Literature

A Dystopian Allegory : 1984 by George Orwell 

By Afra Noor

Editor’s Note: Views expressed in this article are

solely the author's opinions and beliefs

“War is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is strength.” - an excerpt from George Orwell’s 1984.

Written and published in the mid-20th century, George Orwell’s novel, 1984, highlights the horrors of totalitarianism and absolute control. This concept is symbolized by Big Brother, the presumed dictatorial leader of Oceania,the totalitarian state in which the events of the book take place. The protagonist, Winston Smith, is a scrawny yet intelligent 39 year-old who expresses his revolutionary schemes against the oppressive regime throughout the novel. As the dystopia of Orwell’s tyrannical society unravels, readers are exposed to the prime notions of identity and class struggle.

Loss of identity is a prevalent theme in Orwell’s 1984. Under the repressive regime of Oceania, the people are stripped of their individuality and freedom to express themselves. People who even attempt to show motives for undermining Big Brother’s regime are terminated by the Thought Police. Audio-visual surveillance and constant monitoring of the citizens further show the absolute control the government has over its citizens. Essentially, people are unable to form their own opinions, limiting their actions as a result. As the slogan repeats in the book, “Freedom is slavery,” enforcing the perception that residents of Oceania will not be “free” unless they abide by and join the Party,the governing body of Oceania.

The people of Oceania are divided into three major social classes: the Inner Party, the Outer Party, and the Proles. The Inner Party consists of the policymakers in Oceania, hence making them the ruling class. With the power to enforce policies, the Inner Party is capable of controlling and overseeing the personal lives of all Oceania citizens. Next, the Outer Party, essentially the middle class, is where Winston, the protagonist, works. Workers in this body are often administrators who perform government duties. At the bottom, with the largest population, are Proles, often manual laborers who are uninvolved in politics. As conveyed through the disproportionate distribution of power in the dystopian society, the minority group unjustly directs the society in which poverty and ignorance prevail. Thus the slogan, “Ignorance is strength.”

Overall, I found this dystopian novel to be entirely mystifying and bizarre. As a reader who enjoys dystopian fiction, 1984 had a powerful plot that kept me hooked until the very end. One of the many factors in this book that I found intriguing was the title itself. As the truth of the events of the book is entirely manipulated by the totalitarian regime, the year 1984 represents the established reality enforced by the regime. Moreover, I think that Winston’s character is universally relatable to readers, in the sense that his persona enables readers, like myself, to pity the people of Oceania. Winston portrays characteristics of opposition and innocence simultaneously, which makes him the perfect protagonist of a totalitarian society.

Orwell’s works have conveyed the repeated concepts of propaganda language to inherently pose fictional allegories. Considering both of Orwell’s most popular novels, Animal Farm and 1984 were written around the same time totalitarian leaders like Joseph Stalin had taken power, Orwell essentially cautions readers of the apprehension of totalitarianism. Nevertheless, his politically charged novel continues to bear an uncanny resemblance to today’s society, with increased documentation of personal lives, censorship, and power. Hence, the book is a timelessly engrossing read.