1984 | Essays and Criticism

  • 1984: Then and Now

    In the following essay, Kathleen Fitzpatrick maintains that although Orwell’s dystopian vision has not been borne out by Soviet-style communism, the author’s fears about the ability of the state to control people is still a danger in modern society.

  • Why Nineteen Eighty-Four Should Be Read and Taught

    James Davis contends that irrespective of its excellent literary merits, 1984 should be kept in the high school curriculum for its look at totalitarianism.

  • George Orwell and the Mad World: The Anti-Universe of 1984

    In this essay, Ralph A. Ranald discusses Orwell’s presentation of controlled madness and of a reversed society in his novel.