1984 - George Orwell - A Short Summary & Review
1984 - George Orwell - A Short Summary & Review
By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures
A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review
A short summary:
In 1984, George Orwell imagines a totalitarian world in which every action, thought, and word is monitored. Under the constant gaze of Big Brother, truth is manipulated, language is stripped of meaning, and individuality is treated as a crime. History itself becomes a tool of control, rewritten daily to serve the needs of those in power.
The novel follows Winston Smith, a man who quietly rebels against the system by remembering, questioning, and thinking independently. His struggle reveals how authoritarian regimes do not rely solely on brute force, but on psychological domination, training citizens to police themselves until resistance feels impossible.
My favorite quote from the book:
Questions to ponder while reading:
My review:
A must-read. A must-think.
1984 is not subtle, and it isn’t meant to be. Orwell wrote this novel as a warning, not a prediction, and its power lies in how recognizable its mechanisms of control remain. Surveillance, propaganda, restricted language, and enforced conformity are not relics of the past; they are ever-present temptations of centralized power.
This is not a comfortable book. It demands attention, skepticism, and moral courage from its readers. Orwell insists that freedom begins with the ability to name reality truthfully, and that once language and memory are controlled, resistance collapses.
Frequently challenged and repeatedly relevant, 1984 endures because it reminds us that dictatorship does not arrive all at once. It advances through small concessions, quiet compliance, and the erosion of critical thought.
Be a rebel. Read it.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.
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