Censorship and Nineteen Eighty-Four

Essay from the year 2011 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 94%, Coventry University, course: BA Contemporary Studies, language: English, abstract: George Orwell and his controversial masterpiece 1984 has been at the heart of criticism, challenge and general opinion during the past century onwards. However, it has been also object of appraisal, study and literary merit. This ambivalence and instability reflects the slim line that our society draws out of its judgement and doublethink. Nowadays, books are still doomed to either disappearance or successful existence with regard to their impact on society. Unfortunately, there is a legion of justifications why a book might stand in the firing line (i.e. political, religious, cultural). Each book has different reasons to trigger social disruption and therefore they should be approached individually. Thus in order to single out some of these motives, this essay will try to shed light [and focus] on the polemical issue of book-challenging by zooming in on the novel 1984. This specific task will seek to cast doubt upon the reasons of its challenging. Hence, insights into its value for readers will be exposed so as to highlight why this novel is an excellent piece of work of noticeable literary merit and not a challenge-victim.