1984By George Orwell

The SettingLondon, England - aka “Airstrip One”

The year 1984...but really just some time in the “speculative future”

Government = totalitarian dictatorship

Big Brother: symbol and glorified persona

Inner Party: intellectuals devoted to the party (2%)

Outer Party: powerless middle class (13%)

Proles: the “subhuman” workers (85%)

Genre

science fictionis a genre of fiction dealing with the impact of imagined innovations in

science or technology. It differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically established or scientifically postulated laws of nature (though some elements in a story might still be pure imaginative speculation). Exploring the consequences of such differences is the traditional purpose of science fiction, making it a "literature of ideas". Science fiction is largely based on writing rationally about alternative possibilities. The settings for science fiction are often contrary to known reality, but the majority of science fiction relies on a considerable degree of suspension of disbelief provided by potential scientific explanations to various fictional elements. (from Wikipedia)

speculative future fiction

Dystopian = A dystopia is a society that appears utopian on the surface but has degraded into a repressive and controlled state...in fiction, often a future society

Historical BackgroundOrwell’s last novel published in 1949 (shortly before his death)

Orwell saw...

Atrocities and dictators that gained power through multiple wars (WWI, Russian Revolution, WWII)

rise of totalitarian governments

use of science and technology to regulate or brainwash society

distortion of truth through rhetoric and the evolution of political propaganda

restricting of individual freedoms

Economic depression in the 1930’s

high unemployment

shortages of money, housing and food

restrictions on daily life and rations

Beginning of the Cold War

Important TermsWorld is broken into Oceana (N. and S. America, Britain, Australia, S. Africa), Eurasia (Russia, Western and Eastern Europe), Eastasia (China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea) with constant fighting for control of Middle East and North Africa

Newspeak - official language of Oceana, words are condensed and simplified for communiation, resulting in less thought

Ingsoc - the governing priniples of Oceana; short for English Socialism, but it is NOT actually socialism

Doublethink - believing two contradictory ideas at the same time (“War is peace.”)

Telescreen - two-way television screen

Orwellian

Term coined after the novel was written...a totalitarian society where government can control individual thought and even reality itself

Throughout this unit, consider how many times you hear the term Orwellian or the phrase “Big Brother is watching you.”

What do you think?Orwell’s novel pushes us to consider…

Who or what is government?

What does - or what must - government do?

What different kinds of governments are in the world today?

How does government affect you personally?