1984 A Novel by George Orwell
George Orwell (whose real name was Eric Blair) was born in India in 1903,and was educated at Eton.From 1922 to 1928 he served in Burma -in the Indian Imperial Police.For the next two years he lived in Paris,and then came to England as a school-teacher.Later he worked in a bookshop.In 1937 he went to Spain to fight for the Republicans and was wounded.During the Second World War he was a member of the Home Guard and worked for the B.B.C.In 1943 he joined the staff of Tribune,contributing a regular page of political and literary comentary,As I Please.He later became a regular contributer to the Observer,for which newspaper he went as a special correspondent to France and Germany.He died in London in 1950.
His publications include Down and Out in Paris and London,Burmese Days,The Road to Wigan Pier ,Coming UP For Air,Keep the Aspidistra Flying,Homage to Catalonia.Orwell's name became widely known with the publication, in 1945,of Animal Farm,which has sold millions of copies.Nineteen Eighty-Four had a similar success,and aroused extraordinary interest as a film and on television.
1984 is the year in which it happens.The world is divided into three great powers,Oceania ,Eurasia ,and Eastasia,each perpetually at war with the other.Throughout Oceania 'The Party' rules by the agency of four ministries ,whose power is absolute-The Ministry of Peace which deals with war,The Ministry of Love (Headquarters of the dreaded Thought Police)which deals with law and order ,The Ministry of Plenty which deals in scarcities,and the Ministry of Truth which deals with propaganda.The authorities keep a check on every action ,word ,gesture ,or thought.
George Orwell's satire has been compared with that of Swift ,and in Nineteen Eighty-Four the satire is the framework of one of the most moving stories to have been published in this generation --the human story of Winston Smith and his revolt against the party's rule.
It was a bright cold day in April ,the clocks were striking thirteen .Winston Smith ,his chin nuzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind ,slipped quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions ,though not quickly enough to prevent a swirl of gritty dust from entering along with him.
The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats.At one end of it a coloured poster ,too large for indoor display ,had been tacked to the wall.It depicted simply an enormous face ,more than a metre wide:the face of a man of about forty-five,with a heavy black moustache and ruggidly handsome features.Winston made for the stairs.It was no use trying for the lift.Even at the best times it was seldom working,and at present the electric current was cut off during daylight hours.It was part of the economy drive in preparation for Hate Week.The flat was seven flights up and Winston who was thirty-nine had a vericose ulcer above his right ankle,went slowly ,resting several times on the way.On each landing ,opposite the lift-shaft,the poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall.It was one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you move.BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU,the caption beneath it ran.
Behind Winston's back the voice from the telescreen(the instrument could be dimmed but there was no way of shutting it off completely)was babbling away from pig-iron and the overfulfilment of the Ninth Three- Year Plan .The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously .
