1984 Final Blog Post

When I initially completed 1984 by George Orwell, I was speechless! Although I did have an idea of what would happen at the conclusion of the novel, because I read the book flap, which gave a bit of a hint, I was still completely surprised with the ending. The part that I was especially confused with was the fact that both Julia and Winston were eventually let free! Even though they were physically free, it is clear that O’Brien and The Brotherhood accomplished their goal because the last line of the book is “[Winston] loved Big Brother” (308).

One thing that I was confused with was O’Brien’s role. Was he a party member or was he against the party? Was his alliance with Winston actually a ploy to make Winston confess his opposing party views? Orwell wrote a very successful novel in which I was completely enthralled! You know it’s a good assigned reading book for school when the students don’t want to put it down, which was definitely the case for me.

When asked the question, “what does the novel mean to you as a whole?” I initially had a difficult time determining my answer. My thoughts on this answer changed as I continued reading but I think my final understanding is that the party has no need for individuals. Individuals create issues and make it more difficult for the party to accomplish their goals. Especially at the end of the novel when O’Brien is interrogating Winston, the reader can see how little The Brotherhood cares about the human race and any particular people. Their goal is to continue on with their regime and not have to worry about the actions of individuals.

Another aspect of this society that really confused me was the fact that there are no laws in Oceania. How could such a strict civilization function when there are literally no written laws in place? Although everyone is aware of what they can and cannot do, wouldn’t the society function much more efficiently if there were just simple laws in place? I guess the reason for this is that there would be too many laws that need to be obeyed, and just having “unwritten rules” makes the government seem less controlling and gives the appearance of giving citizens more freedom.

I was especially disappointed on page 300, after Winston was released from Room 101 and is back having gin at The Chestnut Tree. He is contemplating if it will be victory or failure reported on the telescreen, and what life could be like if it was failure. Of course, the ultimate reporting is that Oceania has undoubtedly succeeded in defeating whichever enemy they had at that moment. Upon hearing this, Winston is emotionless and, “almost unconsciously traced with his finger in the dust on the table: 2+2=5” (300). This simple act shows that the party has defeated Winston and he no longer has control over what happens with his mind and his actions.