George Orwell is interested in political issues. He is against militarism and oppression. In “The animal farm” and in “1984” he analyzes what are the mechanisms that lead to power.

"1984 "  written in 1948 is a dystopian novel. While utopian societies are ideal, the best possible, dystopian society represents the victory of tyranny, the blackest picture possible of the present. 

The novel describes a future world divided into three blocks: Oceania, an Empire of which England (Airstrip One), is no longer the head but just an outpost; Eurasia, including Russia and Europe; and Eastasia, that is Asia and the Far East. The oppressive world of Oceania is ruled by “the Party”, group of intellectual people, which is led by the figure called “BIG BROTHER” that no one knows. Leader must be mysterious, the mystery increases worship, not knowing Big Brother is imagined as a God. Oceania is continuously in war with the other two states, there is the creation of enemy to maintain fear. The city is full of posters three meters by three meters with the face of the dictator with grim expression and with a sentence: BIG BROTHER IS WHATCHING YOU. Orwell presents a frightening picture of future under the constant control of Big Brother. There isn't privacy because there are monitors called “telescreen” watching every step people take. You are always spied in your actions and in your mind. The party introduces “Newspeak”, an invented language with a limited number of words with which it's impossible to express own ideas. Confusing the meaning of the words, concepts are confused. With the Newspeak:

• WAR IS PEACE

• INGNORANCE IS STRENGHT

• SLAVERY IS FREEDOM

• LOVE IS HATE

Love is hate: love is forbidden, people have to hate each other, so can not organize against the dictatorship. sex is just a physical need, and they must change always partner not to have feeling.

Children are educated by the party and when they are seven years return in the family as policemen. All children form the “Thought Police” that spy and denounces opponents.

 

The protagonist is Wiston Smith and he's the last man to believe in human values in totalitarian age.”Smith” is the commonest English surname and “Wiston” evokes Churchill's patriotic ideas.

Wiston works at the “Ministry of Truth” where he rewrites historical records to suit the needs of the Party. What was before the dictatorship must disappear, people have to think that dictatorship is the only possible world. Wiston notices an attractive girl staring him and he's afraid she might be a spy who knows his “thoughtcrime” (he begins to write his thoughts and memories in an illegal diary). The girl's name is Julia, she also has a rebellious attitude, and they begin a secret affair. Winston rents a room above an antique shop in the district of Prolets to be able to stay there with Julia ( Prolets: workers living in poor conditions). One day O'Brien, a member of the powerful 'inner party' tells them that he too hates the Party and works against it as a member of the “Brotherhood”, led by Goldstein. O'Brien gives Wiston a copy of Goldstein's book and, when Wiston is reading it to Julia in their room, some soldiers break in and arrest them. He is taken to the “Ministry of Love” where he finds out that O'Brien is a Party spy. O'Brien tortures and brainwashes Wiston for months, but he resist. At last, O'Brien sends him to “Room 101” where Wiston is forced to confront his worst fear: rats on his head, ready to eat his face. {Phobia of rats because when he was a child, he saw his mother dead (killed by Big Brother) eaten by rats}. Winston relents and begins to love Big Brother, he's released to out side world. He meets Julia , but no longer loves her. He has completely lost his identity and has learnt to love BIG BROTER.

 

Orwell's vision: He said that power is always corruption. The only solution is to understand the mechanisms of power