Nineteen Eighty-Four ruined my life. It’s one of my favorite books and not for the reasons many people erroneously reference it as the ultimate cautionary tale about surveillance, government intrusion, and herd mentality. These were all prominent themes for Orwell, no doubt, but the book is more about the limits of the human spirit [vernacular] than anything else, and without spoiling the ending for those who haven’t read it, I will say the culmination of Nineteen Eighty-Four tore open a hole in me that will never be mended. My life after the book bears the weight of an inherent void, a fallibility at once ugly and natural and unconquerable.
That might all sound depressing, but what I find most unfortunate is that the point of Nineteen Eighty-Four — and by extension George Orwell — has become synonymous with their assertions about Big Brother. A book this good shouldn’t be used as shorthand for drumming up fear, and however astute Orwell seems in retrospect (and he does), we should appreciate the nuance of his work.
To those who have read the book and are fans, visit Two Minutes Hate and give Emmanuel Goldstein a piece of your mind. If you’re too lazy to click the link, get your sixteen seconds hate below, but I warn you. The effect is not the same.
Tags: 1984, Big Brother, Emmanuel Goldstein, George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four, surveillance, Two Minutes Hate