Well, girls, after avoiding it all through junior high, high school, college, and even graduate school, I finally sat down and read George Orwell's "1984." Remember when I had the idea of reading it in the designated year??? I am glad I waited. As I began, I did not know what I was in for, but, having read "Animal Farm" (especially recently) and lots of other "utopia novels"--from "Lost Horizon", by James Hilton, to "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley, to "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand--I expected no surprises. Been there, done that, I thought. And, besides, "Animal Farm," while its message was clear, was so benign!!!!!!
Which is why I could not decide on how to visualize this for my readers,so I have given three examples--the Legion of Super-Heroes' villainous foe, Computo, which is how I always pictured "Big Brother;" the actual slogan, and the cover logo from the edition of Orwell's novel most familiar to me during my adolescence.
Honey, "1984" is not benign. Even at this advanced age, I found it downright disturbing and nightmarish. The saga of Winston Smith, and his conversion from Individual to Disciple Of Big Brother, is known by name even to those who have never read it. What I thought would be a cliche still had the ring of truth. Orwell wrote this 62 years ago as a warning of where society might be headed. And it seems as though we still are. But something has so far prevented it, something which Orwell's ending does not account for. I am not sure what that something is, myself; I just know that as a culture, no matter how technological we become, we are still not ready to abandon ourselves in favor of being automatons. Do you think I would, in today's jargon, become a Stepford Wife???? Not on your life, darlings!!!!!!!!!!
"1984" is densely written; it is clinical, and not a quick read. Only I would remember something like this, but here it is--in the summer of 1969, prior to entering ninth grade, we were given our Reading List. I recall what everyone had to read--ninth graders had to read "To Kill A Mockingbird," while "1984" was given to--are you ready???--what was then termed the Senior Remedials!!!!!!! In other words, the dumbest of the dumb!!!!!!! Either dumb kids then were more advanced than today, or the English department was forcing them to bite off more than could be chewed, because I would never assign this novel to a remedial class. It is simply too linguistically difficult, for one thing, and its pacing is so slow, it would not hold the interest of the remedial student.
Maybe Hope, what Pandora left in her box, separates us from "1984." There is none in its society, while it still abounds out in ours today. I should have figured this next thing out. The story is set in a totalitarian urban environment of the future--I just assumed it would be New York (After all, Fritz Lang's urban vision in "Metropolis" was suggested by his first view of New York City!!!), but, of course, with Orwell being British, it is London. No bucolic Dickens fireplaces, or tea at Brown's here, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!
I am glad I finally read "1984"; I think everyone should, once. But it does leave one with a bad taste in the mouth--or head--which is maybe what Orwell intended. It is the kind of book that, after reading it, you will take up something frothy, like Anna Wintour's bio.
Meanwhile, what am I NOW reading? "The Grief Of Others," by Leah Hager Cohen. Not exactly a laugh fest!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ta ta, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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