Books I've Read | 1984 by George Orwell

DISCLAIMER: Hey you! There are plenty of spoilers ahead in this post. Don't read this post until you've finished the book! Unless you want to ruin it for yourself then go for it... but don't! Read at your own risk! Don't say I didn't warn you! 

Why did you decide to read this book? Why was this book appealing to you?
I felt like I was the only one who hadn't read the book yet! Most people read this book in High School! I knew it was a depiction of our future involving heavy government regulation and control, but that was the extent of it. I had heard references to "Big Brother" all the time, so I curious to understand more of the story behind that.

Let's start with a brief summary of what this book is about?
In a nut shell, it's a love story wrapped into government conspiracies and torture. A 39 year old man named Winston was in poor health living in poor conditions. The government was an all seeing, all hearing powerhouse that controlled every aspect of every day life. Books were destroyed and replaced with government propaganda. Elegant words from the dictionary were made obsolete and replaced with basic words.  Celibacy was also enforced. Winston felt like this life was not how it used to be, he felt like past life was better than what he was experiencing. It turns out that he wasn't the only one that felt this way. He met a woman named Julia and she hated Big Brother just as much as he did. The book is about their story, their rebellion and what they sacrifice in order to survive.

What characters did you like? Would you want to meet any of them in real life?
I could not get enough of Julia. She is my kind of woman! I loved her spunk and fiery personality! I feel like her and I would've been great friends living in Oceania. I feel like she would've been like an older sister to me. She'd tell me to be brave and keep my head on straight and to not let "Big Brother" get me down.

Does the story end the way you expected?
I was convinced the entire time that Winston and Julia were going to make it, that there was no way they'd ever get brainwashed and they would make it out of that place alive. On the last few pages, my eyes started welling up in tears. It wasn't until the very last sentence of the book is when I lost it. I was upset, confused, and for the first time in the entire book I felt hopeless. It took me a day to get over the ending, but I have to admit that I loved the ending.

Why was 1984 considered a banned book? What made it so controversial?
It's controversial because it honestly feels like it's putting uncomfortable truths and fears into the spotlight and exposing it. It scales the terrifying power of what a corrupted government entity could actually be capable of. It openly scoffs, curses and spits on government control.

If you were in Room 101, what would be waiting for you?
Oh mercy, I feel like anything could've made me crack. If fingers were getting threatened to get cut off I would've given in, I rely too heavily on my hands. The rats would've set me off; I would've responded the exact same way Winston did. The only thing I feel like I'd be able to withstand or would've attempted to withstand would've been getting branded, beaten, head shaven or starved.

How do you think you would survive in a setting like Oceania? Would you conform or rebel?
It doesn't even matter how I answer that question, because the point is that Oceania will always be more powerful than any individual... and that's what's so sad! I'd conform, go about my business each day and build up a resentment. I'd toy with ideas of how I could possibly bring Big Brother down. At the end of it, I would be caught and tortured and Big Brother would overpower me just like everyone else.

Do you think Orwell was writing warnings to people?
This is 100% a warning. I think there are good reasons why people really enjoyed this book and still reference this book. It's eerie to find similarities even in modern times since it's been written. His timing, his writing and his characters were so relatable and familiar. It was an astonishing book that I'm glad I finally read. It was a whirlwind to read, but very incredible and very through provoking.

What are your opinions on 1984?

Thanks for Reading!

Love, Nick