1984 George Orwell

A Critical Analysis of George Orwell’s 1984
The loss of freedom and individuality would completely change modern life, and yet, these privileges can not be truly appreciated until long after they’re gone. George Orwell’s 1984 forewarns of the dangers of letting society’s freedoms slip away. In his novel, Orwell tells the story of a world divided into three countries constantly at war with one another. Orwell’s world is a bleak place where all individualism and freedom is stifled. 1984 follows the story of an ordinary man named Winston Smith. In the story, Winston begins to question and doubt the oppressive government he lives under. He finds a girl named Julia, who, like him, questions and rebels against their society. However, before long,

The story he tells in 1984 reflects on these ideas and fears. Orwell's novel serves to tell a story, but also as a warning. 1984's world, as Orwell depicts it, does not appear to be far away from society today. The book does not directly tell its theme, but instead depicts a world that functions as a foil to modern day. 1984 portrays a world completely devoid of personal freedoms. By showing the horrible reality that comes with such control, 1984 expresses its theme by making the reader appreciate their own individuality as they read the novel. Orwell does not highlight the advantages of freedom, but instead shows the bleak world of control and oppression. 1984 could have been a book about a utopian futuristic society, but the impact of its theme would have been lost. By threatening the guarantee of freedom, Orwell shows the importance of it. 1984 leaves a lasting impact because it not only shows a world of control and oppression, but it makes this grim future appear inevitable. This uncertainty and doubt is the root of 1984's most important message. The realization that freedom is fragile and that control is secure is the book’s main theme. Seeing Orwell’s world controlling all aspects of citizen’s lives shows the rut humanity could become entrenched in indefinitely. Even through active effort, the control of Big Brother in 1984 cannot be escaped. As the protagonist searches for the truth of the past, he realizes that it has been completely overwritten, and that “He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past” (Orwell 248). Orwell’s warning is clear. Once freedom has been swept aside, it cannot return and uproot control. The novel’s warning stems from the realization that freedom is an unstable lynchpin holding modern society away from a life of control and oppression. To show this dark truth was Orwell’s