Orwell, George - The opening of "1984"

Orwell - The opening of "1984"

At the beginning of the novel, the narrator describes a world where the government has total control on the life of the citizens, whose private and public actions are watched through telescreens and helicopters.
As to telescreens, they give news about politics and economy and catch whatever people do and say. No one knows when the Though Police, whose task is of controlling and manipulating people’s thoughts and opinions connects itself to telescreens.

As a consequence, you can only be alone in silence and darkness.
Moreover, in streets and in buildings there are huge posters showing Big Brother: an enormous face with a thick black moustache and strong features which remind of Stalin. The eyes of Big Brother follow you when you move. The posters also have captions which read “Big Brother is watching you”.
Then the protagonist, Winston Smith, is introduced. His name reminds of Winston Churchill, but his surname, which is a very common one, makes him an ordinary man and a sort of anti-hero. Winston Smith has 39 years old and works for the Ministry of Truth. As to his physical appearance, he’s blond and rather small; his face is naturally of a red color and he has a varicose ulcer. His poor health mirrors his inner suffering.
Finally, London is described from Winston’s point of view. London is made up of decayed buildings where electricity and lifts don’t work. Moreover, it was bombed in many areas. The author creates a nightmarish atmosphere.
Winston tries to remember how London was when he was a child but his efforts are useless.