Book review
Analysis of First Page of 1984
- Course
- English
- Institution
- 12th Grade
Analysis of First Page of 1984 by George Orwell
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I think the first page of 1984 is quite interesting to read. The time and weather are explicitlystated at the beginning which gives the vibes of a journal. Right at the beginning, the descriptions
of the weather and setting are very negative, showing the readers that the world Winston Smith is
living in is dystopian or at the very least, not fun.
The mention and description of the poster in the building reminds me of World War II
propaganda and it makes me wonder if it was intended to be interpreted that way. Considering
the time in which the book was written/released I would imagine it was intentional and it would
have easily drawn people in at that time because it is such a bold choice. To then show that the
electricity is being limited shows that he is not living in a good society. Also, the contrast
between the name Victory Mansions and the boiled cabbage smell of the building is jarring and
is something I would like to know more about.
Casually throwing in “Hate Week” and then not explaining it is something that I think is very
intriguing and would get people to read the book. They would want to find out what Hate Week
is because the name of it is so intense and it was just casually mentioned despite it being clear
that it makes a large impact on society, for example, the electricity being limited.
The narrator then tells us that not only did Winston have to walk up all those stairs but he had to
do so with an ulcer on his ankle, again showing that this is not a fun place to be even if it is in a
small way.
The most interesting part of the page is when it is revealed that the poster says “BIG BROTHER
IS WATCHING YOU” underneath it. That is very shocking and is the first insight into how
exactly the world is dystopian. In the age of social media, I think this is relevant however right
after WWII it would have also been very relevant and fascinating to people as well. Because the
governments were doing a lot more surveillance in the war it would have been a common
concern for people that it would continue and spiral out of control. This “big brother” that is
watching appears to be all their fears if they were to be true and is an interesting concept to
explore.
I like that it is a third-person omniscient narrator because I like knowing the main character’s
inner thoughts but first-person usually includes fewer details of their surroundings because the
character is focusing on their thoughts. I also like the author’s writing style because it is
descriptive without being excessive, though some of the longer sentences take a little more to
understand.
Overall I believe the first page of this book is very effective in drawing readers in regardless of
the time period because it introduces a world in which many peoples’ deepest fear has come true,
everyone is under surveillance and under complete government control. This is a fear that I don’t
think will ever go away, therefore I believe this book will continue to sell and get new readers
every year.
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