1984

George Orwell

1984 is usually remembered for its stark reminder of the oppressiveness of surveillance states, commonly employed in totalitarian governments. However, for me, the soul of the book lies in the philosophical nightmare Orwell puts us in at the apex of the book. I too, hate rats.

Before us he outlines the simple mask of humanity, the battle between the value of self and the value of others. Orwell ultimately decides that it is the selfishness of the person which is the truth of the matter. Within this, he also decides that it is the selfishness of the state which produces totalitarian governments. This has a loose link to our review of “The Gulag Archipelago” by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Our human pattern recognition can link the philosophy of lies from Gulag and the selfish nature from 1984. So it’s not a groundbreaking experiment Orwell has come up with, simply a new formulation, and a brave one.

Somewhat cynically, Orwell shows us that humanity in of itself is a selfish endeavour. In the modern zeitgeist of individuality and self expression, this revelation hits much harder into the modern conscience. By equating the ideals of lying and selfishness he creates a thick tableau which combats the modern reader. If we continue down this selfish pathway, is our destiny “Oceania”.

Good literature keeps you thinking. In such a short novel, Orwell is able to probe and question at the foundations of our self. I feel woefully inadequate to analyse everything this novel has to say. But this is my blog, and I do what I want.