Book Report on 1984 by George Essay Example For Students

Book Report on 1984 by George Essay The book starts off with an interesting first sentence the clocks were striking 13. To me this was unusual because there is no 13 on a clock and it is usually considered an unlucky number. I thought it was kind of weird and different compared to what kind of world we are living in today. This is because in London the province of Oceania is where our first and main character Winston Smith lives. There are signs reminding citizens that Big Brother is always watching. Big Brother is the leader of the party in which Winston is a part of as well as all the people of Oceania. Winston Smith is about 39 and has on ulcer on his left ankle. He had to wear blue overalls as a rule of the party. He lives in Victory Mansions by himself. One vocabulary word that I didnt know I found on page 6, eddies, which is a current air running contrary to the main current. Also on page 6 I learned that in this place where Winston lives they use what is called a telescreen which watches and hears everything eve ryone is doing. There is a telescreen placed in every corner of every room. This telescreen could not be turned off. If you are heard thinking of something the Big Brother does not want you to think then you will be punished by the Thought Police. This punishment could be death or a sentence of 25 years in a forced labor camp. You had to keep your feelings to yourself and try to hide them from the Thought Police. Your worst enemy is your own nervous system, (page 67) this is something you hear all the time from criminals who say their self conscious got to them.There are three slogans of the party, theses slogans are War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and Ignorance is Strength. Not everyone is a member of the Party. Only about 20% of the people of Oceania are involved in the party. Most people living in Oceania are living in slums. The people are given a small amount of coupons to trade in for clothing, food or anything else they needed. On page 8 we find out the 4 most important bui ldings in Oceania. They are the four Ministries, which are all government buildings. They are the Ministry of Peace, which is concerned with war. The Ministry of Truth is concerned with news, entertainment, education and the arts. The Ministry of Love maintains law and order. The Ministry of Plenty is responsible for economic affairs. Each ministry had its own concerns and problems. I agree with the author in that our own system of government I believe each department has its own individual concerns and problems. Every member of the party worked in one of these ministries. Winston worked in the Ministry of Truth where his job was to rewrite history to make it sound good for the party. On page 11 Winston is looking for razor blades because the party underestimated the amount needed when he walks into an antique shop and ends up buying a diary. This was not illegal only because there were no laws, but it could be thought as an act punishable to the Thought Police. When Winston got home he decided to write in his new diary only not knowing what to write. He just started writing about a war movie that he saw last night not even remembering why he bought this diary. On page 12, we meet a friend of Winstons, Charlie OBrien, who is a member of the inner party and a large burly man with a thick neck. Also, on page twelve, I did not know what bigoted meant. It means someone who is devoted to his own opinions and prejudices. On page 13, Winston hears on the telescreen the Two Minutes of Hate which came on every day. This was usually to test the people to see if they believed in the party. The person usually giving this speech is the former leader of the party Emmanuel Golds tein who is the enemy of the people. Winston could not talk to any of his co-workers. He was not allowed to possess memories and if you were caught some how it was all punishable by the Thought Police. Everyone was living in horrible conditions. George Orwell described the provinces of Oceania very well on page 77 where he writes, Decaying, dingy cities where underfed people shuffled to and fro in leaky shoes, in patched-up nineteenth century houses that smelt always of cabbage and bad lavatories. To me this sentence gave me a good mental picture of where and how these people were living. A Different World EssayWinston was trying to do everything to get out of there. He was confessing to everything he did wrong and everything he knew of other people doing something wrong. This was not working. They kept him in there. After a few days, Winston lost track of the time and what day it was because there was not any windows and the jail cells always stayed the same. Winston was also being starved. The next night he thought of what could get him out of there and it worked. He turned on Julia saying he did not love her and he told them to kill Julia and not him. After saying this, Winston is eventually let back into the world to work and live. They gave him a new look and a new job. Winston looked different because of all the scars and bruises he had suffered from being beaten in the jail. Winston then begins to love his new life and enjoys every minute of it. He is also now a good member of the party, doing everything he is suppose to, and not thinking for himself. He is t hinking just like the party had taught him. He had found Julia at a restaurant, and they went to the park to talk. They both had turned against each other and decided it was best for them not to be involved anymore. It was mostly because they did not have the physical attraction to each other anymore as they used to. They both had changed because of being beaten in jail. A few days later an announcement comes onto the telescreen saying they have won the war and defeated Eurasia. People crowded into the street to cheer on the victory of the party. Winston jumped for joy and thats when the Thought Police had seen on the telescreen and had realized that Winston was cured and a real member of the party. He had loved Big Brother and then he was shot from behind and killed.