1984 by George Orwell

[2007-12-22]
This is a stub for when I think that I started the novel.

[2008-01-02]
I’ve gone through a couple of chapters, and it’s been an interesting read thus far. Well it’s gotten better anyways. Set in the future (even though by now 1984 has come and gone), it’s chronicled Winston Smith as he gets the idea to start a small revolution. All around him the government has grown to mind-boggling proportions that are able to actually spy on him. Everyone is a lemming. It’s punishable by death to even start his diary. But he does it.

Over the years much of this book has been incorporated into pop culture. I’m very interested in finding out for myself what Orwell actually says about things like Big Brother and the Thought Police.

[2008-01-15]
So I’m a good ways into this book, and I’ve been finding that it’s quite interesting. I’ve learned more about Winston Smith as he has done his job (modify past publications to match current situations) and more notably as he has found someone to love (or at least make love to) in Julia.

Through what I’ve read thus far, I’ve seen how Winston has a spirit of curiosity and rebellion within him. He was alive before the current state of the world occurred. Because of that, he knows deep within him somewhere that not all is right with how things are. This sets him off on a way of life where he is pushing the envelope more than other people around him might be. He’s looking at people and really analyzing what a flick of the eye or a wandering glance might mean. I like that.

Julia, who he at first thinks is part of the Thought Police, approaches him and sets up their first rendezvous. From there, they develop a relationship in secret. Though she similarly despises the structure that they live in, she seems to be more focused on her own personal life without regard for the larger implications of what goes on for society.

Together, they are discovering antiques and other things that give a link from the book (which is obviously fiction) to the world today. (In that way, I actually feel like it’s similar to the whole Foundation series that I read before. They both try to create bonds with the user by placing real-life items into the fictionalized stories that they tell.)

Together they just met with their first contact from the Brotherhood, a secret organization that is fighting the powers that be. They have given him a book, okay actually it’s the book, and the first chapter that he read about their slogan, “War is peace,” was quite interesting. It essentially clarified the situation to be that the world had 3 super states that by being in war were able to consume surplus consumer goods, keep the populace in a state of active emotional attachment to their own super state, and devote all power to a select minority even though they are essentially living in poverty. Pleasant, huh?

[2008-01-24]
So much has happened since the last entry. In fact, the whole world as Winston sees it has turned upside down.

He reads (to himself and aloud to Julia) more excerpts from the book that he got from O’Brien that essentially contains the real history leading up to the current Ingsoc (English Socialism). And then disaster strikes in the form of the Thought Police storming his world.

While in the rented room above the antique shop, he and Julia hear a voice. They realize that they have been watched this entire time from a hidden telescreen behind the picture in the room. In short time the Thought Police surround them and beat them into submission. Additionally, it turns out that the antique store owner is actually a member of the Thought Police who has trapped them.

Winston and Julia are separated and brought to the Ministry of Love. While there, his imprisonment is detailed. He sees proles that seem to be normal and loud and obnoxious, but the political prisoners (the Party members) are all quiet and keep to themselves. Even in prison, the Party controls its members.

The book goes on to describe the interrogations and questioning that Winston goes through at the hand of who else but O’Brien, the one that he thought was part of the Brotherhood. Through it all, they are trying to beat down and manipulate Winston so that he is completely in line with what they want. They do intend to shoot him, but their goal is to make sure that he is on their side before they do. Winston maintains and fights for the external truths that he thinks are undefeated (gravity, 2+2=4, etc) by the Party. However, he finds that it’s more and more difficult to do so against the pain, torture, and overwhelming personality of O’Brien. Eventually he cracks and starts to believe the things that O’Brien tells him.

The whole experience culminates inside of Room 101. There, O’Brien breaks Winston completely by causing him to give up the one thing that he has not given up yet. And that is his love for Julia. He has confessed things about what they’ve done, but he has not totally given her up. Inside of Room 101, they Ministry of Love use whatever it is that is most feared by the prisoner against them. In Winston’s case, that is rats. O’Brien threatens him with a mask that contains rats and will be placed on Winston’s face. Winston frantically tries to do anything that he can but to no avail. The moment that he offers (and heartily wants) Julia to be taken in his place is the moment that he is completely broken.

Eventually released to the world, Winston is a complete mess. He spends his time drinking gin and executing chess problems. He gets fat. He gets much slower thinking. He is a shell of the man that he used to be.

Winston actually does see Julia by chance, but their interaction goes to show just how much they have each changed. They are both in similarly different states now than before. He learns that she, too, gave him up.

It’s an unheroic and slightly enigmatic end with Winston withering away into nothing. No progress is made against the powers that be. And love does not conquer all.

All told, Orwell gets his point across that the future can hold a rather unfortunate end for us. So beware, reader. For the day will soon be here that this can happen to you!