Part 1:
Part one of the book is getting the reader understanding of the world in which the protagonist a man called Winston is living in and his normality. This is shown by showing a world where emotions are not allowed to be felt or any thoughts in which "the party" do not feel necessary for the world they are in and if you are found thinking or feeling anything in which they do not feel is acceptable then you will be killed. They also make it impossible to ever think anything bad about them by changing the language to have no words which is against the message of the party themselves as well as having workers which will edit history to make things seem like there has never been any change and in which people do not question and believe really easily. Due to this we hear of an organisation called "The Brotherhood" in which is trying to take down "the party" with any means necessary to try and break people free from the control of the government in which is currently taking over. As a result of this the main character Winston buys a diary and starts to write down his thoughts even though he knows that this is wrong and can get him caught and killed by the government if he is caught doing so, which is especially hard as all televisions are not able to be turned off and they are always watching everyone to know when someone is disobeying them as well as microphones are everywhere to try and hear everything in which is said so no-one can turn against them in thought or actions.
Part 2:
The second part of this book shows a love interest for Winston called Julia and how they come to love each other and both despise "the party" and due to this have a strong connection to each other. While this needs to be secret they manage to find time to be together both as company as well as in a sexual manner. It also shows how as the enemy changes from one person to another within the government and the wars how the people who are working for "the party" are to change everything in which has already been written in history to make it seem like they have always been the enemy so that no-one can argue over this, history has now been altered and therefore it was always true for those looking into the past. As this happens Winston and Julia get added to the "brotherhood" and are willing to do anything to bring down the government that they already have and are given a manual in which teaches them about the "brotherhood" and what it means to everyone and why "the party" are the way they have been set up. However, in the end they get caught by the Thought Police!
Part 3:
The final part of this book is about how after they have been caught they get tortured over and over from beatings to shock therapy to their worst fears to make them confess to their sins as well as change everything about their thoughts to make it the ideals of "the party" and only when you have learned to love Big Brother are they willing to kill you! As a result of this you feel sorry for the character and everything he has had to go through because his thoughts are not what the government is wanting. As well as this you notice that the "brotherhood" is nothing like you thought that it was and is in result made up by Big Brother to find the people who are against them and the world they are therefore a part of.
Overall:
Overall, this book is an amazing read and a book I wish I had found out about earlier. This book seems really relevant to today as well with the government always watching it really makes you wonder if this is what is next for the human race. This is a book I found hard to put down once I had started it and one I would highly recommend to adults!
Rate: 4/5
The first edition was published in the year 1949, in this edition 2+2=5 later in in 1951 the book was reprinted, it seems a print error went unnoticed for years.
ReplyDeleteThe error changes the dynamic of the story, in the error version the numerical sum becomes 2+2=
I prefer the first edition version, even though it is not as soft an ending.
Which do you prefer ?