Memo: 1984 is a Work of Fiction

I was introduced to the literature classic 1984 written by Eric Arthur Blair (a.k.a. George Orwell) during my final semester of high school in 2003. 6 years later … I am still grateful that I read the book and explored its implications in an academic setting.

Perhaps, it was because I was at Lamar High School but I speculate it was my English teacher, Rhett Martinezz, who provided an unorthodox approach to discussing the book.

It still amazes me, but why should anything … I am starting to learn, that so many individuals do not comprehend what exactly Orwell may have been warning us about. Of course, literature that is a work of fiction allows anyone to argue a point as long they can cite evidence and this is where the problem stems.

The superficial theme of 1984 is what most folks refer to … who can blame them? It is the most entertaining, interesting and controversial portion of the book. Who knew there was a love story intertwined in this classic?
The social commentary that Orwell added to the dialogue should not go unnoticed but at the same time I am frustrated by how many people go around spitting terms such as “Big Brother” or “Orwellian” without understanding what they mean.

Whether we romanticize the past or are naïve to the change that a future entails … we will continue on this path to an “Orwellian” future … not because that is what is really going but because it is a self-fulfilling prophecy … we expect it, so we seek it.

It takes two to tango … Big Brother as those that are ignorant interpret it would not exist without the complacency of the people. On the other hand, perhaps we are headed on this dismal path to an oppressive government … Americans are as apathetic as ever.

1984 is a warning of the outcome that a society should expect if they fail to hold its government accountable for their actions. 1984 is not about “security cameras” or “counter-terrorism measures” as much as it is about the use of fear and language to justify and manipulate people to yield to irrational behavior.

But then again … for someone that is not able to discern the difference and relies on what pop culture tells him or her … we are on the path to Big Brother. Those individuals easily duped into thinking we are headed into Orwellian environment are the same fools that will succumb to it when they least expect it, case in point … the Iraq War.

I will just pleasantly remind you that this is why 1984 is located under the fiction section of the library. Look at all the mess the Holy Bible has gotten us into … but that’s another story.