Revealing letter from George Orwell explaining the reason for his work "1984"

It is known to all that in the past, writers in addition to writing their literary works were very prone to writing small diaries, annotations and letters not only telling the situation they were living at that time but also explaining why they wrote one work or another. This is for example the case of George Orwell. About three years ago, a volume of letters edited by Peter Davison. These letters were from the author of the book "1984" and among all of them was a very special one: the revealing letter from George Orwell explaining the reason for his work «1984», world famous.

En Actualidad Literatura We have the honor of offering it to you. Three years after this letter, George Orwell would write his novel "1984":

I must say that I believe that the fear that the world as a whole has is increasing. Hitler will no doubt soon disappear, but only at the cost of strengthening Stalin, the Anglo-American millionaires, and all kinds of little Gaulle-type führers. All national movements around the world, even those originating from resistance to German domination, seem to take undemocratic forms, to cluster around some superhuman führers (Hitler, Stalin, Salazar, Franco, Gandhi, De Valera are various examples) and to adopt the theory that the end justifies the means. Everywhere the world movement seems to be in the direction of centralized economies that can do the "work" in an economic sense, but are not democratically organized and tend to establish a caste system. With this departure from the horrors of emotional nationalism and a tendency not to believe in the existence of objective truth, all the facts have to fit the words and prophecies of some infallible führer. History already has in one sense: it ceased to exist, that is. there is no such thing as a history of our time, which could be universally accepted, and the exact sciences are in jeopardy, as soon as military necessity stops keeping people up to the mark. Hitler can say that the Jews started the war, and if he survives, this will become the official story. You can't say that two plus two equals five, due to the effects of, say, the ballistics that four have to do. But yes the kind of world that I am afraid of will arrive, a world of two or three great super-states that are incapable of conquering each other, two by two it could become five if the Führer wishes. That, as far as I can see, is the direction in which we are actually moving, although, of course, the process is reversible.

As for the comparative immunity of Great Britain and the US What the pacifists can say, we do not have totalitarianism yet and this is a very hopeful symptom. I deeply believe, as I explained in my book The Lion and the Unicorn, in the English and in their ability to centralize their economy without destroying the freedom to do so. But it must be remembered that Britain and the US have not tasted defeat, that they have not known of serious suffering, and there are some bad symptoms to balance the good ones. To begin with, there is the general indifference to the decline of democracy. Do you realize, for example, that no one in England under 26 now has a vote and that as far as one can see the great mass of people of that age they don't give a damn for this? Second is the fact that intellectuals are more totalitarian in perspective than ordinary people. English intellectuals have generally opposed Hitler, but only at the cost of accepting Stalin. Most of them are perfectly ready for dictatorial methods, secret police, systematic falsification of history, etc., as long as they feel that it is on the "ours" side. In fact the statement that we do not have a fascist movement in England means to a large extent that young people, at this time, look for their führer elsewhere. One cannot be sure that this is not going to change, nor can one be sure that ordinary people will think about it for the next 10 years, just as intellectuals do now. I hope not, I still trust that they will not do it, but it will be at the cost of a fight. If one simply proclaims that everything is for the best and does not point to the sinister symptoms, one is simply helping to bring totalitarianism closer.

He also asks if I think the world trend is towards fascism, why do I support the war? It is a choice of evils. I know enough about British imperialism not to like it, but I would like to support it against Nazism or Japanese imperialism, as the lesser evil. In the same way I would support the USSR against Germany because I believe that the USSR cannot completely escape its past and retains enough of the original ideas of the Revolution to make it a more hopeful phenomenon than Nazi Germany. I believe, and have thought since the war began, in 1936, more or less, that our cause is the best, but we have to follow what is the best, which implies constant criticism.

Sincerely,
Geo. Orwell

As we said earlier, «1984» it's one of the best classics that can be read, it is a classic of total recommendation and for my taste, the best that George Orwell wrote. Knowing this, knowing the notes he made three years before publishing this work, it is now when we understand the reason for his argument.

Official synopsis of the book «1984»

A disturbing futuristic interpretation based on the critique of totalitarianism and the oppression of power, set in 1984 in an English society dominated by a system of "bureaucratic collectivism" controlled by Big Brother. London, 1984: Winston Smith decides to rebel against a totalitarian government that controls every movement of its citizens and punishes even those who commit crimes with their thoughts. Aware of the dire consequences that dissent can bring, Winston joins the ambiguous Brotherhood through leader O'Brien. Gradually, however, our protagonist realizes that neither the Brotherhood nor O'Brien are what they appear to be, and that rebellion, after all, may be an unattainable goal. For its magnificent analysis of power and the relationships and dependencies it creates in individuals, 1984 is one of the most disturbing and engaging novels of this century.

Isn't it now that you feel like rereading this book? If you haven't read it, you like the world of politics and you want to read a good classic, this is my recommendation today. Enjoy it!