Summer Reading for 1984, George Orwell- Letter to the Author

Essay

Dear Mr. Orwell,

     First of all, I wanted to say how much I enjoyed your novel-1984. Now I am not usually one for books on twisted governments, I simply adored it. I thought how you described Winston's point of view and took the audience with him in this thrilling story was just incredible. There wasn't a single part of your story that I was bored with. I believe that the way you described everyday life for Winston made the novel one of a kind.

     But with a great novel, comes just a few questions of course. Throughout the story, you hear the countries "Oceania" and "Eastasia", but where are these countries? I did a little bit of research on Oceania to find it is indeed a real country, but I find it hard to believe that such a small country could have so much evil inside it. I couldn't quite find much on Eastasia, if it is the east of Asia as the name suggest how much does is cover. If that is how big those two countries are, why are such big hot-shots and what are the other countries called, if there are any. Which brings us back to the question of how big are the two countries. (Book 1: Part 1: Page 10); "He [Goldstein] was an object of hatred more constant than either Eurasia or Eastasia, since when Oceania was at war with one of these powers it was generally at peace with the other."

     Another question is what is the importance of the glass paper weight. This is mentioned several times, but an example is on page 115 in the middle of the page (kindle version) "He had the feeling that he could get inside it, and that in fact he was inside it, along with the mahogany bed and the gateleg table and the clock and the steel engraving and the paperweight itself. The paperweight was the room he was in, and the coral was Julia's life and his own, fixed in a sort of eternity at the heart of the crystal." On that page, Winston does talk of how the coral is his and Julia's life- that he was in the room above the shop and that was in the weight. But I can't quite figure out what that symbolizes and the impact it has on the theme. Does it mean that while Julia and Winston are in that room, looking at the crystal, they are frozen in time- frozen in that moment. Never to leave the comfort of the never-changing, never-dangerous room? Or is it just an object that just moved the plot along so that Winston could discover the room that eventually doomed the lovers?

     Another question is why did Big Brother create such a country where no one has their own free will and free thought? Why would someone want such a power to not let an entire nation have a thought of their own? It is unfathomable to me for someone to want such a heinous power. Where did such a desire come from, and how did he achieve his goal?

     Over Julia's character, what made her grow so strong of feelings despite not ever talking to him [Winston] once before she gave him the note? For someone to fall so deeply in love with someone without interacting with them at all is confusing. She even put her life on the line by giving Winston a love note when she didn't have solid evidence that he wasn't all for the party. She could have been reported to the thought police, but she didn't care and took the risk anyways. I just don't believe it worked well for the story. It should've had more of a build on her feelings for the readers to notice and believe.(Book 2: part 2: Page 82); "...for in the two or three seconds while he was helping her up the girl had slipped something into his hand. There was no question that she had done it intentionally." "On it was written, in a large unformed handwriting: I love you."

     Also, why did you make the two characters, Winston and Julia, first interact then commit a love and sexual affair in such a way? Couldn't they have first met and interact in the secret thought police agent's rubbish store? That would have made a more convincing way to talk, then Julia gives Winston the note. They would have both been in a forbidden place, giving each other more reason to trust but would still have been caught in the trap placed by the thought police. I believe it would have helped develop the characters more in the beginning.

     To reiterate this letter, I have only a few questions on the book 1984 that you wrote. Question 1: Where are the countries mentioned in the book; how big are they? Question 2: What is the importance of the glass paper weight? Question 3: Why did Big Brother create the government in Oceania; Where did such a desire come from to have that power; What is his [Big Brother] backstory in general? Question 4: How did Julia develope so much love for Winston, until she gave him the love note, without interacting with him? And finally, Question 5: What made you choose the two characters to first "meet" by Julia falling on Winston; Wouldn't it have given the readers more Intel on who Julia was as a person by both characters meeting in a place such as the shop where Winston got the diary?

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Sincerely yours,

[Name]