Book Summary George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four takes us through Winston Smith's life in the period of a year. Winston lives in a world made up of three main states: Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia. In this visionary novel, Oceania is run by a totalitarian government under the leadership of a dictator named Big Brother. Big Brother is so controlling and his power so great that one may question his very existence. Oceania's government is divided into four ministries: the Ministry of Truth, which concerns itself with news, entertainment, education and the fine arts; the Ministry of Peace, which deals