Summary Of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four

“ In this world of growing conflict and danger is the sacrifice of privacy, freedom and individuality a reasonable trade for protection and safety? In George Orwell 's novel, Nineteen Eighty Four, he answers this question with a resounding no. This was executed throughout the novel by the creation of Oceania, a dystopian society in which the government, referred to in the novel as “Big Brother” or “The Party” has gained complete control over everyday life. We are able to learn about the horrors of total government control through the eyes of the main character, Winston Smith. Winston is constantly monitored by telescreens, thought police and hidden microphones. Winston has no privacy, not even in his own home. Winston works in the ministry …show more content…
Winston works in the records department ironically known as the ministry of truth. Here the workers rewrite history and poems so that they don’t pose a threat to the party. This is a very important tool used by the party to prevent rebellion completely. By revising history they are able to almost erase memory of what life was like before the party. This allows them to tell the people whatever they would like, and with nothing to oppose what they are saying, not believing them is made impossible. A quote from Orwell that perfectly explains the danger of the revision of history comes from O’brien in the novel when Winston is a prisoner in the ministry of love, “He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.” The party is in the process of complete control over the past through the process of the revision of history. This is dangerous because not only could they erase past from long ago, but they can begin to erase recent events if they chose. This could allow them to commit horrible acts of corruption and simply erase it from the minds of the people. This danger once again shows the warning against totalitarian governments in Nineteen Eighty