What is George Orwell's message in his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four? Well, I think that he's trying to tell readers that governments that are too powerful will abuse and misuse their power. When individuals get power, "...They have no intention to relinquish power". As soon as the Party rose to power of Oceania, the Party took control of all aspects of Oceanian life and society. Absolute power for the Party meant no power for the people. Totalitarian governments, as you could see in 1984, would go to absolute extreme lengths to sustain and increase their power, and would go as far as constantly monitoring individuals for any signs of disobedience and torture the ones who rebelled.
What is astonishing is that 1984- a novel with machines similar to computers, with futuristic dreadnought battleships and missiles- was written in 1949, a time when computers didn't exist and technology such as missiles were barely begun to be researched. Orwell clearly pictured in his mind the extreme dangers of totalitarianism and wrote to tell the dangers to his readers. What is also remarkable, is that the date 1984 is only 35 years ahead from 1949 (when it was written), which suggests that the dystopian and ruined world of 1984 could possibly become a reality in such a short time in the near future.
George Orwell clearly described the social injustice and acts of tyranny in his novel. Many of them were also heavily exaggerated to the point where having a thought of disobedience could be punished by death. Although many points were exaggerated in his novel, I believe that these exaggerations were very effective in delivering the message Orwell intended. I can safely admit, that after reading this novel, it made me think a lot. I easily understood the meaning of Orwell's message, and finally wondered about having a dystopian world in reality.
George Orwell was very effective in delivering the message.
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