George Orwell – 1984
Dublin Core
Title
George Orwell – 1984
Subject
Novel Cover
Description
This is a softcover reprint of George Orwell's 1949 dystopian novel 1984. This version is part of the Signet Classics series by Penguin Group, though I was unable to find the year it was printed. The novel itself has had a notable impact on our popular culture, contributing (somewhat ironically) to our popular vocabulary terminology like "thoughtcrime," "newspeak," and "Big Brother."
The cover is fairly minimalist, featuring sans-serif letters on a white background (notably, this version features the numerical "1984," versus the "Nineteen Eighty-Four" of the original), with the only accompanying artwork being a blue eye taking up about 1/6th of the page. The eye is a common symbol featured on the many different covers of the novel, representing a surveillance state, but this cover is especially effective at communicating this idea. Unlike some other versions, the eye on the front of this book lacks eyelids (or any separation from the paper), the implication being that the eye will never stop watching the reader – that the surveillance state is omnipresent. The pale blue color of the iris both conveys coldness to reinforce the cover's sense of isolation and better brings out the red in the book's title. This contrast in color combined with the weight of the massive eye draws the viewer's eye to the title, maintaining its centrality despite being off-center.
The cover is fairly minimalist, featuring sans-serif letters on a white background (notably, this version features the numerical "1984," versus the "Nineteen Eighty-Four" of the original), with the only accompanying artwork being a blue eye taking up about 1/6th of the page. The eye is a common symbol featured on the many different covers of the novel, representing a surveillance state, but this cover is especially effective at communicating this idea. Unlike some other versions, the eye on the front of this book lacks eyelids (or any separation from the paper), the implication being that the eye will never stop watching the reader – that the surveillance state is omnipresent. The pale blue color of the iris both conveys coldness to reinforce the cover's sense of isolation and better brings out the red in the book's title. This contrast in color combined with the weight of the massive eye draws the viewer's eye to the title, maintaining its centrality despite being off-center.
Creator
Conner Tomlinson
Publisher
Conner Tomlinson
Date
01/19/20
Format
Digital Image
Type
Literature
Files
Collection
Citation
Conner Tomlinson, “George Orwell – 1984,” COM/ENG 395, accessed January 19, 2025, https://com395.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/items/show/30.