Danger Ahead: George Orwell's Ominous Warning

The world holds many different signs of warning. We often see several of them on our daily commute to school or work. They appear on our television screens when a winter storm is approaching and light up our phones if a tornado is near. But some warning signs are not so straightforward.

George Orwell acts as the messenger for a haunting warning of what the future of our world may hold in his satirical novel, 1984. In his world of probable reality, the government controls everything and society is in a state of absolute conformity. No one is free, and most believe that's a good thing. War is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is strength. That is....most believe it's a good thing. Winston Smith hasn't allowed the shadow of his government to extinguish his flame just yet. In fact, he could just be the match to burn his world's corruption to the ground.

But what does it all mean? The best satire has the habit of giving its audience the uneasy feeling that their story has a larger meaning than it seems. Of course, 1984 is no exception. Orwell asks us the simple question: in what direction are we all headed? Where will our society end up if we don't change our ways? In many ways, his prediction became true. While there aren't any colossal "Big Brother" posters staring at us with brooding eyes, we are being watched. On most street corners, there are surveillance cameras being used to keep stores safe from robbers. On every cell phone there's an HD lens that can capture any moment at any time. Satellites in space are capable of taking photos of the entire Earth in incredible detail. Now I'
m not trying to create some illuminati conspiracy theory, but there's no way of knowing where all this data goes...or how it's really being used. Companies are able to figure out your interests by viewing your internet history and place ads for their company in places online that you're most likely to see them. It's scary!

Then there's the infamous year to consider: 1984. It's obvious that Orwell's fortune telling skills may be a little off as far as dates go, but that doesn't mean they should be disregarded. The apostles thought Jesus was going to return to end the world just two days after he left! Here we are, two thousand years later, and Judgement Day is yet to come. In truth, it's rather impossible to set a date to any of these things. Perhaps that's why Orwell picked a date so soon to his book's publication. He knew that date would be wrong. I personally don't believe he ever considered himself a master at fortune telling, and that modestly drove him away from pretending he did. Surely people laughed when the year 1984 came and left, much like people today laugh at the seemingly ridiculous predictions of Back to the Future Part II. What's important to keep in mind is that dates mean nothing. What matters is the inevitability of what Orwell believes to be our world's destined path.

"1984" by George Orwell - Half Time Report

Middle School was truly a magical time for me and many of my peers. It was when we finally began to grasp the world and what it meant to be alive. It was also when we first began to read books of a more complex level. During those four years I conquered the Harry Potter series, the Chronicles of Narnia, the Percy Jackson series, and (most importantly) the Hunger Games. Yes, Suzanne Collins' best-selling trilogy introduced me and my peers to the wonderful world of dystopia, and the genre has captivated me ever since. They are the ultimate "what if" novels that force us to reflect on the world we live in. One of my favorite books of all time is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, who's eery predictions of the future are ever so slowly coming true. The same has been said about 1984 by George Orwell. Intrigued, I decided to pick it up and give it a whirl.

In my opinion, the most essential aspect of a dystopian story is the world it takes place in. After all, that's what puts the book in that genre. The world of 1984 is straight up NUTS (and after years of reading books about a society that forces children to kill each other in a televised arena of death, that's saying something).Sure, we've seen those stories with the "all eyes on you" concept, but Orwell takes that scenario to the extreme. First let's meet our main character, Winston Smith (no, not Churchill), who's live is a daily routine of get up, go to work, come home, sleep, rinse, and repeat. Like the typical main character of a dystopian, Winston wants to rebel. He hates the world he lives in, where your every move is monitored by the ever watchful "Big Brother". Every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take, he'll be watching you. Creepy, right? Oh we're just getting started. Sure, they can see what you do and hear what you say, but what is they could also know what you THINK? That's right, in this world there are such thing as the "Thought Police", an elite group of spies hidden among the people looking for any sign of rebellion. Not just actions, but any sign that may reveal a person has been thinking of it is illegal. This place is crazy and I'm only half way through with the book.

Othello: A TBT to Middle School Drama

We've all been there. A supposed friend lies to another friend and that other friend ends up doing something that they regret based on that lie. In situations like this, we're either that "friend", the other "friend", or one of those bystanders sitting on the side lines with a bag of popcorn enjoying the show. Anyone who's ever attended Middle School has been through this scenario one way or another. Even though I'm now a senior in High School, I still witness this cycle of treachery, though not in the same way. My latest read was Shakespeare's Othello, which I'll admit sounds strange since it's a play. But I've always found it very surprising how plays can be so entertaining even if your receiving it through paper. So much is left to your imagination! If you haven't read Othello, give it a go! I understand Shakespeare may not be for everyone due to his elaborate use of the english language. If you've had trouble in the past with old Willy, I highly recommend Spark Notes' No Fear Shakespeare version, which places the original text side-by-side with a plain english translation. For those who haven't read it yet, beware of spoilers ahead!

In the play, Othello is lied to so much, he's convinced that his wife, Desdemona, is unfaithful. Dun dun duuuuuuuuun! Since this is Shakespeare, it's only natural that the wife in question is killed by none other than....pause for dramatic effect....her husband! A tragic violin theme begins to play and quality soap opera drama ensues. In the play, both the lier, Iago,  and the victim, Othello, face consequences. Iago is punished for his treachery and Othello is convicted for the murder. But who is truly to blame? Well it'd certainly be easy to say that both are to blame. But where's the fun in that?

Let's take a look at everyone's favorite "treacherous dog", Iago. It becomes clear very early in the play that Iago is the master puppeteer of this story. If it weren't for him cutting, tying, and pulling the strings of all the other character's, we'd have no plot other than Othello and Desdemona's elopement. Heck, if Iago hadn't brought the marriage to Brabantio's attention there wouldn't have even been that glorious scene in Act One where Othello testifies to the Duke. So it's very clear that Iago is responsible for....like....everything, right? Hmmmm, not quite.

Iago - "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on" (III.iii.195-197)

Let me take this opportunity to alter the phrasing of the big question. Is the death of Desdemona the fault of Iago or the fault of Othello's jealousy? Even though Iago set his actions in motion, it is Othello's jealous nature that got him in the end. Othello could have easily trusted in his wife and approached the situation in a more reasonable manner rather than jump to conclusions like he did. His quickness to hate Cassio (Desdemona's supposed lover) over a mere accusation is solid proof of that very nature. If a dog scares a cat and that cat, in response, scratches the dog, should one blame the dog's foolish behavior or the cat's fearful and defensive nature?

Believe it or not, I side with the cat. While Iago is responsible for blaming Desdemona of adultery, thus sparking Othello's maddening jealousy, he is not responsible for the murder itself. Had it not been for Othello's jealousy, his wife could still be breathing and Iago behind bars. Likewise, even though that guy in Middle School told me my crush thought I was cute, I was naive enough to believe him. Therefore, I was responsible for my own embarrassment when the whole class laughed after I asked her out. Fortunately for me, I am not a Shakespeare character, so I survived the ordeal, learned my lesson, and lived to see another day!