1984 Summary, 1984 by George Orwell

1984 by George Orwell

1984 is a science fiction story with a heed warning as its purpose. The themes of the story are censorship, control, and freedom. 1984 was published in 1949 and is the last book George Orwell wrote before dying in 1950. The book follows the lives of Winston, the protagonist, Julia, his lover, and O'Brien, the antagonist.

1984 book complete Summary 

The story starts with Winston, a low-ranking worker at a Ruling Party in London, Oceania. In Winston's world, everyone, including him, is being watched through telescreens by "Big Brother ." The Big Brother organization controls their lifestyle, thoughts, history, and even language. To banish any personal opinion or rebellious act, the organization plans to develop a new language for people called "Newspeak ." In this world, if anybody does or even think about rebelling, they are contained by the Big Brother organization. 

In the story, Winston feels frustrated and oppressed with all the control and wants to be free. He wants to be in a society with freedom of thought, personal space, and the expression of individuality. Winston works in the Ministry of Truth section of the Ruling Party. His work includes altering the original history with made-up ones according to the Big Brother organization's order. Concealing the truth made Winston judge the real intention of the organization many times and finally drove him to hate it. 

He buys a diary illegally to relieve his stress and share his feelings. He writes his journal every day about all the rebellious actions he wants to do and the hateful thoughts about the organization. Although he constantly fears and knows that the organization will surely catch him and contain him. To be completely free, he tries to find out about O'Brien. There's a rumor in the party that O'Brien is a secret member of Big Brother's rival organization named 'Brotherhood.' Brotherhood is supposed to be completely different from Big Brother. There is freedom and a sense of opinion in this society. 

One day while working, Winston notices a girl in his team named Julia. They both are attracted to each other and share love notes in the office. Winston rented a room on the top story of an old building in a poor neighborhood of London. He knew the poorest neighborhoods were where the proletarians lived, and Big Brother did not monitor this part of town. Winston continued his relationship with Julia and met her secretly in the rented room. Julia and Winston both wanted to be free from the organization. Winston showed her the journal he writes daily and stated how much he hates the Ruling Party and Big Brother. Julia is more optimistic than Winston and assures him everything will be fine. 

Winston has been patiently waiting for news from O'Brien, and one day he received a secret message. Winston takes Julia to meet O'Brien in his luxury apartment. Winston feels inferior and wants the same luxury O'Brien has. O'Brien also confirms to Julia and Winston that he hates Big Brother and joins Brotherhood to be a free individual. He officially includes Winston and Julia in Brotherhood and hands, Winston, a copy of Emmanuel Goldstein's book. Emmanuel Goldstein is known to be the founder of the Brotherhood organization. Winston remembers how the Ruling Party declared him the most dangerous man alive but did not trust them. 

Winston goes back into his rented room and reads the book to Julia. Suddenly a bunch of police guards barges in and capture both Winston and Julia for their act of rebellion. It is later revealed that the building owner, Mr. Charrington was an undercover Thought Police officer. O'Brien, too was not any secret member of the Brotherhood organization but a loyal agent of the Ruling Party and Big brother. 

Winston realized he was now caught, and there was no way out. O'Brien tortured and brainwashed Winston for months to get rid of his rebellious thoughts, but Winston survived them. As the last measure, O'Brien used Winston's biggest fear. Winston was sent to Room 101 for interrogation when O'Brien brought a cage of rats. Winston's fear of rats is evident throughout the book through his constant nightmares. Winston knew he was right all along. Big Brother will catch him sooner or later, and they did.

O'Brien set the cage over Winston's head and threatened to open the cage door, so the rats could tear up his face and eat it. Winston finally cracked and urged the agent to torture Julia, not him. He finally gave in and betrayed Julia for his own sake. O'Brien released Winston without any further charges as he now became a new person. His free spirit is broken. Winston now feels nothing for Julia and has no rebellious thoughts about the organization or the Ruling Party. Even after seeing Julia again, he acted as if nothing had happened and ignored her. The story ends with Winston learning to love Big Brother.  

