How Does 1984 Impact Me

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I read 1984 about a year ago in AP English. George Orwell’s 1984 impacted me in a way, unlike any other novel I’ve ever read. The various themes explored by Orwell along with the journey of his protagonist, Winston Smith, really took this book beyond the words printed on the page. The most striking thing about 1984 that is still explored today over 75 years later are the themes of censorship, individual identity and the power of propaganda. Throughout the novel, we see the combined effects of government censorship doubled with propaganda from Big Brother on the identity and expression of every character. It is a stark warning to the effects of this kind of control from a governing body on a population, making them mindless robots just repeating sanctioned propaganda. Acts such as the editing of history by Winston during the novel go on to solidify the feeling of helplessness that can come with this utter control by the government. In a sense, this is what really took hold of me while reading this …show more content…

In the beginning, he was just another member of society doing whatever Big Brother wished, but unlike those around him, he harbored a secret hatred for the government he swore loyalty to. Throughout the novel we see his rebellion slowly grow, entering an unlawful relationship and staying in an unmonitored house. Of course, it seems he’ll break away from the clutches of Big Brother when Winston and his lover are captured. From there Winston is broken, forced to betray the one he loves and abandon the ideals of the rebellion he held so dear. Then came the ending when Winston was just another citizen. He supported the war effort and thanked Big Brother for all he gave him. The journey of Winston was the most powerful, and heartbreaking, part of the book for me. It showed the vulnerable we all have inside us, no matter how big and bad we think we are, everyone can be broken and then

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