Nineteen Eighty-four by George Orwell | Teen Ink

Nineteen Eighty-four by George Orwell

December 12, 2014
By Chansoo BRONZE, Phoenix, Arizona
Chansoo BRONZE, Phoenix, Arizona
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

"WAR IS PEACE,
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY,
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH."

 

1984 is about a man who does not give in to the totalitarian government of Big Brother. Winston lives in a dystopian setting where the three countries of Oceana, Eurasia, and Eastasia are constantly at war. Winston worked for the Minsitry of Truth, also known as MiniTrue, where he forges newpapers and past reported history to what the Big Brother Administration wants. He does not buy into the words of Big Brother and goes in search of other rebels such as himself, in search of the Brotherhood.

 

The Brotherhood is and underground organization for those opposed to the tyrant rule of Big Brother. The book written by Emmanuel Goldstein, The Theory and Practice of Oligarchal Collectivism, was deemed as a major threat to their administration. Goldstein wrote the book in order to protect the past, because he knew that one day people wouldn't remember and therefore the past would be gone. Winston joins the Brotherhood to join the fight against totalitarianism. He believed in O'Brien, who initiated him into the Brotherhood only to be betrayed in the end.

 

In the end, Winston was caught by the Thought Police. They had monitored him for seven years before concluding that he was guilty of thoughtcrime. It hurt Winston, though he already assumed, when O'Brien walked into the interrogation room. He was saddened yet relieved at the same time; he knew that O'Brien would listen but he had no hope. After long periods of torture, punishments, and rehabilitation, Winston was made new, he was made into and ideal citizen fit to serve Big Brother. That was his final light. Although he did lose, he never gave up in spirit.


The author's comments:

In the story, Winston faces some internal conflicts. Just as I, the distinction between fantasy and reality is sometimes blurred to the point where you don't know what to think. The conflicted feeling between right and wrong is sometimes there, along with the feeling of helplessness. Knowing that something is wrong and not being able to do something. The feeling of hope when you think you can make a change. Knowing the truth and keeping quiet. Throughout the piece, Winston was true to himself and fought till the end for himself. That is the kind of character I invision in the future, people standing up for themselves and being confident. That is when we can have true peace, freedom, and strength.


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