Nineteen Eighty-Four

As Luke so perfectly worded it "between [Brave New World] and 1984 they are the classic anti-totalitarian mantras". Nineteen Eighty-Four is a story set in, well 1984, in London. Unfortunately, it is a sick and twisted 1984 that, thankfully did not come to be. You know that phrase "Big Brother is watching you"? Well, here is where it comes from. Essentially the entire world is caught into thinking one thought. People are raised to report their neighbors, family, friends, any time they hear anything that might be against "Big Brother", an omniscent being that has strangely been alive and in office for like 60 years or something.

Now, this idea that everyone is thought to think the same thing is okay, as long as you are not one of the people that think against the majority. The other minor problem is that you're always bound to think something out of the ordinary or majority...which, could cause a problem. This is a world where only three countries, all totalitarian in nature, though they'll call themselves different, exist: Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia. These superstates are each in a war with one another indefinitely because they disagree with the other regime. Ingsoc, or English Socialism, is used in Oceania, Neo-Bolshevism in Eurasia and Obliteration of the Self in Eastasia. Essentially they are all the same and all ruled by a leader similar to Big Brother. So we're set in the world where no one does anything out of the ordinary...except our main character Winston Smith.

So here's the basics of the story. Take an entire world where no one can think differently, do anything out of the ordinary, can't even speak in sleep because a telescreen will report everything that happens back to Big Brother. And as Winston points out, thoughtcrime (just as it says, crime against what the state wants you to think) "does not entail death. Thoughtcrime IS death." It's a powerful and disturbing story that, sadly, seems more and more propethic than many people would be willing to recognize. Given, we've not reached the point where I can't type this without being taken in and tortured, but sadly it doesn't seem an impossible nightmare anymore.

The book chronicles Winston's journey from questioning to doubting to the outright disobeying of Big Brother. The story then goes into great detail of the "reprogramming" of Winston once he is captured. I found that the story left little to the imagination and even less to hope for the characters. It has, however, served as a wonderful cautionary tale. It was truly a fantastic novel and I found myself drawn in and fascinated through the entire novel.

Moral of the Story: Don't the government take everything over. Stand up, clear your throat, and exercise your voice and rights.