98 pages 3 hours read

1984

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1949

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Summary and Study Guide

Overview

George Orwell’s dystopian novel1984 (also written as Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Novel) was originally published in 1949 and is regarded as a literary classic. Orwell was known for social and political criticism in his writing. He supported democratic socialism and opposed totalitarianism—political stances that come through in the themes of his most well-known works.

Edition note: This novel is available in the public domain in many countries, and this summary is based on the electronically published version made available by Planet eBook. The edition referenced in this summary includes nine chapters in Part 2, whereas some editions of the novel split the final section of Part 2 into Chapter 9 and Chapter 10. A similar separation occurs at the end of Part 3, with some editions including the Appendix as a separate chapter and others including it as an extension of Chapter 6.

Plot Summary

Winston Smith is an Outer Party member living in London in 1984. The future is dismal: London is now a city in the super-nation Oceania, which is ruled by an oppressive totalitarian party and constantly at war with other world superpowers, Eurasia and Eastasia. Winston dislikes the Party and blurred text
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