1984, George Orwell

• Bedrijfseconomie
• WO
• Studiejaar 6

1984 

George Orwell 

Homework assignment 

- How do you think the world will be in the year 2084? 

-What are your concerns and hopes for the future? 

Author 

• Eric Arthur Blair                       
• June 25, 1903 India  
• Police officer 
• Unfairness, controlling governments 
• ''Animal farm'' 

In which war did George Orwell his views change on controlling governments?

1. Spanish Civil War
2. World War I
3. Word War II
4. American Indian War

Historical Context 

• After World War II 
•  Controlling governments 
• Cold War 

Biographical context

• Spanish Civil War 
• Nazi Germany/Communist Russia 
• Democratic socialist 
• Own experiences and observations 

Social and cultural context 

• Insecurity  
• New technology 
• Government control 

Why did George Orwell write the book?

The plot 

• government control 
• Winston rebels
• warns us about: totalitarianism and control, manupilation, loss of identity and rebellion 

Winston Smith

• Protagonist 
• 39 year old 
• Ministry of truth 
• Rewrite historical records 
• Rebellion against the party 
• Tortured 

Julia 

• Lover of Winston
• Secret relationship 
• Rebellious spirit 

Big Brother 

• Antagonist 
• The face of the Party 
•  Symbol of state's surveillance and control 
• ''Big Brother is watching you'' 

O'Brien

• Member of the inner party 
• Secret rebel 
• leads Winston into trap 

What is the famous slogan of Big Brother?

Themes 

Totalitarianism and government control

• Absolute authority 
• “One of these days, thought Winston with sudden deep conviction, Syme will be vaporized. He is too intelligent. He sees too clearly and speaks too plainly. The Party does not like such people. One day he will disappear. It is written in his face.” (Orwell, 1984, p.) 
• Fun fact 

Surveillance and privacy

• Constant supervision 
• “Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimetres inside your skull. ”
• 500 million cameras 

Technology 

• Hidden microphones
• Torture machinery  
• Bad side of technology 

Who/what kept the citizens under constant surveillance

Literary terms 

Allegory 

• Story telling technique   
• Big brother 
• The glass paperweight 
• Room 101 

Dystopian novel

• Big brother 
•  Newspeak 
• Room 101 
• Why Dystopian Literature Matters

Irony 

•  “War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength.” 
• Doublethink  
• Big brother 
• Newspeak

Narrator 

• What is a narrator? 
• Third- person limited point of view 
• Why the narrator  matters 
  

Setting 

• What is setting? 
• Airstrip one 
• 3 world powers 
• Inner/outer party/proles 
• 4 party ministries 

What happened in room 101?

1. Pain and fear
2. Physical torture
3. Fun
4. Psychological torture