How does Orwell make the introduction to 1984 alarming?

Authors Avatar

How does Orwell make the introduction to 1984 alarming?

Orwell immediately introduces the setting of the book; the title, 1984, reveals (or would have done when it was published in 1949) that it is set in the future. Orwell uses paradoxes to illustrate how different this world is from reality; in the very first line, he describes “a bright cold day in April” and clocks “striking thirteen”.

Orwell introduces Winston, along with the feelings of discomfort that always accompany him - the “vile wind”, “gritty dust” and the smell “of boiled cabbage and old rag mats”. Throughout the extract, the only emotions described are negative ones, those of discomfort and fear. Winston is introduced as “thirty-nine and had a varicose ulcer”, which is alarming because there is nothing personal in his description; it seems that a varicose ulcer is the only thing that separates him from everyone else, which questions his individuality.

Join now!

The “victory mansions” are also mentioned, along with “victory gin” and “victory cigarettes”, implying that the world has been taking over by this one brand, probably linked to the party.

Big Brother’s posters, on “every landing”, are also one of the first things to be described. He and the party have a huge influence and this is reflected in their presence, in one way or another, throughout.  The poster “depicted simply an enormous face”, “more than a metre wide”. What exactly the poster depicts is not revealed at first, only the ominous caption – “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU”. This ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

Here's what a star student thought of this essay

The essay doesn't have the clearest of structures. For example, the first paragraph jumps straight into a point rather than forming a coherent argument. There isn't a conclusion to weave together the points or make a justified judgement of why the opening is significant. It is a conclusion where the final marks can be gained, and I would always advise making a new comment in one! Some of the paragraphs seem to be a bit short, so I would recommend trying to gather some of the points together. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are strong and the style is good.

The analysis here is strong. What I particularly like about this essay is that quotes aren't just used, they are always analysed. For example they mention the "gritty dust" but go further to say that the only language used in the passage is negative. I would have liked to have seen the essay go that bit further with each point. After saying the language is of discomfort and fear, I would make an explicit reference to the question and say this makes it alarming. It was nice to see the paradoxes discussed, as this is a clear technique Orwell uses in his famous opening. Once again, the essay could've discussed how the surreal world affects the reader. The analysis here is fluent, and I put this down to the way they address the plot and its characters. Rather than saying "Winston is mundane" the essay writes "Orwell introduces Winston" showing the understanding that he is a construct. Once this foundation is built, this naturally forces the essay into discussing the effect of techniques and why they are used, and this is why the analysis is strong here.

This essay engages well with the task, looking beyond the plot to the techniques Orwell uses to make the opening alarming. There is a clear awareness of how structure becomes important in making the novel seem alarming, and I like how there is a balance between analysis of language, setting and structure. This shows that the candidate is able to discuss a breadth of topics contributing towards a convincing argument. Although the essay makes it implicit that they are referring to the reader when saying "it is alarming", I would've made the reader response more prominent. Phrases such as "this technique forces the reader to question" or similar would show the awareness that the audience response is the most significant part here. If I were answering this question, I would've discussed in a conclusion why Orwell chooses to have the first chapter become alarming, looking how it sets up the rest of the novel and its significance.