2+2=5

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be one of the only people that knows that there is something wrong in your society? Have you ever felt that way? Well over the past few weeks I have been reading the book 1984 by George Orwell and you may be able to relate to this book. 1984 is about a man named Winston Smith who is living in approximately the year 1984. The society in which he lives is ruled by a dictator named Big Brother who has a type of FBI called the thought police that have screens, called telescreens, that watch you 24/7.

Throughout the first few chapters Winston begins to realize how Big Brother and the Party (that’s what they call the people that work around Big Brother) distort facts from the past to manipulate the people of Oceania, but Winston knows these made up facts are not true. He vaguely remembers occurrences from his past that contradict certain aspects of Big Brother’s message.

1984 was actually, believe it or not, not written in 1984. It was originally published in 1949. Therefore the world that Winston lives in is only 35 years after the book was originally published. So if we think about it in George Orwell’s point of view, the future he is inventing is not too far away, so we can imagine it, but far away enough so we can make things up like telescreens that watch people 24/7. 

The term Big Brother is still used to this day. It is often used to mean someone who is always watching you. This shows the significance of 1984 and how ideas from the book have stuck in our culture even though the majority of people do not know where they originate.

In the past, I have also read Animal Farm, another book by George Orwell, which is similar to 1984 because they are both revolutionary and dystopian novels. Animal Farm depicts a society of animals that take over the farm they live on from a human who uses them for his own personal gain and treats them poorly. This compares to 1984 because they both involve a dictator and a rebellion. In the case of Animal Farm the rebellion is a physical rebellion while in 1984 the rebellion is mental and all in Winston’s head.
This mental rebellion does not end well. Winston lives in a society that is manipulated by the Party and Big Brother and no one realizes it except for him. Eventually he gets captured by the thought police and submits to the brainwashing power of the Party. He starts the interrogation by insisting that 2+2=4, but in the end he is convinced by the thought police that 2+2=5.

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lipincott

Five Feet Apart

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lipincott is a novel about a forbidden romance between two teenagers with terminal illnesses. Seventeen year old Stella Grant suffers from Cystic Fibrosis, and seventeen year old Will Newman has Cystic Fibrosis, along with Burkholderia Cepacia. Stella has only ever known the life of someone with a terminal illness, prioritizing her survival each day by formulating schedules and to-do lists. Will, however, finds joy in spontaneity, even though his risk of lung failure is much higher than the average cystic fibrosis patient. When Will and Stella fall in love, they must learn how to compromise staying alive with being in love. One romantic exchange between them, such as a kiss, or even a hug, can result in their deaths. The two must learn to navigate their romance at a safe distance of five feet apart.

Five Feet Apart is a #1 New York Times bestselling novel, and it is easy to see why. I really enjoyed the first person narratives the book presents from the perspectives of both Will and Stella. Readers are able to see both sides of their love story, which makes the book all the more charming, and heartbreaking. I liked how the book explores topics teenagers today would be able to relate to, such as fixing broken friendships, trying to start a relationship plus the awkwardness encountered, and relationships with family members, such as parents.

What I thought to be the predominant theme in Five Feet Apart, was rebellion. Will and Stella find themselves between constant battles with the desire to rebel against the guidelines and restrictions that keep them alive, while also wanting to avoid the risk of dying. Will and Stella are conflicted between living a life in which they make decisions for themselves and live meaningfully, versus continuing to abide by the placed restrictions ensued by their illnesses. Rebellion is an important theme in this book because it provides good examples for readers of when rebellion is justified, against rebellious recklessness, with added consequences manifested by dramatic and heartbreaking scenes in the book.

Five Feet Apart harbors the ability to make one feel single, laugh, and cry all within a single chapter. It is a wonderful novel that may be relatable to teenagers, and teaches readers important life lessons that make the heartbreaking moments within the book worthwhile. I would highly recommend the book to anyone interested in romance, comedy, or modern day nonfiction writing pertaining to teenagers.

-Zoya A.