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A review by manish_ladla
1984 by George Orwell
5.0
Today 24/3/22 , I have started reading this novel. I have heard a lot about this novel It was one of my "to read " novels since 2019. In the present regime, I think it is more important to read it. I consider it to be written as political agenda against USSR . It was published in 1949 (cold war period). So this novel attained maximum attention especially in the west. What gains attention in west, the oriental countries automatically imitate it. Since USA had been always against Russia, This book remained in popularity. Recently with rise of North Korea and China, I believe this book retained its worth despite being written half century ago. In overall propaganda against Communist countries, this novel fits . The communist countries are shown in a gloomy and bleak
Everything is controlled by party. Your thought, your action , news you consume, the food you take, the social relations you make. Every aspect of life was controlled and regulated. Their were killing/ silencing of the rivals, indoctrination of youth from early age so that they follow the guidelines of the party. Family members were turned against each other. Each one is spying each other and there is general sense of fear and being watched . This was c0mpouned by telescreen , thought polic and hidden microphones and ruthless torture to bring out truth.
A telescreen in house mean a psychological fear in mind of occupant of house. The occupant is in state of fear of being watched. This is just like how our live location works. Nobody is watching it but it instills a fear in mind that what if , someone is tracking our location. What we today consider an insignificant i.e. a book and a pen holds a significant value in the life of protagonist.
Party was controlling the news which was fed to people. I believe the principles of correction and manipulating the news is still being done. How every discovery / invention's credit was given to Big Brother and the party, same is being done today as every invention/discovery is credited to one particular religion and is held high. eg aeroplane as pushpak vahan was made by Indians in way ancient time. The reality has been already distorted. The party had set a elaborate mechanism to distort the truth and manufacture the false lies. Same way , present regime is cooking up lies. these lines sums that up " Everything faded into mist. The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth." Just like how the comrade Ogilvy was made up , it raises questions of the autenticity of mainy important figures which the present regime often bring forward as a saviour of Hindus against Mughal rulers.
Party is trying to control the emotions, thoughts and the way of living. "Every concept that can ever be needed, will be expressed by exactly one word, with its meaning rigidly defined and all its subsidiary meanings rubbed out and forgotten" of Newspeak is regulating the flow of emotion. If there is no vocubulary to express emotions , there can't be any revolution/ rebellion/uprising .
The protaganist was trying his best to discover the truth. He started unending questionaire from the old man that he met in Pub. He was disturbed that the younger generation was neither having any interest in finding the reality nor are disgusted with what is going on before them. They have been brainwashed by the Party. HIs companion Julia was also one of those. But he had limited resources to find the truth. He also had to maintain low profile in doing so otherwise he will be arrested.
Winston and Julia created a small bubble of love for themselves. They meet and discuss about themselves. It was lovely. They had created a sanctuary for themseleves. But they both knew that it could not be carried forever.
The explaination of the three quotes of the party was found to be reasonable. Similarly the arguments put forward by the O'Brien during interrogation of the William are somewhat seems to be logical. I will have to read those pages again to form a give a logical thought.
Till end , I was thinking that the O'Brien was one of the resistance and was preparing/ testing the Smith whether he is suitable for joining Brotherhood/resisitance . But I was wrong. He had washed the smith through humilition, betrayal, and mental and psysical pain. He made smith to betray Julia and to face his worst fears. At end both Julia and Smith were "cured" and had no interest in each other. The party won. I was expecting an ending at positive note. But that is how this is. I should read the Fahrenheit 451 of Raybradbury of this same genre .
Everything is controlled by party. Your thought, your action , news you consume, the food you take, the social relations you make. Every aspect of life was controlled and regulated. Their were killing/ silencing of the rivals, indoctrination of youth from early age so that they follow the guidelines of the party. Family members were turned against each other. Each one is spying each other and there is general sense of fear and being watched . This was c0mpouned by telescreen , thought polic and hidden microphones and ruthless torture to bring out truth.
A telescreen in house mean a psychological fear in mind of occupant of house. The occupant is in state of fear of being watched. This is just like how our live location works. Nobody is watching it but it instills a fear in mind that what if , someone is tracking our location. What we today consider an insignificant i.e. a book and a pen holds a significant value in the life of protagonist.
Party was controlling the news which was fed to people. I believe the principles of correction and manipulating the news is still being done. How every discovery / invention's credit was given to Big Brother and the party, same is being done today as every invention/discovery is credited to one particular religion and is held high. eg aeroplane as pushpak vahan was made by Indians in way ancient time. The reality has been already distorted. The party had set a elaborate mechanism to distort the truth and manufacture the false lies. Same way , present regime is cooking up lies. these lines sums that up " Everything faded into mist. The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth." Just like how the comrade Ogilvy was made up , it raises questions of the autenticity of mainy important figures which the present regime often bring forward as a saviour of Hindus against Mughal rulers.
Party is trying to control the emotions, thoughts and the way of living. "Every concept that can ever be needed, will be expressed by exactly one word, with its meaning rigidly defined and all its subsidiary meanings rubbed out and forgotten" of Newspeak is regulating the flow of emotion. If there is no vocubulary to express emotions , there can't be any revolution/ rebellion/uprising .
The protaganist was trying his best to discover the truth. He started unending questionaire from the old man that he met in Pub. He was disturbed that the younger generation was neither having any interest in finding the reality nor are disgusted with what is going on before them. They have been brainwashed by the Party. HIs companion Julia was also one of those. But he had limited resources to find the truth. He also had to maintain low profile in doing so otherwise he will be arrested.
Winston and Julia created a small bubble of love for themselves. They meet and discuss about themselves. It was lovely. They had created a sanctuary for themseleves. But they both knew that it could not be carried forever.
The explaination of the three quotes of the party was found to be reasonable. Similarly the arguments put forward by the O'Brien during interrogation of the William are somewhat seems to be logical. I will have to read those pages again to form a give a logical thought.
Till end , I was thinking that the O'Brien was one of the resistance and was preparing/ testing the Smith whether he is suitable for joining Brotherhood/resisitance . But I was wrong. He had washed the smith through humilition, betrayal, and mental and psysical pain. He made smith to betray Julia and to face his worst fears. At end both Julia and Smith were "cured" and had no interest in each other. The party won. I was expecting an ending at positive note. But that is how this is. I should read the Fahrenheit 451 of Raybradbury of this same genre .