George Orwell, 1984 Quotes

A collection of quotes by George Orwell, 1984.

George Orwell, born Eric Arthur Blair, was an influential English writer and journalist. Born on June 25, 1903, in Motihari, Bihar, India, he is best known for his dystopian novel, "Nineteen Eighty-Four" (commonly referred to as "1984"), which depicted a totalitarian society ruled by a shadowy and oppressive government known as Big Brother.

Orwell's experiences from his early life greatly shaped his writing. He grew up in British India and later attended prestigious English schools. After completing his education, Orwell joined the Indian Imperial Police in Burma (now Myanmar), which exposed him to the realities of imperialism and the abuses of power. Disillusioned by his role as an enforcer of an oppressive regime, he resigned from his job in 1927.

From then on, Orwell embarked on a career as a writer, penning novels, essays, and political commentary. He explored themes such as social injustice, totalitarianism, and the corruption of language. Two of his most notable works, "Animal Farm" (1945) and "1984" (1949), cemented his reputation as a critic of totalitarianism and a champion of individual freedom.

George Orwell's writings and ideas continue to be relevant and widely studied today. His work on warning against the dangers of government surveillance and the manipulation of truth has made a lasting impact on both the literary and political fields. Orwell passed away on January 21, 1950, in London, leaving an enduring legacy as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century.

Power is not a means; it is an end....Do you begin to see, then, what kind of world we are creating? It is the exact opposite of the stupid hedonistic Utopias that the old reformers imagined. A world of fear and treachery and torment, a world of trampling and being trampled upon, a world which will grow not less but more merciless as it refines itself....The old civilizations claimed that they were founded on love or justice. Ours is founded upon hatred. In our world there will be no emotions except fear, rage, triumph, and self-abasement. Everything else we shall destroy - everything.... No one dares trust a wife or a child or a friend any longer. But in the future there will be no wives and no friends....We shall abolish the orgasm. Our neurologists are at work upon it now. There will be no loyalty, except loyalty towards the Party. There will be no love, except the love of Big Brother. There will be no laughter, except the laugh of triumph over a defeated enemy. There will be no art, no literature, no science.... There will be no curiosity, no enjoyment of the process of life. All competing pleasures will be destroyed. But always - do not forget this, Winston - always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless....If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever.

George Orwell, 1984