very strongly in saying what you mean and meaning what you say and not allowing other people to change the meaning of your words.

Big Brother uses technology and language as a form of mind control. And controlling minds is how they stay in power. They won’t have any free thinkers or differing ideas in their ranks because that would lead to revolt. Winston is one of the only characters who is “awake”, so to speak. He is aware of the manipulation. And living in a world that is unjust and being all too aware that there’s nothing you can do about it, so you just stay quiet, is what makes Winston very relatable. Again, it’s a very chilling theme. Having differing ideas is important. It’s how we’ve survived as a species. But it’s Big Brothers aim to make everyone exactly the same. Cookie cutters versions of each other who think, do, and say exactly what Big Brother wantsthem to. Winston wonders, “How could you make appeal to the future when not a trace of you, not even an anonymous word scribbled on a piece of paper, could physically survive?”

What Winston experiences at the end of this book is so horrific that it’s hard to even talk about it. It’s the worst kind of human torture imaginable because it attacks his body, mind, and spirit and destroys him from the inside out. But once the torture is over… is it a tragic ending? Well, yes. But is it also a happy ending? Possibly, also yes. I suppose it depends on who you ask. Winston is left an absolute shell of a human being. In fact, there’s nothing human left of him at all. BUT, the torture of the knowledge that his situation (and everyone else’s) is utterly hopeless, inescapable, and completely unjust is… just… gone. I would have to assume he’s left in a sort of bliss. Complete and total ignorance of how bad the world is. Because, as they say, ignorance is bliss. 

So, what do you think? Is there a way to interpret this as a happy ending? Even in a super twisted, F***ed up way?

“But it was alright, everything was alright, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.”

I rate this book 6 cups of Luke’s coffee! 

 ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️