Questions and Answers

• What is the setting of the book 1984? Answer: The book is set in Airstrip One, a province of the superstate Oceania, which is constantly at war with either Eurasia or Eastasia.
• Who is the main character in the book? Answer: The main character is Winston Smith, a low-level member of the ruling Party who works in the Ministry of Truth.
• What is the Party's slogan? Answer: The Party's slogan is "War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength."
• What is the role of the Thought Police? Answer: The Thought Police are responsible for detecting and punishing "thoughtcrime," or any thought or action that is deemed to be against the Party's ideology.
• What is the significance of the telescreen? Answer: The telescreen is a device that serves as both a television and a surveillance camera, allowing the Party to monitor the thoughts and actions of its citizens at all times.
• Who is Big Brother? Answer: Big Brother is the enigmatic leader of the Party, who is worshiped as a god-like figure by its citizens.
• What is the Brotherhood? Answer: The Brotherhood is a supposed underground resistance movement against the Party that Winston becomes involved with.
• What is the role of Newspeak in the book? Answer: Newspeak is a language created by the Party to limit free thought and expression, and to eliminate the possibility of dissent.
• What is the significance of the paperweight? Answer: The paperweight represents Winston's desire for something solid and real in a world of constant surveillance and manipulation.
• What is the "two minutes hate"? Answer: The "two minutes hate" is a daily ritual in which Party members gather to watch a film depicting the Party's enemies, and to express their hatred and aggression towards them.
• What is Room 101? Answer: Room 101 is a torture chamber in which individuals are subjected to their worst fears and phobias, in order to break their spirit and make them loyal to the Party.
• Who is O'Brien? Answer: O'Brien is a high-ranking member of the Party who Winston initially believes is a member of the Brotherhood.
• What is the significance of the proles? Answer: The proles are the lower class of society, who are seen as expendable by the Party but who also have the potential to rebel against the Party's authority.
• What is the purpose of the novel "The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism"? Answer: The novel is a book within the book, and serves as a guide to the Party's ideology and methods of control.
• What is the significance of the Chestnut Tree Cafe? Answer: The Chestnut Tree Cafe is a place where former rebels and dissenters go to drink and forget their past lives, representing the ultimate defeat of individualism and rebellion.
• What is the climax of the book? Answer: The climax occurs when Winston is captured by the Thought Police and tortured in Room 101, ultimately betraying his own beliefs and accepting the Party's authority.
• What is the theme of the book? Answer: The book explores themes of totalitarianism, the dangers of propaganda and manipulation, the importance of free thought and individuality, and the human capacity for rebellion and resistance.
• What is the legacy of the book? Answer: The book has had a lasting impact on popular culture and political discourse, and is often referenced in discussions of government surveillance, censorship, and authoritarianism.
• What is the final message of the book? Answer: The final message of the book is that even in a world of oppression and conformity, there is still hope for rebellion and resistance. Winston's final words, "I love Big Brother," are a chilling reminder of the power of propaganda and manipulation, but they also suggest that even in his defeat, he has not entirely given up on his own beliefs.
• What is the relationship between Winston and Julia? Answer: Winston and Julia begin a secret love affair, but their relationship is ultimately discovered and they are both tortured and brainwashed by the Party.
• What is the role of technology in the book? Answer: Technology plays a central role in the Party's control over its citizens, through devices such as the telescreen, the Thought Police's monitoring equipment, and the Memory Hole.
• What is the significance of the Ministry of Love? Answer: The Ministry of Love is the most powerful and feared of the four Ministries, responsible for maintaining law and order through torture and punishment.
• What is the role of history in the book? Answer: The Party manipulates and rewrites history to suit its own purposes, erasing any evidence of dissent or opposition and creating a narrative that supports its authority.
• How does Winston's character change over the course of the book? Answer: Winston begins the book as a disillusioned but relatively passive member of the Party, but his experiences with Julia and the Brotherhood lead him to become increasingly rebellious and determined to resist the Party's authority. However, by the end of the book he has been broken and brainwashed, and has accepted the Party's ideology completely.
• What is the significance of the place where Winston and Julia meet for the first time? Answer: Winston and Julia first meet in a secluded clearing in the countryside, which represents a space outside of the Party's control and surveillance. This is where they are able to begin their secret relationship, away from the prying eyes of the telescreens and the Thought Police.
• What is the role of propaganda in the book? Answer: Propaganda is a powerful tool that the Party uses to manipulate and control its citizens. It uses slogans, images, and false information to create a false reality that supports the Party's authority and suppresses dissent.
• What is the significance of Winston's diary? Answer: Winston's diary is a symbol of his desire for individuality and his need to express himself freely. It also serves as a dangerous act of rebellion, since the act of writing down one's thoughts and feelings is considered a form of thoughtcrime.
• What is the function of the Ministry of Truth? Answer: The Ministry of Truth is responsible for controlling information and manipulating the past to suit the Party's ideology. It rewrites historical documents, alters photographs, and censors any information that might challenge the Party's authority.
• What is the significance of the character of Syme? Answer: Syme is a linguistic expert who is working on a new edition of the Newspeak dictionary. He represents the Party's efforts to control language and limit free thought, and his disappearance later in the book is a reminder of the dangers of questioning authority.
• Overall, 1984 is a powerful and disturbing exploration of the dangers of totalitarianism and the importance of individual freedom and thought. Its themes and ideas continue to resonate with readers today, reminding us of the importance of staying vigilant against the forces that seek to control and manipulate us.