1984 by George Orwell (Dystopian Fantasy)

In a world where countless eyes follow your every move, your relationships are closely monitored, your friends disappear without a trace, your most inner thoughts, harvested, twisted, and used against you - few challenge the Party’s control, and those who do are always found with a bullet in the back of their skull. Bringing forth the fears many had after WW2, George Orwell in 1984 paints the picture of what a world run by a totalitarian government would look like in the Western Hemisphere. Following the character of Winston Smith, the reader sees how life would be if telescreens analyzed everything about you: your facial expressions, unusual habits, or nervous tics that could show signs of unorthodox thoughts against the Party. A violation of any of these could lead to the Thought Police taking you away to the Ministry of Love. The four ministries in this book all have specific tasks, but as you find out later, the names are the exact opposite of what they are used for. The Ministry of Love is used for torturing and punishing the criminals of Oceania, the Ministry of Peace is used for military specialization and plans for the war Oceania is at (which is always changing), the Ministry of Plenty limits and sets the food rations that are consistently decreasing, and lastly the Ministry of Truth focuses on changing the newspapers or other media to make the government’s past statements that were untrue into the current outcome that occurred. Winston’s job in the Ministry of Truth makes him realize the total control of the Party and the mistreatment of the civilians throughout Oceania. Will Winston stand up against the abuse of the Party, or will he (and his fellow citizens) forever live in a perpetual cycle of suffering?

As I read 1984 I was struck with how close, yet so far, we are from living in Winston’s world. Just like 1984 we are closely monitored with cameras and microphones following us everywhere, but unlike the book we are not tortured or killed for our negative thoughts towards the government. While we might have seen some terrible things in the past, hopefully we will never live in a society similar to that of 1984 and instead of pretending that history did not happen (like they did in the book), that we learn from it, to ensure equality for all in the future. I really enjoyed reading this book as you are able to make connections with it throughout your whole life. While this book is tough to read, the theme of it is important to know and can influence your thought process towards many modern day societies. I think many adults/ young adults will enjoy the message of this book as it relates to human rights issues and history, and the injustice of Oceania can make you think about how your actions could be affecting others.

Reviewed by Aiden D. 8th Grade