1984 by Eric Arthur Blair Book Review

Laurence Zhao

April 7, 2019

1984, a book written by Eric Arthur Blair, also known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic. He wrote literary criticism, poetry, fiction and polemical journalism. He is best known for the novella Animal Farm and the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Winston Smith is a member of the ruling Party in London. He is monitored by the party everywhere at any time. The Big Brother, a significant figure representing the leader of the party, is seen by Winston all the time. The Party implements a language called Newspeak, trying to prevent political rebellion by eliminating words related to it. The Party prohibits expression of individuality such as free thought and sex. Winston secretly buys a diary to write down his thoughts, which is illegal. He believes a party member called O’Brien is a secret member of the Brotherhood to overthrow the party. Winston works in the Ministry of Truth, a place to alter historical records to help the Party. Winston is afraid that his criminal thought is observed because he finds a beautiful girl stares at him a lot. Winston is suspicious of the history claimed by the party because it is wrong and deliberately misleading. Winston spends his evenings wandering in the poorest neighborhoods in London where it is free from party monitoring. Soon, Winston and the girl begin an affair, but Winston is sure he will be punished due to being a fatalist. This relationship lasts for some time, the longer he progresses with Julia, the more hatred he felt for the party. At last, he receives the message that O’Brien wants to see him.

O’Brien confirms to Winston and Julia that he hates the Party and he works as a member of the Brotherhood. He gives Winston a copy of Emmanuel Goldstein’s book. he is sized by soldiers and taken to a place called the Ministry of Love, Winston finds that O’Brien, too, is a Party spy who simply pretended to be a member of the Brotherhood in order to trap Winston into committing an open act of rebellion against the Party the soldiers when he is reading the book to Julia above the store. O’Brien tortures and brainwashes Winston, but Winston resists. At last, O’Brien puts rats onto Winston’s face to eat his face. Winston finally snaps, and he gives up Julia. Winston has accepted the Party entirely