1984 Blog #1

The first three chapters of 1984 invite us into the world of Airstrip One (formerly England) in the fictitious year of 1984. Read these chapters carefully and describe this world as completely as you can. In your answer, you should consider the following: What is the government like? What are people’s lives like? How did things get this way? Do you note any characteristics of a dystopian society? What are they?

In 1984, author, George Orwell, wrote a novel describing our society if the events that were taking place during WWII continued. He envisioned a dystopian world that instead of hundreds of countries, was split into three separate "continents" called: Oceania, Eurasia, Eastasia. And, the world is run by the "Party". The novel's main character, Winston Smith, lives in what we know as London, England. But, in this society it's called London, Airstrip one, Oceania. Very strange, but that's how things are now. But, unlike Brave New World, the people in this society have very unpleasant lives because they constantly live in state of fear and misery. That's how they can keep the society the way it is. They don't stand for any disloyality. In fact, if you even think about committing a crime against the Party, (thoughtcrime) you could be arrested and executed for it. So, this society is very dystopian. Like their slogan says, "Big Brother is watching you..." And, on top of that, this society promotes hatred to one another and always makes them think that they are in a state of war. Apparently, that state of being unities large groups of people together, but only to hate a common enemy, not to be close like a community. So, it's a very interesting situation we've been presented in Orwell's novel of 1984.