1984 Quotes

Context

So begins Orwell's famous dystopian novel. But barely ten words in and he's already made a mistake: clocks only go up to twelve, George. Come on.

What's that? It was intentional? 

Oh.

1984 details the experiences of a man in a not-too-distant future (or it was, anyway, back when it was written), where logic and reason are thrown totally out the window in favor of blind, patriotic loyalty.

Orwell's first line is a way of driving this point home—that in this future of his, things don't make sense, and the powers that be don't really care. It's along the lines of the "two plus two makes five" he cites later in the novel, demonstrating the idea that whatever Big Brother says is so, is so. BB gets the nod over any mathematician, even if he never made it past eighth grade geometry.

P.S. It could also be a reference to military time (where a clock mightactually strike thirteen) to indicate how heavily militarized and structured this new society has become. Oh, and we're sure the significance of "unlucky thirteen" didn't escape the author.

Where you've heard it

1984 is one of the most politically significant novels ever written… so you can bet that a number of politicians have tried using it to their advantage. Like in this ad designed to compare Hilary Clinton to Big Brother.

But more likely, you've just heard it mentioned among the greatest, most memorable, or most outrageous opening lines in all of literature.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Only one sentence into the book and already Orwell is hitting us over the head with double-meanings and metaphor.