1984 by George Orwell
The book Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984), written by George Orwell was published in 1949.
The book engages in a deep seeded political system that is corrupt and that keeps the privileges only for those with money and power.
Socialism is a key theme throughout the book 1984. The political parties try to justify their means by stating they are offering the better good for all in the end. Opposing all of that, is the Outer Party, and they seek to get the truth known so that citizens can make well informed decisions.
The Outer Party strives to release the propaganda and to get people to start rebelling against the government they have followed for so long.
1984 is considered to be a classic novel due to the style and the content of the plot. The book covers a variety of subjects that can still hold true in today’s society. This includes the quest for peace, for survival, for love, and for truth.
Americans are now living in a society that in some cases is more draconian, more invasive and more Orwellian than the dystopian tyranny fictionalized in Orwell’s chilling classic Nineteen Eighty-Four. On almost every front, American citizens are under an equal or greater threat of abuse, control and more pervasive and high-tech surveillance than anything Winston Smith ever faced.
There are quite a few important characters in 1984, and each of them seems to be battling their own demons such as lost love or alcohol. Yet they come together to fight censorship and to open up the question about how much is too far when it comes to the government and surveillance? That is still a huge debate today about how far it should go to protect without violating individual rights.
In 2005, the book was selected by Time Magazine for their top 100 English novels. This is quite a remarkable recognition. Yet the book has been labeled as being both frightening and very depressing. At the same time though, it is enlightening as it asks people to take a closer look at themselves and what is taking place around them. It shares an important thought that we shouldn’t always be willing to take things around us at face value.