Democracy Versus Totalitarianism in George Orwell's 1984

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Democracy Versus Totalitarianism in George Orwell's 1984

Winston Smith lived in a world of lies, chaos, and disorder. His uniform was shabby and living space cold and dirty. Changing the past to suit the present was his job where he worked, the Ministry of Truth. One day, he encountered a beautiful young woman of about 26 years of age and instantly fell in love. Little did he know that she would be the one who would end his life. He dreams of sleeping with her but fears that he would be captured by the Thought Police because sex is illegal. During the Two Minutes Hate - a time when members of Ingsoc come together to despise Emmanuel Goldstein, a man who supported freedom and rights - the woman passes a note to Winston. It says for him to meet her in the forest where they can talk. They meet and make love, a feeling he misses since he divorced his wife. Also, doing this act means that he can accept thoughtcrime which is punishable by death. After this, Winston moves into an apartment and the woman, whose name the reader learns is Julia, accompanies him. Thinking they are safe from the Thought Police, they commit many different thoughtcrimes. Unfortunately, their renter betrays them and bugs were placed in the room that noted their every move. Julia is taken away and doesn't appear again until the last pages of the book. Winston is taken to jail where he is brainwashed through torture into accepting the ideas of Big Brother, an imaginary leader of the country Oceania.

The conflict presented in 1984 is between democracy and totalitarianism. The reader can see Winston's desire for democracy as he writes in his journal and intimately associates with Julia, both of which are illegal in Oceania. Evidence of totalitarianism is se...

... middle of paper ...

...is on page 228, "Two and two make five." This line represents a philosophical point I strictly believe; people who have power, rule over those who do not. I think it is part of nature that this happens. Intelligence, strength, cunning, size, and boisterousness, among other qualities, can single out an individual and make he/she powerful. Those who are powerful can usually survive the best. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone . . . period. It shows how important human qualities are to be human and what can happen when we are not in control of our own lives. This book is not suspenseful but horrifying in a non-gruesome way. It is not a true story in any manner but the reader can pick out certain things that are apparent in our society.

Notes

1. The edition of 1984 that I read was the Signet Classic edition, copyright 1981, by New American Library.

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