Definition of The Book 1984

In the history of the literature Some novels and essays have been written describing an ideal world where humans live prosperously and in harmony. These works are labeled utopias. However, there is also the description fictitious of radically opposite situations in which men live immersed under the domination of a repressive and totalitarian regime, that is, a Utopia upside down. These works are known as dystopias and one of the most recognized is precisely the novel "1984", written by the British George Orwell and published in 1949.

Plot of the novel

The events logically take place in 1984 and take place in a totalitarian state in which citizens are under the control of a apparatus repressor. In the society described the Liberty The individual is severely restricted and everything that happens is overseen by an omnipresent and vigilant power known as Big Brother.

The protagonist is Winston Smith, a mediocre and passive individual who works for the Ministry of Truth. His daily task is to manipulate the information that passes through his hands. He gradually feels oppressed and frustrated, as he realizes the perversion of the system in which he lives.

As a consequence, he becomes critical of the government and to vent his Frustration writes a diary in which he recounts the manipulation of the regime and the control he exercises over the society

In his rebellion against Big Brother, Winston Smith falls in love with Julia, a woman who shares the same concerns as him. Both join a dissident group, but eventually discover that this group is also controlled by the power of the state.

After brainwashing and psychological torture, the protagonist and his partner are manipulated by one of the organisms state and end up giving up their love and to his ideals against the oppression of the established system.

The novel seen from the perspective of the present

For many the story of "1984" has some similarities with the reality of the present. In this sense, with the new technologies we are all being "controlled", because we must not forget that through big data it is possible to know what our preferences as consumers are. On the other hand, the hidden and mysterious power of Big Brother has similarities with other totalitarian models that have taken place in the twentieth century, especially the systems of Stalin in the Soviet Union and Mao in China.

On synthesis, the model of society described in the novel is basically a reflection on the mechanisms of control and manipulation of governments.

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