1984: George Orwell

1984 —originally known in English as Nineteen Eighty Four— is a dystopian and political fiction novel written by the British critic, essayist, novelist and journalist Eric Arthur Blair, better known by his pseudonym: George Orwell. The work was first published in 1949. This famous book by Orwell brought with it the popularization of concepts such as Big Brother, Newspeak and Thought Police.

The first truly dystopian novel was About Us (1924), by Zamyatin. However, 1984 came to the market as a great sales phenomenon, even in its time, which made it the masterpiece of the genre. Likewise, Orwell's book is one of the most representative of the last century, being part of The 100 Books of the Century according to Le Monde.

Synopsis of 1984 by George Orwell

Brief description of Orwellian society

The plot of the novel takes place in 1984, in a futuristic London. (for the time the book was written, of course). The former British country is now part of a region known as Air Belt 1. This State, in turn, is integrated into the great State of Oceania. At the same time, The society of this town is divided into three groups.

The latter are: external members of the Single Party, those who belong to the inner party circle, and the proles (diminutive of proletariat). Those mentioned above are a faction of people presented as hollow masses. These people live entertained and poor, and the government keeps them that way so that none of them rebel against their totalitarian laws.

War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength

Winston Smith is a 39-year-old man who works for the Ministry of Truth —or Miniver, in Newspeak—, one of the four ministries that the government manages to maintain its regency. The function of the main character, and, as a whole, that of his area, is rewriting history to coincide with the events that occur in the present. One day, after years of working for Miniver, Winston realizes that something doesn't fit.

As he climbs the stairs that lead to his apartment, always seeing the signs that show the Gran Hermano, Winston takes a sip of gin, and hides from the Thought Police cameras to write in his diary. The simple fact of using “ancient” language could condemn the protagonist to death., but, at this point, you don't seem to care.

Coercion and repression

Excited and hidden, The man began to tell the events that had happened to him that morning. She was at the Ministry of Truth, preparing for the two minutes of hate that takes place once a day. Shortly after, two party members appeared, a large man and a dark and attractive woman belonging to the Ministry of Novels.

The two minutes of hate consist of reproducing the face of Emmanuel goldstein, the call “enemy of the people”. This used to be part of the Party. However, he had betrayed the government. After leaving, formed the Brotherhood, a rebel cell of the people of Eurasia. This man's speech caused the audience, both the large man and the dark woman, to start screaming, out of their minds.

A rebel in the shadows

Later, Big Brother's face appeared on the screen, and that relaxed almost everyone in the room, except Winston, who wanted to reveal himself, even though it was impossible. So, The protagonist began to think about the Brotherhood, and if it really existed. At the same time that he was writing his memories and unconscious desires, the man had not realized that he was writing “Down with Big Brother.”

Saying anything negative regarding the Single Party and the Oceanian way of life is a crime that pays with evaporation. That is to say: with death and subsequent disappearance. When she prepares to rest, she meets her children, who maintain a really violent character. Then, the main character goes to sleep, and begins to dream about his parents, his sister, and the first purge. The depth of sleep also leads him to dream of the dark woman.

Love and desire are forbidden

1984 It is set in a repressive, totalitarian society without any empathy for human beings and their rights.. In addition to all of the above, this can be confirmed thanks to another of the characters: the philosopher specialized in Newspeak. The main function of this man was to destroy the mind, getting rid of the most complex written and spoken language, and exchanging it for half words. All this, in turn, has the purpose of lulling men.

About the author, Eric Arthur Blair

Eric Arthur Blair was born on June 25, 1903, in Motihari, British Raj. He is, according to literary criticism, one of the most outstanding writers of the XNUMXth century. Better known as George Orwell, this author hardly needs an introduction. Most of his novels are inspired by his own experiences. The journalist, also experienced first-hand the deficiencies of British imperialism, which he was against, defending, in turn, democratic socialism.

Throughout his career, Orwell He was most recognized for his work as a journalist and essayist. However, the majority of people who come to his work do so through his novels. In a literary sense, the author He claimed to be strongly influenced by Somerset Maugham, Jack London, Herman Melville, Charles Dickens and Jonathan Swift..

Other books by George Orwell

Novels

• Burmese Days. Burmese days (1934);
• A Clergyman's Daughter The clergyman's daughter (1935);
• Keep the Aspidistra Flying May the aspidistra not die (1936);
• Coming Up for Air Go up for air (1939);
• Animal Farm Rebelion on the farm (1945).

Nonfiction narrative

• Down and Out in Paris and London No white in Paris and London (1933);
• The Road to Wigan Pier The road to Wigan Pier (1937);
• Homage to Catalonia Tribute to Catalonia (1938);

Tests

• A quarterpenny newspaper;
• The shelter;
• a hanging;
• in the trullo;
• Inn Houses;
• Rudyard Kipling;
• kill an elephant;
• Memories of a bookseller;
• In defense of the novel;
• Discovering the Spanish cake;
• Unpublished response to 'Writers take sides on the Spanish war';
• Notes on the Spanish militias;
• Why I joined the Independent Labor Party;
• Political reflections on crises;
• Democracy in the British Army;
• Marrakech;
• Charles Dickens;
• youth weeklies;
• In the belly of the whale;
• Notes on the go;
• New words;
• To the director of Time and Tide;
• My country, to the right or to the left;
• The lion and the unicorn: socialism and the genius of England;
• The limits of art and propaganda;
• Tolstoy and Shakespeare;
• The meaning of a poem;
• Literature and totalitarianism;
• Dear Doctor Goebbels, your British friends eat well!!;
• Wells, Hitler and the world state;
• The art of Donald McGill;
• money and weapons;
• Rudyard Kipling II;
• The rediscovery of Europe;
• S.Eliot;
• Memories of the Spanish war;
• Imaginary Interview: George Orwell and Jonathan Swift;
• Lack of money: a profile of George Gissing;
• Literature and the left;
• Can socialists be happy?
• The English people;
• The privilege of jurisdiction. Some notes on Salvador Dalí;
• Are books too expensive?
• Raffles and Miss Blandish;
• Propaganda and language;
• Arthur Koestler;
• Tobias Smollet, Scotland's greatest novelist;
• Fun, but not vulgar;
• Oysters and stout;
• In defense of PG Wodehouse;
• Antisemitism in England;
• Poetry and the microphone;
• Notes on nationalism;
• Personal notes on 'scientification';
• Press freedom;
• Revenge is bitter;
• The atomic bomb and you;
• What is science?;
• Good bad books;
• The destruction of literature;
• Apology of the fireplace;
• Politics and the English language;
• The sporting spirit.