Summary: 1984 follows Winston Smith, a party member living in the dystopian future of Oceania. Through Winston’s perspective, we learn the government has full control over everyone and everything. Led by Big Brother, the government not only controls what people experience, through government-made media and propaganda, but also controls the people themselves, through surveillance, language, and the absence of individuality. Orwell portrays Winston’s experience through beautiful prose and immersive world-building, allowing the reader to fully experience the oppressive regime ruling Oceania. Winston, in his own way, battles against the all-controlling power of Big Brother and fights to survive in a dystopian society.
Opinion: I found 1984 to be a thrilling and fantastically written dystopian novel. Orwell’s writing is not only chilling but thought-provoking. With the increasing amount of technological advancements in our modern world, the reader can draw a sense of familiarity from Winston’s experience. The well-developed setting and suspenseful plot keep the reader hooked until the very end. 1984 remains a classic that questions still remain relevant today.