1984's Lesson on Nature

1984's Lesson on Nature

In 1984, George Orwell shows his view of the human relationship with nature through the significance of events that happen in places unable to be monitored by Big Brother and telescreens, the “wilderness” of 1984's dystopian society. Through the deviant acts that take place in nature, Orwell shows that the more noble and courageous side of human nature is brought to the forefront when a person is in the natural or “wilderness” setting than in an urban city scene.

Historical Contextualization

George Orwell was disgusted by the totalitarian government of Nazi Germany and fascist government of Italy during World War II. His political opinion shaped 1984 into a dystopia intended as a warning to what could become of human society if totalitarian governments were not restricted in some way.

Critical Analysis

Winston's first deviant act in the book is buying the diary. He buys the diary from a prole shop, and although Winston is not forbidden from going into the prole's part of town, it is discouraged, and therefore dangerous. Winston buys the diary on impulse because although he is not yet conscious of it, he wants more from life than the controlled existence he already has. The beauty of the diary moved him; that stirring emotion combined with the wilder setting of the prole shop drove him to act upon emotion rather than reason, a sign that the more natural environment of the proles unwatched by telescreens gave Winston the courage to buy the diary. This single event set off the chain of events that led to his ultimate realization of the true nature of Big Brother, his rebellion against the governmental regime, and his eventual succumbing to the doctrines of the Party.