1984
Nineteen Eighty-Four centres on the consequences of totalitarianism, mass surveillance, and repressive regimentation of persons and behaviours within society. Orwell, himself a democratic socialist, modelled the authoritarian government in the novel after Stalinist Russia. More broadly, the novel examines the role of truth and facts within politics and the ways in which they are manipulated. The story takes place in an imagined future, the year 1984, when much of the world has fallen victim to perpetual war, omnipresent government surveillance, historical negationism, and propaganda. Great Britain, known as Airstrip One, has become a province of a totalitarian superstate named Oceania that is ruled by the Party who employ the Thought Police to persecute individuality and independent thinking. Big Brother, the leader of the Party, enjoys an intense cult of personality despite the fact that he may not even exist. The protagonist, Winston Smith, is a diligent and skillful rank-and-file worker and Outer Party member who secretly hates the Party and dreams of rebellion. He enters into a forbidden relationship with a colleague, Julia, and starts to remember what life was like before the Party came to power.
Challenges:
Political and social themes
- Anti-totalitarianism: The novel’s direct criticism of totalitarian government, surveillance, and censorship has been found subversive by some authorities.
- Pro- or anti-communism: The book has been banned in different contexts for contradicting political ideologies. The USSR banned it for being anti-communist, while some have challenged it in the U.S. for being pro-communist.
- Fear of government control: The novel’s exploration of how a government can control thought, language, and reality has made some authorities uncomfortable with its potential to influence public thought.
Other controversial elements
- Sexual content: Some instances of the book being challenged cite its explicit sexual content as a reason for the ban.
- Violent language: In some cases, the book has faced challenges due to its “violent, sexually-charged language”.
Examples of bans and challenges
- USSR: Banned for being anti-communist.
- Vietnam: Denied certification for publication.
- United States:
- Challenged in Jackson County, Florida, for being “pro-communist” and for its sexual content.
- Appeared on lists of challenged books under Florida’s parental rights bills.
- Challenged in other states, such as Idaho, for using “violent, sexually-charged language”.