If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face — forever.’ Political satirist George Orwell’s 1984 is perhaps one of the most timeless classics in literature. In the futuristic and ‘utopian’ 1984, all activities are controlled by the state. Obedience to the state is the highest duty, and individualism is criminalized to the extent that language is modified to make it impossible to express oneself. History is rewritten – for he who controls the past, controls the future. Presenting a dark and disturbing vision of the future, 1984 is a book that will remain relevant to the end of time – a cautionary tale against unchecked power in the hands of the government and uncritical loyalty on the part of citizens.
