1984 by George Orwell is often used as a prime example of a dystopian novel.

What exactly is a
dystopian novel, and why is it important? Dystopian novels tell the story of fictional, imagined societies
or worlds in which people live miserable lives. These miserable lives are often due to things like
oppression, propaganda, removal of privacy, and extensive poverty. Dystopias represent the opposite
characteristics of utopias, which allow their citizens to live happy, fulfilled lives, as close to perfection as
possible. However, it is important to note that utopias can often become dystopias, as perfection is
difficult for humans to naturally maintain. Humans are not perfect, so they cannot be expected to keep a
perfect society afloat.

Characteristics of a Dystopia

Though dystopias can greatly vary from novel to novel, many of them share similar characteristics. These
can include:

Corrupt governments

Extreme social class gaps

Environmental disasters

Oppression

Loss of individualism or personal identity

Propaganda and control

Surveillance and loss of privacy

Fearful citizens

1984 tells the story of Winston Smith, a man living in the totalitarian superstate named Oceania.
Winston is an employee at the Ministry of Truth, and he is responsible for rewriting historical records so
that they match with the current ideas and narrative of the ruling government, the Party, and their
leader, Big Brother. Winston has become fed up with the way things are in Oceania. He is tired of being
constantly observed and feels like there must be a better way to live. He begins an illegal affair with a
woman named Julia, and they rent an apartment in hopes to escape the watchful eyes of the
government. In this time, Winston tries to develop a plan to overthrow the government by better
understanding it. Unfortunately, Winston trusts the wrong people and is caught, resulting in his torture
and ultimate resubmission to the government.

As mentioned previously, Oceania is a totalitarian superstate, and is the prime example of a dystopian
society. Oceania is made up of several modern-day countries, including all of the countries in the
Americas, southern Africa, Australasia, and the British Isles. Winston Smith lives in London, though
England is now called Airstrip One. The citizens of Oceania are under a strong, oppressive regime. There
is widespread surveillance, strict rules and regulations, and constant war with the other two
superstates, Eastasia and Eurasia. The Party's political philosophy is known as Ingsoc, or English
Socialism, but the ideas change regularly to give the Party more control. The citizens are also taught a
language named Newspeak, which is a simplified version of English used to control how the citizens
think and express themselves. There is no privacy, independence, or self-identity in Oceania. There is
only misery, fear, and control.