1984 - George Orwell

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1984 is, in my opinion, is arguably one of the greatest dystopian novels ever written. It’s often studied in English literature classes, but after reading it very recently for the very first time, I completely understand why that is the case.

Set in 1984 “Oceania”, not the Oceania we know and love, the world has been divided into 3 super states: Oceania, Eurasia and East Asia. The heavy emphasis on the power of the State, draws extremely clear parallels to Communist Dictatorships that were appearing around the world at the time of the novels publication.

Where Orwell’s Animal Farm (pub. 1945) was a look at a Communism as a social structure, 1984 takes it a step further and presents Communism in effect, demonstrating how it crushes the individual, no matter how strong their desire for individuality burns.

1984’s influence on modern culture is obvious, whether it be the obvious example of Big Brother being a play on the fact that the people of Oceania are always being watched, or the fact that the modern lexicon much like that of Newspeak is becoming abbreviated. Furthermore the emphasis on Double Speak used by The Party, reflects its usage in present day politics.

Orwell’s novel, although seeming heavy handed in its message is a fabulous piece on displaying the negative aspects of Communism. It presents world in a realistic manner, not outwardly denouncing the system from the start, but slowly building to a point where the reading will come to that conclusion on their own.