Geroge Orwell's 1984 is one of my favourite novels of all time, and (of course), the inspiration for the name of this blog. I worry that my discussion of the novel can't do it justice, but I'll do my best.
Orwell's masterpiece takes place in a future totalitarian society. The leader of this society is Big Brother- a face plastered on every wall with the slogan "Big Brother is Always Watching." Through his thought police, Big Brother monitors everything- actions, relationships, work, even language.
Enter Winston Smith- a young man who, discontent with the current situation, decides to enter into a relationship with a young woman. Of course, amorous relationships are banned too. The tension mounts as the thought police learns of Winston and Julia's illicit relationship and try to re-educate the young couple.
What makes the story even more chilling is the resonance it still has today. Orwell wrote the novel in 1948 as a critique of the Soviet Union, yet we can still see parallels to today's governments, even in democratic societies.
As you read it, look for the Big Brothers in our own societies.
And to end my entry, a powerful quote from the novel:
"There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live—did live, from habit that became instinct—in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized."
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