1984

George Orwell’s 1984 is an interesting book to say the least. Do I personally like the dystopian society of the future or the warning it contains? No, not really, since it has given rise to extremism in some people who are constantly the look out saying, “Big brother is watching us,” and that we need to do more to protect our privacy. Yet these same people do relatively nothing about stopping “big brother.” If there is one positive thing I have taken from this book it is that if you really want to buck the system simply do as Julia did and buck it in a small, personal way.

 

            There will always be government, and if history has taught us anything it is that when government becomes too powerful it will eventually be overthrown. Examples to support this lesson are the French Monarchy, the Soviet Union, and the Roman Empire, all of which have fallen due either to government becoming too corrupt or too powerful. Even the corruptness of Aztec rule led conquered peoples to align themselves with the Cortes and the conquistadores to bring about the fall of Montezuma. Following Burke, many historians caution that “those who do not know history are condemned to repeat it.” Well, it seems clear to me that it is instructive to point out that governments fall from time to time, and in line with that pattern we need not worry about a government becoming to powerful. Eventually, like the bloated governments of history, it too will fall.

            Another element that induces fear in 1984 is when Winston begins to accept O’Brien’s version of events. This transformation sets a lot of people off, but to my way of thinking we already accept most things in our life axiomatically. For instance why is the color blue called blue? Why is this the symbol for the number 5 a 5 and not @? The idea that people can manipulate another into thinking a certain way is not a new concept. Hell, it’s been happening through the education system since most of us were in kindergarten. Further, a good defense lawyer such as –let’s say Johnny Cochran, can even trick people into seeing an obvious truth as a lie. And as far as the controlling of history goes it is a demonstrable fact that anytime there is a war the victors get to write the history, not the defeated. Also history is rewritten every time there is new information discovered or, as the saying goes, “Each generation writes its own history of the past.”

 

               My closing thoughts about this book are a cautionary tale that if you spend all your time worrying about big brother watching you then you miss out on life. Were only here for so long so kick back relax and enjoy it. Also embrace new teachings, just because your think a certain way does not always make it right and sometimes in life 2+2 does equal 5.