Resumo de 1984 - George Orwell

In this classic political novel, George Orwell describes a society in which the loss of privacy is close to complete. In a world where the individual is expendable for the greater good of society, values of liberty and freedom are long forgotten except in the twisted context of propaganda. The state is constantly at war for the sake of war itself simply because it keeps the people occupied with nationalistic patriotism which is drummed up to a fervor at the whim of power. Power is symbolized by the image of one man - Big Brother. He is the great leader that nobody ever sees in the flesh but is spread across society on posters and telescreens and banners. the real power lurks in the darkness. it is untouchable yet has machinery in place to touch every aspect of the individual's life.

The reader follows Winston Smith as he inevitably falls victim to the controlled society of Big Brother and his own human nature. Although Winston makes a great attempt to conform to the rules of the totalitarian state, there is a seed in his memory which goes against his better judgment and his innate fear and cowardice. Even though the historical facts according to the Ministry of Truth say differently, Winston recalls a time before Big Brother when history was different to what it now says in books. It is this doubt which send him on a journey of exploration which will inevitably lead to his demise.
His first act of defiance is to start writing a journal in which he attempts to consolidate his version of history against that of the party line. this initial step leads indirectly to a forbidden love affair with a youthful woman who, like him, works at the Ministry of Truth. Their love affair becomes increasingly risky to the point where the two decide they want to join the resistance in order for them to be together without secrecy. This final step of hope takes Winston into the den of power itself. He believes he can trust his superior, O'Brien, but we discover that it is he who turns out to be Winston's interrogator. Winston is subjugated to a torment in the infamous Room 101 where all the vestiges of his individuality are stripped from him. Before the end, he is nothing more than an empty shell filled with the party rhetoric.

1984 still rings true today. When it was written, the world stood on the verge of the Cold War. This war is over but has recently been replaced by another against terrorism which has created a justification to limit civil liberties. In today's world of increasing technological development, it has become easier than ever to monitor the movement of individuals and curb their privacy. In a time when the media should be increasingly free and open, it is often blatantly missing the facts in its reports spinning them in a manner serving the advertiser.
Who is really behind the wars? Whose interests do they serve? In an increasingly global society where money means power and the powerful rich direct from the shadows, how long might it take before we stop watching Big Brother and Big Brother starts watching us?

Resumos Relacionados