The Classic Novel Files: 1984

This very famous novel became even more famous in the 1984 Apple commercial played during the SuperBowl. The thought of “Big Brother” watching our every movement is terrifying, and the only thing more terrifying is that Orwell, in 1948, believed it would actually happen. We are currently living in a time of GPS and satellite tracking, and while there aren’t cameras in homes yet, Orwell wasn’t too far off with his predictions of what was to come.

The novel is about a man named Winston Smith, who is 39-years-old and lives alone in London. His job (which was provided to him by the government) is to re-write newspapers and erase parts of past history that have changed. Cameras are absolutely everywhere, and large pictures of the leader, Big Brother, paint almost every wall. The Thought Police patrol everything, and thinking a single negative thought about Big Brother is enough to be punished by death. People spy on each other, and the only time a person is free is when they are asleep. Sounds like a pretty scary world, and not one many people would like to live in.

Most people are forced to read this book in high school, along with other Orwell classics such as Animal Farm. The first time around, 1984 wasn’t very impressive to me. I felt the first part of the book was far too long-winded, and Orwell was over-emphasizing the point that people do not have freedom. This time around I enjoyed it, and was able to better understand the concepts. I hope Orwell wasn’t on to something, and I pray I will never see the day when anyone in the government can easily watch me getting dressed in the morning without my being aware of it.