Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell

In 1949, a year before his death, George Orwell released the dystopian novel ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’- only to have an Irish Transition Year student read, enjoy and critique it sixty two years later. In the following posts I will discuss this novel’s cultural context, theme, literary genre and my personal response to it.
The world in which ‘Nineteen Eighty-four’ is set in can be described (and is by many) as an “Orwellian Nightmare”. From the constant surveillance by the thought police, the passages describing deadening life in Oceana, the punishments implicated for actions as natural as thinking or sex- make me realise how lucky I am to live in the society that I do; even with the recession! Perhaps it’s just against my nature, but the idea of not being allowed to question anything or even think for me sends shivers down my spine. In the world of Inglot, Big Brother and the rest of the inner party have control over not only everything but everyone. From the time and date to which state they’re at war with, the party have the power to say that “two plus two is five” and anyone who says, or is even suspected of thinking differently is sent to a mysterious quarter in the Ministry of Love “to become sane again”.
The sense of paranoia and isolation in this society stems from the repression of human emotions and the enforcement of ones desired by the party; such as love for Big Brother and Inglot, hatred for Goldstein and either Eastasia or Eurasia (depending on which they’re at war with). Human emotions and characteristics is a strong theme in this novel. The power of the Human mind is highlighted in both good and bad light. In room 101, I saw how our minds are so powerful that they can become almost self-destructive. The party realise how strong the human mind can be, so instead of trying to penetrate; they manipulate and plant ideas in it, allowing it to spread like a virus. The most unnerving thing about this aspect of the novel is that this method of brain-washing actually works.
During the first part of this novel, Orwell introduces a relationship between the protagonist (Winston) and one of his "comrades" Julia. This relationship is described throughout the novel as that of undying love, however, it is my opinion that this relationship does not symbolise love but rather Winston's overwhelming desire to rebel against Inglot in the most human way possible and Julia's longing to feel any kind of emotion that isn't hate. For the romantic reader, this relationship may be the shining beacon of hope which will triumph over Big Brother. Perhaps this was Orwell's intention, as all that flicker of hope is quenched in the Ministry of Love. The ideas of Winston and the Brotherhood is in contrast with the actual reality of the novel- this contrast makes the ideas seem even better and the reality all the more dismal. It's one of those scenarios where you may know what's in store for the protagonist and indeed the rest of the society but you hope it will take a turn for the better- the end comes anyway.
In conclusion, I found this novel to be an enjoyable read. The cultural context is not like anything that I've ever seen before, Orwell's writing is nothing short of brilliant. I would highly recommend studying this novel for the Leaving Certificate as I feel that it will provoke some interesting thoughts and maybe even a debate or two.