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Animal Farm by George Orwell

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Animal Farm , written by George Orwell , is a political fable that tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their cruel human master, hoping to create a society where all animals are equal, free, and happy. Inspired by the dream of the wise old pig Old Major, the animals overthrow the farmer Mr. Jones and take control of the farm, renaming it Animal Farm. At first, the animals work together to build an egalitarian community based on the principles of Animalism, summarized in the Seven Commandments painted on the barn wall. However, over time, the pigs—led by the cunning and power-hungry Napoleon—begin to seize control. They gradually assume privileges, manipulate language and truth, and use fear and propaganda to maintain power. Eventually, they become indistinguishable from the humans they once overthrew. This allegory clearly reflects the events of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the rise of Stalinism. The animals represent different social and political groups...
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Nineteen Eigthy-Four by George Orwell

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THE PLOT

Nineteen Eighty-Four, written by George Orwell, is an anti-utopian, or dystopian, novel that describes a bleak and oppressive society in which human instincts, intelligence, and individual freedom are crushed by a ruthless and all-powerful political regime.

The story depicts a totalitarian power that exerts complete control over individuals through advanced technology and psychological manipulation. At the head of this regime is Big Brother, a symbolic and omnipresent figure who embodies the government's authority. The novel explores the modern individual’s enslavement to mass media, surveillance, and propaganda.

The novel is set in the year 1984, in a world divided into three superstates: Oceania, Eastasia, and Eurasia, which are in a state of perpetual war. Britain, referred to as Airstrip One, is a province of Oceania and is governed by a totalitarian dictatorship led by Big Brother. He is not just the ruler but also a constant presence: his image is everywhere, and his supposed gaze is inescapable.

The regime maintains control through an extensive system of surveillance, using microphones and telescreens to monitor all citizens. Society is strictly divided into two main classes:

Party members, a privileged minority who enforce the regime’s ideology and manipulate facts through institutions such as the Ministry of Truth.

The "proles" (short for proletarians), the vast majority of the population, who live in poverty, largely unmonitored, and are kept passive through distractions and ignorance.

The protagonist, Winston Smith, is a low-ranking Party member who works at the Ministry of Truth, where his job is to falsify historical records to fit the Party's ever-changing narrative. Unlike most of his colleagues, Winston secretly despises the Party and dreams of rebellion.

Driven by a desire to understand reality beyond Party propaganda, Winston begins writing a secret diary—a thoughtcrime punishable by death. He later meets Julia, a young woman who also harbors rebellious thoughts. They begin a secret love affair, which is illegal in a society where sex is permitted only for reproduction and emotional attachments are forbidden.

Winston and Julia rent a room above a second-hand shop in a prole district and begin collecting forbidden items from the past—acts that symbolize their resistance. However, they are eventually betrayed and arrested by the Thought Police.

In the terrifying Ministry of Love, they undergo a brutal process of "rehabilitation"—a combination of psychological manipulation, reprogramming, and physical torture. In the end, both are broken. Winston is stripped of his autonomy, individuality, and even his love for Julia. He is "cured" but spiritually and emotionally annihilated, becoming a loyal shell of a man who ultimately loves Big Brother.


MODERN MYTH: BIG BROTHER

In Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell never provides a concrete description of Big Brother. He is never seen in person, never speaks, and appears only as a stylized image on posters, coins, and telescreens, often accompanied by the chilling slogan:

"BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU."

Big Brother is not necessarily a real individual; rather, he is a symbol of the Party's omnipresence, infallibility, and unquestionable authority. He represents the terrifying extent to which authoritarian regimes can dominate every aspect of life—including thought, memory, and identity.

Today, the term "Big Brother" is commonly used to refer to any invasive surveillance system or authoritarian government that intrudes on individual privacy and freedom.

The origins of the name Big Brother are not definitively known. However, according to author Anthony Burgess (writer of 1985, a response to Orwell’s novel), Orwell may have been inspired by World War II posters that featured a stern-looking man with the slogan “Let me be your big brother,” promoting correspondence courses.

Some literary critics argue that Big Brother resembles Joseph Stalin, due to his facial features and authoritarian rule. Another theory suggests Orwell was referencing Brendan Bracken, the British Minister of Information under whom Orwell worked at the BBC. Bracken was known by the initials “BB,” and some of his staff reportedly called him "Big Brother" informally.

Ironically, in 1999, the name Big Brother was revived for a reality TV show launched in the Netherlands. In the show, contestants live together in a house under constant surveillance by cameras and microphones—a concept inspired directly by Orwell’s vision of an all-seeing regime. The show's international popularity is striking, given that Orwell presented such surveillance as the ultimate form of tyranny.

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