In a dystopian world where the basis of government is controlling the minds of its citizens, Winston Smith begins to doubt what he is told to believe since he has memories of contrasting circumstances. Thus begins George Orwell’s novel 1984,in which Winston is subject to the mental trials of a past he cannot remember and a future that he cannot foresee. The novel proceeds to cover many diverse topics such as the economic benefits of waging wars without purpose to produce destructive weapons, the idea that holding two contrasting beliefs and believing that both are true is possible (this is called doublethink), the process of narrowing down a spectrum of words so that it is impossible to think a thought against the governing regime’s ideology, and an analysis of why past oligarchies have failed. It is the convincing explanations of these and many other philosophical thoughts that leave readers in turmoil after finishing the novel. For instance, a scary precision is applied when Orwell explains the process of modifying past records to match the present; its concept is concisely described in a quote from Winston, who says, “Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past” (Orwell Part 3, Chapter 2). 1984 gives a warning of a future that Orwell perceived our world was heading towards, and it is best to heed that caution, lest we be marionettes with minds to be manipulated by potential future governments with the interest to make their ideas survive forever. A word of caution for younger readers is that there are mentions of sexual relations between Winston and another character, Julia, and mind control and torture are also expressly documented. 1984 is a splendid exploration of Orwell’s thoughts and the dangers of a regime held together by an idea, not by the relationships between individuals. - Jiyu K., seventh-grade teen volunteer
Publisher's description:
Winston Smith toes the Party line, rewriting history to satisfy the demands of the Ministry of Truth. With each lie he writes, Winston grows to hate the Party that seeks power for its own sake and persecutes those who dare to commit thoughtcrimes. But as he starts to think for himself, Winston can’t escape the fact that Big Brother is always watching...