1984 by George Orwell

Having read Orwell's other works, such as Animal Farm, I was expecting a lot from this piece. I had heard much about 1984 and its significance, so I decided to start reading. What I found was in part what I had predicted, but in many ways, it surpassed my expectations. Orwell creates a world where the evil of our society had reached its peak and the average citizen is no more than a willing puppet in the schemes of the shadowy leaders, where continuous war keeps the peace, and where the government can even control your thoughts. Such a world is both intriguing and appalling.

The main character, Winston Smith, is a member of the all-powerful Party. He lives under the constant surveillance of the "telescreens", the equivalent of modern-day security cameras. Along with his fellow workers, he lives a bleak life without pleasure, enjoyment, or freedom. His line of work: editing (rectifying, in Party terms) the media stories to suit the interests of the Party, even if this means creating blatant lies. He begins to secretly rebel by breaking rule after rule. When he meets Julia, who does the same, it seems they are perfect for each other. At first they are paranoid and very careful, but the longer they go uncaught, the more they let their guard down. In the end they are betrayed by a supposed "friend", tortured until their love is not for each other but for the Party, and finally executed.

This sad world has many advanced concepts, some of which are on their way to being realized in our world. 1984is not just a criticism of totalitarianism, it is the
story of a future that could become our own if we do not uphold the principles of equality and democracy. 

Submitted by Max