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The negative Utopia "1984\" was written and published in 1949.
In that imaginary year 1984 the world is divided between three
superstates with similar political
systems that have been waring with each other for the last 20 years.
Nevertheless these states form
allies from time to time it is impossible to overthrow one of them due
to their natural boundaries.
Not only the world but also the population of the state this novel is
set in is divided into three group:
The lowest and largest group are the proles who are treated like
animals. The second group is some
kind of "middle class" called the "Outer Party" which members are
rather poor and have to be
completely obedient. The control lies in the "Inner Party" which
comprises only few members with
special rights. On the top of the state is the imaginary "Big Brother"
who is some kind of substitute
god.
The Inner Party uses the never ending war to control its people: Even
tough the fighting is in some
remote part of China people are deluded into believing to be in constant
danger so that they are ready
to hand power to a small ruling class.
Furthermore the war effects a shortage of goods that does not allow the
establishment of a powerful
middle class that might long for power.
A very powerful menace to keep control is the thought police: everywhere
are "telescreens!" which
transmit propaganda but also receive what is going on in their field of
vision. People cannot even get
a bit of privacy at home but the party despites any feelings that are
not related to the their fame or the
hate of the enemy ,anyway.
So they even cut the link between parents and child since children are
used to spy if their parents,
neighbours and friends might act against the will of the party.
The unlucky ones who get caught vanish forever. Even worse: they have
never existed as the party
destroys or changes all records mentioning them.
Thanks to the principle of "doublethink" most people don?t have any
problems in putting up with
that.
"Doublethink" simply means that you believe anything the party says and
forget what was fact one
moment earlier.
The main character Winston Smith is one of the people that see the truth
as his work in the Record
Department is to chance newspaper articles to make them match the new
facts
An other thing that makes Winston different are his feelings: He does
not share any interest in the
matters of the party but longs for human affection instead which he gets
from a woman working in the
same building. They have to take great risks to see each other as deep
friendship or passion is not
wanted in their society. The two hate the party for different reasons:
Winstons hastes it for its betrayal
Julia for not being able to do what she feels.
Winston is not as much effected by propaganda as most other people even
though he always joins in
shouting during the "Two minutes hate".
The two minutes hate is a daily occasion to refresh people?s feelings
for the party.
During these two minutes they are shown a very emotive film about the
enemy threatening their lives.
Everyone goes frenzy till the picture of their saviour - Big Brother -
is shown.
Winston always tries to keep calm but even though he hates the Party he
always joins the crowd.
One time he catches the eyes of the Inner Party member O?Brien and seems
to read understanding.
Till that moment he was always afraid of being the only person able to
see what is happening but now
he hopes to have found and allay. And really: some time later O?Brien
gives him a secret sign to visit
him in his flat which is a very unusual behaviour.
O?Brien pretends to be member of an underground organisation undermining
the Party. Winston and
Julia do not hesitate to join but get to know quite soon that they were
betrayed.
As the party only kills people who truly believe in Big Brother they
burn out every belief in Winston
by torturing him. In the end he even betrays his lover when he faces to
his greatest fear.
"1984\" is certainly one of my favourite books as this nightmarish vision
is absolutely disturbing.
It is quite obvious that the author found a lot of inspiration in the
happenings of the Third Reich.
The telescreen for example corresponds to the "Volksempfänger", the
Nazis also alienated children
from their parents and the Thought Police resembles very much of the
Gestapo but of course the
conditions in Orwell?s novel are even worse as you can hide absolutely
nothing from eyes of the party
- not even your most secret thoughts.
Winston Smith is one of the few people able to remember the time before
the Party came into power.
That is probably one reason for realizing what is going on as the other
people have no comparison
especially if they use doublethink automatically.
Even though I suppose Gerorge Orwell chose the common name "Smith" to
show that he is not the
only person opposing this total system. Julia for example hates it for
not being allowed to live her life
the way she wants. On the other hand she feel not the slightest anger
for the alternation of the past as
it does not really effect her life.
But no matter how many people there are wishing to fight against the
party they have no possibility to
meet or even get to now who is on their side due to the constant fear of
spies.
In my opinion this makes the book very depressing as no matter what you
do it is impossible to change
anything and as Winston says: You are already dead when you commit
"thoughcrime".
One other thing that struck me is the lack of compassion caused by the
party replacing all human
feelings against hatred and political triumph.
This point is very well highlighted at the point when Winston writes
about going to the cinema:
" Audience much amused by shots of a great huge fat man trying to swim
wallowing along in
the water like a porpoise, then you saw him through the helicopter
gunsights, then he was full
of holes and the sea round him turned pink and he sank as suddenly as
though the holes had let
in the water. audience shouting with laughter when he sank." (P.11)
There is only one thing I am not a 100 per cent content with: the title.
In a way it is really good as by choosing a date only about 35 years in
the future he indicates that his
novel in not just Science Fiction and totally unlikely to happen.
He probably saw some development that might lead to such a state.
On the other hand I would have preferred a title that shows that
totalism is something that is always
a possible danger as there are always people longing for power.
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