George Orwell's 1984 - Book Report/Review Example

George Orwell’s 1984 While George Orwell wrote 1984 in the mid 20th century the text remains one of the seminal works of political satire. Not only the novel, but also the lexicon it established, have become woven into the very fabric of contemporary existence. Today political commentators readily speak of government actions as the encroachment of ‘big brother’ on social existence. 1984 has become an aesthetic that individuals regularly mention. With such a large-scale focus on this singular work, one considers how Orwell’s satire has truly played out in the modern world. This essay considers the text in relation to the context of the present and notions of freedom of expression (or lack thereof) over the centuries. One of the major considers in the text is its personification of evil with a specific individual, Emmanuel Goldstein. Goldstein is regularly featured in the two-minute Hate broadcast and is demonized throughout the text. Goldstein’s history can be linked directly to the Party in that he was originally a member, but ultimately disregarded its principles to start a resistance movement. It is impossible to consider Goldstein without examining his position as an intellectual. Indeed, Winston is said have read his intellectual tract, "The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism." The notion of Goldstein’s intellectualism seems to conflict with the Party’s overarching message of conformity and allegiance. In terms of contemporary significance such notions have significance in terms of the American political landscape. The contemporary Tea Party Republicans as evidenced in individuals such as Herman Cain or Sarah Palin regularly embrace easily digestible platitudes in lieu of more developed thought. One considers Cain’s recent 9-9-9 Plan as an instance wherein simplicity was allowed to trump intellectualism. In both the novel and in the American political landscape it seems that there is partly a sinister aura behind such simplicity, in that it conceals the truth to advance intentions of an elite. Big Brother further speaks in terms of absolutes and clearly definable notions of good and evil. Rather than considering that individuals and social groups are composed of a variety of intentions, it seems that such distinctions function as a means of creating easy divisions. One considers President George W. Bush and the War on Terror. The notion that there could be a war on ‘terror’ itself takes on levels of absurdity. In addition President Bush spoke in terms of evil, coloring Middle Eastern nations in this linguistic color. This perpetual ‘war on terror’ has much in common with Big Brother’s perpetual war on its enemies. While it would be extreme to paint the Bush administration as totalitarian as the Party, there are striking resemblance between each of their rhetorical assumptions. The Party issues slogans such as ‘War is Peace,’ ‘Freedom is Slavery,’ and ‘ignorance is strength,’ much in the same way that politicians readily use notions of American exceptionalism, freedom, and evil as dogma. In the context of the novel it seems that Orwell is playing on the notion of language and Doublespeak as ever shifting. For the Party, these labels function as a means of redefining values of independent thought as antithetical to healthy existence. One considers that society on all levels – from minimum wage jobs to the executive branch of the United States government – adheres to value systems established by a hierarchical order. In 1984 this has taken on authoritarian levels of absurdity, as individual expression is completely consumed to the Party. A major challenge of modern society is the delineation between personal freedom and government responsibility. Such distinctions occur from small-scale things, such as allowing McDonald’s to sell toys, to larger freedoms such as privacy and speech. It is clear that one of the reasons Orwell’s text has remained so prominent in the national consciousness is that it explores the extremes of this equation, functioning as a warning post to overreaching government control. Even while the novel is meant to represent the occurrence of constant surveillance and total lack of privacy as an absurd notion it is surprisingly clear that the modern world is moving in this direction. The emergence of the Internet as a mediating force in social existence has interconnected humans in unprecedented ways. Still, accompanying these connections is an unrivaled record of our daily lives. Social networks such as Facebook and search engines such as Google now track individuals every decision. An individual can search for pizza one instant, and then suddenly find that advertisements on completely unrelated webpages are targeted towards this interest. If one commits a crime the government has the ability to contact their Internet service provider and gain records of exactly what websites they have been using. Although the Internet had not been invented during Orwell’s time, his notion of the thought crime is increasingly becoming a reality. A final consideration is The Party’s rewriting of history. While such an occurrence is difficult to draw a comparison to in the contemporary context, one can readily assume that those in control shape history. In these regards, the Party’s rewriting of history must be considered in broader conceptual terms as a comment on the very nature of recorded history. Just like the Party shifts notions of freedom and ignorance in their favor, through the rewriting of history they are able to further restructure reality in accord with their underlining intentions. It is conceivable that parts of history following World War II were rewritten to favorably reflect the Allied Forces. In conclusion, Orwell’s 1984 functions as a compelling warning against giving into complete totalitarian control. Even while these satirical dimensions are perhaps the most relevant for modern day political discourse, the novel also presents a meditation on our epistemological assumptions. While it is easy for most individuals to believe they exist in a stable world, Orwell’s text captures the shifting nature of reality and lays bare the means by individuals who control the information control the very fabric of our existence. Ultimately, while the novel makes a powerful statement of political satire, perhaps its more deeply meaningful comments are those regarding our very being. References Orwell, George. Nineteen-Eighty Four. New York: Templeton Press. 2001. Read More