Resumen Novela 1984

Summary of the Novel 1984

The novel takes place in 1984, in London, England, which is called at that time Airstrip One. The world is divided into three big countries: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia, and the three are always at war with each other. Each of these countries is run by a totalitarian government. Airstrip One is the mainland of Oceania, which consists of the Americas, South Africa,Australia, and the Atlantic Islands, including the British Isles. Oceania is ruled by the Party, and the leader is a figure called Big Brother. The population of Oceania is divided into three segments: the Inner Party which is the ruling class and consists of less than 2% of the population; the Outer Party formed by the educated workers totaling 18 to 19% of the population; and the Proles, or theproletariat, which is the working class. The world is a terrifying place to live, as the human spirit and freedom are crushed by the government. The Party controls all aspects of life by means of telescreens located everywhere, showing propaganda and watching over the citizens as it have cameras and microphones installed.
Winston Smith, the protagonist, is a member of the Outer Party, who worksin the Records Department of the Ministry of Truth, rewriting and distorting history by altering records of the past, such as newspapers, articles, and others. Winston secretly believes in individuality, freedom, and love, all forbidden by the Party, and is against the dictator of the Party. Although he knows that it may be punishable by law, he begins a diary, and the first entry he did on it is“Down with Big Brother”. One day, during the mandatory Two Minutes Hate, a propaganda film, he catches the eye of an Inner Party member, O’Brien, and something makes him believes that he is an ally, and is also against the regime. He also catches the eye of a dark-haired girl who works in the Fiction Department, and believes that she is his enemy, and is watching him. That night he dreams of havingsex with that girl. The last thing Winston remembers clearly is the World War, and that after it, the Party took control of the country. Since then, and as the Party changes history constantly for its own benefit, it has been very difficult to remember anything.
Winston had a wife, but she was a blind follower of the Party orders, which said that sex was to be done only to produce new material forthe party, but never for personal pleasure, as it was a crime. He remembers that, three years ago, he had sex with an ugly prostitute.
For Winston, the only hope for the world lies in the Proles, who amount to over 80% of the Oceania population. The next day, Winston walked through the quarter of the Proles, and returns to the junk-shop where he had bought his diary. There he buys apaperweight, a pink piece of glass with a piece of coral inside. Mr. Charrington, the shop owner, invites him upstairs to show him an old fashioned room. Winston likes it because it was warm and there were no telescreens in it. When Winston leaves the shop, he meets the dark-haired girl in the street. He now believes that she is following him, and is an informant spying on him.
Back at work the next day, hemeets the girl again, and just a few feet from him, she falls down. Winston helps her up, and she slips in his hand a piece of paper. Later, Winston opens it and finds a message which reads: “I love you”. For various days, he waits for an opportunity to speak with her. When they finally talk, they arrange to meet in Victory Square, where she gives Winston precise instructions to get to a secretplace. There, Julia, which is her name, leads him to a remote, heavily forested area, where they make love. She tells him that she is attracted to him because there is something in his face which shows that he is against the Party. Winston discovers that Julia likes physical intimacy, and that she has done it often with Party members.
Winston rents the room above Mr.Charrintong’s shop for...