1984 watching and listening

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

George Orwell's 

1984 (1949)

DILEMMAS

Vote with your gut:

fast and without thinking about it too much

Being happy is better than being right.

Agree

Disagree

Democracy is just the dictatorship
of the 51 %.

Agree

Disagree

Fear and punishment work better to influence people's behavior than happiness and rewards.

Agree

Disagree

If the government passes a new law with which I vehemently disagree, it is still my duty as a citizen to try to follow that law.

Agree

Disagree

George Orwell's 1984

- Written in 1948, published in 1949

- Chilling dystopian future

- Warning against totalitarianism of the 1910s-1940s

- One of the most relevant political sci-fi novels ever written

00:26

What does 'prescient' mean?

1. Gevaarlijk
2. Vooruitziend
3. Hoopvol
4. Neerslachtig

01:15

'Are given precedence over' means

1. Get to rule over
2. Are there first before
3. Are less important than
4. Are favoured over

01:41

Why would people be puzzled by Orwell warning of the dangers of collectivism?

02:26

True or false?
Writing in the 1940s, Orwell thought that it was only a matter of time before the entire world turned collectivist.

1. True
2. False

03:05

Do you think that democratic rights and freedoms would be harder to maintain and defend in a socialist centrally planned economy with a very strong government? If yes, why? If no, why not?

03:51

Which belong together?

Centrally planned economy

Planned economy + destruction of civil rights

Sparks joy for Orwell

Does not spark joy for Orwell

Social democracy 

Totalitarian collectivism

04:36

People who only want pleasure and comfort in life can very easily be manipulated into fearful subservience under a strong national government.

1. That's what Orwell said
2. That's not what Orwell said

06:23

In what type of society do we live nowadays?

0100

Homework for Friday: read the first 4 chapters of 1984 (pages 1-26). 

In 100+ words, in your Class Notebook, write up your thoughts about it. 

Look for examples of: 

-Totalitarianism/collectivism

-Freedom/unfreedom

-Crime: which crimes does Winston Smith commit? 

-Scene descriptions / setting: 

what do they tell you about what type of future this book unveils?