Oh, the horror!

So, I heard an interesting comment about 1984 from a brother-in-law of mine. He said that after reading the book, the impression he had was that it was a horror novel. I thought that was very interesting, and quite a compelling idea. The point about a horror story is that there is no triumph over the enemy in the end. We love stories where the good guy wins, but in true horror stories the only one left in the end is the bad guy. So with this novel; there is no triumph. The establishment wins, and our "hero" is turned. We are left without hope ("hope lies with the poles"). The enemy has total control. In the end it would seem that even the mysterious "Brotherhood" was a figment of the government to further manipulate the minds of party members. It certainly seemed to work. It was his hope of joining the opposition that prompted him to expose himself so fully to his enemies.

The book is certainly an interesting thought experiment into politics and political evolution. The thing that I think is overlooked which would be a great barrier to such a governmental structure taking full root is the reality of religion. I don't think the type of situation described in the book could be achieved in reality because of religion. No government that has either banned or usurped religion has ever lasted.

I thought an interesting part of the book was the manipulation of language. They were not only trying to change peoples' image of history and reality, but their very ability to express themselves. I think language can have a very real effect on the way people think. If there is no word or expression for a concept, you are unlikely to conceptualize it. A person's language moulds the way they think. It most certainly influences the things they express. Some things just can't be said in certain languages. This was very well utilized in the novel.

I must agree with some of the other comments about the time jump at the end of the book. It was rather startling. I must admit that I was holding out for some sort of saving moment (human nature?) and found myself disappointed that he gave in and became a nobody in the end.

Kevin, I will have to add "We" and "A Brave New World" to my list of books to read. I should be starting on "Fountainhead" soon.

Well, this was jumping around a bit, but I wanted to throw out a few ideas and keep the discussion going. Micaela should be finishing the book soon and I am interested in hearing her comments.