George Orwell’s 1984 portrays a totalitarian society where the Party, led by the figurehead Big Brother, exercises absolute control over every aspect of life. Through surveillance, propaganda, and thought control, individuality and free thought are suppressed. The protagonist, Winston Smith, struggles against this oppressive system, seeking truth and personal freedom, but ultimately succumbs to the Party's relentless power. The novel is a chilling exploration of authoritarianism, manipulation, and the fragility of human autonomy.
Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities is set during the tumultuous period of the French Revolution, contrasting the cities of London and Paris. It follows the lives of Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disillusioned English lawyer, whose fates intertwine through love, sacrifice, and redemption. Themes of resurrection, justice, and the brutality of social upheaval run throughout the story, culminating in Carton’s ultimate act of selflessness, symbolizing hope amid chaos and the enduring power of love.
H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine tells the story of a scientist who invents a device to travel through time. Venturing to the far future, he encounters two evolved species: the Eloi, frail and carefree surface dwellers, and the Morlocks, sinister beings living underground. As he unravels their relationship, he discovers a dark commentary on humanity's social and technological trajectory. The novel explores themes of class division, the impermanence of civilization, and the relentless passage of time.
