Totalitarianism. A word I had heard many times, almost knew the meaning of, but never had an “experience”. In its essence, the word means a society, place or situation in which an authority – mostly a government – has “total” control over you, your habits, choices, beliefs and everything else.
1984 takes the scary idea of totalitarianism to its extreme: a society in which total control extends all the way up to your thoughts. A society in which expressing anger towards the govt, even holding a secret grudge, even having a sign of it, even an uncontrollable momentary flinch – can count as a “thoughtcrime”. A society which does not just aims to eliminate dissenters, but “reform” their thinking, make them love the idea of “Big Brother”. A hopeless dystopia which is complacent at the extreme and has done everything to make its bubble unburstable. The dreamland of every totalitarian alive or dead.
The epic story is a bit slow to pick up, but once it does, it has no turning back. It shatters, devastates, explodes, upturns, caves and jolts you in every respect possible. What you read towards the end is something newfound but outright horror: you’ve never read something of the like before, and as you skim from word to word, you find your heart throbbing badly. Personally, I remained awake all the night upto 3.30 in the morning, not ready to sleep until I had devoured every word.
To be honest, I began loving the idea of God more than ever after I had finished reading. The book – or the community in the book – preaches the idea “God is Power”. Anything that has total power over you is God. In my world, there is no totalitarian power, at least around me (perhaps), and so the only god is God. We have free will, we are independent, although restricted by a few natural laws – and we are free to make our own choices, ever our own mistakes. There might be a law of karma, but it seems for the most part, a kind God tends to forgive our mistakes and unright beliefs when we have mended ourselves in them. He does not enforce anything, any belief on us – not even the idea that He exits. Yes, He motivates us to look for Him, sometimes through nature, sometimes through our thoughts – through cool air, or warm fires, or a longing heart’s desires – but never is there a concept of force. Simply put, my God is not a totalitarian God. He wants me to love him, not because He wants, but because I arrive at it myself.
I still have some doubts about the idea – but the very idea that I am allowed to have doubts is a sign of freedom and independence. That there is no punishment for keeping a doubt, is a kind of freedom in itself!
Anyway, enjoy the very amazing book 1984 ENJOY DOUBLEPLUSGOOD 1984.
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