Down With Big Brother!

George Orwell

 

All Saints Churchyard in Sutton Courtenay is quiet and unassuming.  The village itself is quaint and typically English with the old-world thatched cottages and stone walls that one might see in shows like Escape to the Country. The Churchyard is the resting place of many and some of the headstones are weathered and unreadable; but there is one that although is as humble as the rest, caught my attention enough to inspire me to travel to this village for a glimpse. On the headstone the name reads Eric Arthur Blair, but I only ever knew him as George Orwell.

The headstone that marks the resting place of George Orwell

On the 25^th of June in 1903 in Motihari India, Eric Arthur Blair was born. In 1904, his mother brought him and his sister to England and they settled at Henley-on-Thames. Blair always dreamed of being a writer and won scholarships and competitions throughout his school years.  However due to his poor performance at college, he was unable to continue his education and was encouraged to join the Imperial Police.  He was successful at gaining entry and chose a posting in Burma. After returning to England due to illness, Blair continued writing and his first book was published in 1934.  His pen-name, George Orwell, was inspired by the river Orwell.

Plaques on houses in Hampstead and Notting Hill
where he once lived

When I was in High School, one of the books included in the curriculum for English was called Nineteen Eighty-Four. When I first read the title, I thought to myself, ‘how can somebody write a book about a time that hasn’t happened and this is probably going to be boring.’ I’m not above admitting that I was wrong.  I loved the book and have read it more than once.  I distinctly remember the part where Winston Smith is sitting in the alcove of his flat writing in his journal. I admired Winston Smith for his rebellious nature.

So if you thought that Big Brother was just a crappy reality television show then think again; and if you haven’t read Nineteen Eighty-Four then shame on you. The book was published in 1949 and is a sort of futuristic depiction of what Orwell though the forthcoming world might be like if British democracy did not survive the war. In some respects, he was kind of right.  Although to my knowledge there’s nobody watching me write this, there are plenty of cameras out there watching our every move and you can spot them as you walk through the city. Luckily for me, I don’t have to deal with the Thought Police because I probably would have been tortured for my independent thinking by now.  But as long as they continue to call this country England and not Oceania, I might just stay out of trouble.

I know that George Orwell has written other classics, but Nineteen Eighty-Four is my favourite and one of my favourite books of all time.  I praise the Department of Education for introducing me to this particular writer and his amazing work. Sometimes I wonder what he would have thought of the real 1984, but sadly Eric Arthur Blair aka George Orwell, passed away in 1950 at the age of 46. I’m pleased he finished the book though and also pleased to say that Once upon a time in the past, a forward thinking writer dreamt up a futuristic society that hasn’t quite become reality. Let’s hope the clocks never strike thirteen.