1984
I’m more than a little embarrassed to admit that I’m 39 and have only just got round to reading this. It’s my second Orwell read – Animal Farm was my first – and although I found Animal Farm a striking and thought-provoking book, 1984 proved a far deeper dive, affecting me to the core. I could see myself in this book.
To me, the theme of 1984 is what Tracy Chapman sings about in All That You Have is Your Soul, or what Oscar Wilde meant when he wrote “shallowness is the supreme vice”. It's in a million different forms, all over the place - books, songs, poems, epigrams. It's spelled out quite nicely in the e.e cummings quote a few entries below this one.
Contrary to what I'd heard prior to reading the book, I don't think that 1984 is simply a warning about fascism or communism – that’s Animal Farm. To me, 1984 implores you to hold on to what makes you human. It has been my experience as a typical working person in the U.S. that every day I am constantly encouraged to adhere to the same beliefs as everyone else, to like what everyone else likes, to talk about what everyone else talks about, and to do what everyone else does. To fight this constant environmental stimulus is to invite sarcasm, skepticism and ultimately ostracism. Every day we have a choice - remain true to our own beliefs and principles, or adhere to those of those who surround us. If you're lucky, those around you may adhere to your core beliefs anyway, but in the working world, we often don't get that luxury.
Discussion of the battle to retain our individuality and our human-ness is nothing new - as I said earlier, it's all over books, music, etc. - but 1984 drove it home to me quite forcefully.
