Review of 1984
Review of 19841984
By George Orwell, 1949
Main Characters
Winston Smith - The 39 year old protagonist of the novel whose rebellion against Big Brother and
the Party and love for Julia is completely wiped out by O'Brian at the Ministry of Love.
Julia - Member of the Junior Anti-Sex league who becomes Winston's secret lover and fellow rebel.
O'Brian - Member of the Inner-Party who learns that Winston has rebellious tendencies and sets a
trap for him over the course of 7 years and ultimately destroys him.
Big Brother - Mysterious omnipresent figurehead who is the embodiment of all the ideals of the
party.
Minor Characters
Emmanuel Goldstein - Leader of the rebels and designated enemy of the citizens.
Mr. Charrington - Secret Member of the thought police who owns and operates an antique store
and rents a room to Julia and Winston as a trap for O'Brian.
Settings
Oceania - One of the three totalitarian superpowers that rule the world using censorship and pure
terror.
Mr. Charrington's rented room - Winston and Julia's secret hideaway where they come to make
love and hide from the telescreens and constant watch of the Party.
Ministry of Love - A rehabilitation center which uses torture and brainwashing technique in order to
completely conform its prisoners into the thinking and beliefs of the party only to be later killed, sent
to forced labor camps, or even released back into society.
Plot
In 1984, Winston Smith lives in London which is part of the country Oceania. The world is divided
into three countries that include the entire globe: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. Oceania, and both
of the others, is a totalitarian society led by Big Brother, which censors everyone's behavior, even
their thoughts. Winston is disgusted with his oppressed life and secretly longs to join the fabled
Brotherhood, a supposed group of underground rebels intent on overthrowing the government.
Winston meets Julia and they secretly fall in love and have an affair, something which is considered a
crime. One day, while walking home, Winston encounters O'Brian, an inner party member, who
gives Winston his address. Winston had exchanged glances with O'Brian before and had dreams
about him giving him the impression that O'Brian was a member of the Brotherhood. Since Julia
hated the party as much as Winston did, they went to O'Brian's house together where they were
introduced into the Brotherhood. O'Brian is actually a faithful member of the Inner-Party and this is
actually a trap for Winston, a trap that O'Brian has been cleverly setting for seven years. Winston
and...
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