While 1984 is not considered young adult literature, nor would I argue that it should be, it is being read by young adults in schools. Usually read in high school, 1984 may be the quintessential dystopian novel and happens to be one of my favorite novels. Because it is highly read in schools, I will give it a treatment here, not quite as thorough as I have done for the YA books.
Here is a great summary from SparkNotes: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/1984/summary.html
Dystopia: As I said, 1984 may be the ultimate dystopian novel. Many of the YA novels contain elements of dystopia similar to those found in 1984 and they all contain the same big three I have been discussing throughout my blog. Big Brother, the all seeing, all knowing government has become a symbol for oppression the world over. Appearing in street art, music, etc., Big Brother has come to represent all that is controlling and oppressive about government. Shepard Fairey is one such street artist who uses big brother in his "Obey" pieces.
The people in 1984 live under total control from Big Brother. In Oceania, they can even be punished for thoughtcrime - improper or rebellious thoughts. Big Brother operates under the mantra "War is peace, Freedom is slavery, Ignorance is strength." This alone shows the warped nature of the government in 1984.
Winston, the unlikely hero of the novel, pens the phrase "down with Big Brother." Recognizing the tyranny of the government, and discovering a book detailing the way things were before Big Brother, Winston wishes to break free from the control of Big Brother. Along the way he meets Julia, who seems to share his goals. Together the two slowly defy Big Brother more and more until Winston is captured and tortured for his crimes. 1984 ends without the glimmer of hope typical in YA novels. 1984 ends when Winston completely gives in and accepts the complete power of Big Brother. This novel serves as a stern warning from Orwell about the dangers of totalitarian governments.
Readers struggle with this novel. It is super dense, and while Orwell's language is not that convoluted, the events in the story can be hard to follow. The themes remain the same as the YA novels however, and that is why I recommended some of them as companion texts to be used to help understand these more difficult canonical texts. There is so much to do with 1984 and its influence can be seen all over pop-culture, so it is definitely still relevant today, it just may take some work to help students realize this. Pairing a YA novel with 1984 may be a powerful way to help students explore the difficult themes and messages found in these novels.
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