George Orwells 1984

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George Orwells 1984

• By Jared Blackstone

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George Orwell

• Real name Eric Blair
• Novelist and one of most renowned
  English-language essayists
• Orwell Awards annually honor those who
  contradict media conventions

• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Orwell

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Biographical Notes

• Born in India in 1903, the son of India Civil
  Service members
• Attended Eton College in England
• Joined Indian Imperial Police in 1922
• Wrote first novel, Burmese Days, in 1924
• Wrote his most popular novels Animal Farm and
  1984 in 1945 and 1949
• Died in London, England in 1950

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Selected Novels
Burmese Days 1934
1984 - 1949
Down and Out in London and Paris - 1933
Homage to Catalonia - 1938
Animal Farm - 1945
The Road to Wigan Pier - 1937
Coming Up for Air - 1939
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Context for 1984

• As a soldier, Orwell saw first-hand the
  atrocities of totalitarian government in Spain
  and Russia.
• He also saw signs of threat in the United States
  and Britain in the forms of increasingly
  technological warfare and the defense of
  non-communist governments.
• He wrote 1984 as both a warning and a reflection
  of the fears of many people at the time he wrote.

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The World of 1984

• Imagine a world where you are watched wherever
  you go, at all times.
• Would you feel free? Could you ever be yourself?
  

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Setting

• 1984 takes place in Oceania, one of the worlds
  three super-states, along with Eurasia and
  Eastasia.
• Oceania is always at war with one and allies with
  the other.

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Big Brother
War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is
Strength. Big Brother is Watching You.
Most people in Oceania, like Winston Smith, the
main character, work for the Party, the
government, and are forced to live by this axiom.
The others are the poor, called proles. They
live in the slums of Oceania and are left largely
untouched. They lead ignorant lives and know
little and care less about what happens in the
world.
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Winston Smith, ThoughtCriminal

• Winston works for the Ministry of Truth. His job
  is to change history to agree with whatever the
  Party says.
• He commits thoughtcrime against the Party by
  recording his rebellious thoughts in a journal,
  which is forbidden. If discovered, he will be
  killed by the Thought Police.
• He cant stop himself, though he needs to write
  what he feels about the world he lives in.

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The Brotherhood

• Winston meets Julia, who also wants to rebel
  against the Party.
• They are approached by OBrien, a higher-up in
  the Party, to join the Brotherhood, a secret
  organization made to fight Big Brother.
• Winston gets The Book, which reveals all the
  secrets of the Party and Big Brother.

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I love Big Brother.

• Winston and Julia are caught and taken to the
  ironically-named Ministry of Love.
• Winston is tortured and brainwashed by OBrien,
  who reveals that the Brotherhood does not exist.
• Winston, at the end, believes fully in the Party
  and loves Big Brother.

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Dystopia

• Dystopia the opposite of a Utopia, or perfect
  world a world in which living conditions are
  extremely poor and oppressive
• 1984 describes a dystopia. How is the Party able
  to maintain control and prevent a revolt? Is
  there any hope?

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Applications

• Can 1984 be applied to life in the United States
  today?
• In what ways could our society fall into one like
  the one in 1984? How can we avoid it?
• www.newspeak.com

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Writing Assignment
Take the theme of surveillance Discuss the
similarities and differences between the kinds of
surveillance used in 1984 and in the United
States today. Discuss also government policies in
1984 and the United States that deal with privacy
issues. How are they similar and/or different?
How do you feel about these policies?
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Sources

• http//www.school.discovery.com/lessonplans/progra
  ms/1984
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Orwell
• Dystopia definition
• http//dictionary.reference.com/search?qdystopia