"1984" by George Orwell

George Orwell

Nineteen Eighty-Four

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The first edition of the novel (1949)

The movie poster (1984)

"Nineteen Eighty-Four" is a novel written by George Orwell in 1948.

"Nineteen Eighty-Four" is a dystopian novel. Dystopian literature is a genre of fictional writing used to explore social and political structures in 'a dark, nightmare world.'

The term dystopia is defined as a society characterized by poverty, squalor or oppression and the theme is most commonly used in science fiction and speculative fiction genres.

The book is very famous. Many of its ideas are also famous. Among these are Big Brother, Newspeak, Room 101 and unperson. In 2005, Time (a magazine) called it one the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005.

The book was an attack on totalitarianism (when a government tries to control people's lives) and dictatorship (rule by one person). George Orwell was a democratic socialist who was against any form of dictatorship.

He once wrote: "Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism, as I understand it". Later he repeated that idea, writing about 1984 "as a show-up of the perversions . . . which have already been partly realized in Communism and Fascism"

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1984 Background (1)

By 1949, English writer George Orwell had already witnessed the horrific effects totalitarian governments had on Spain and Russia. He also observed that Western nations were still ambivalent regarding the rise of communism.

1984 Background (2)

For example, many intellectuals seemed to support its guiding principles, and the Soviet Union was portrayed favorably in the American press. Orwell was deeply disturbed by the cruel oppression he'd observed in communist societies.

1984 Background (3)

He was particularly concerned with how technology could be used to monitor and control the public. His concerns formed the historical context of 1984, a political novel he wrote as a stern warning to Western readers of what could occur in as little as 35 years if they didn't act immediately to prevent totalitarianism from taking hold in their own countries.

The book is about what Orwell thought the world could have looked like in the year 1984. It describes a terrifying world where governments control and watch everyone's lives.

A map of the three countries that rule the world in Nineteen Eighty-Four.

The main character is Winston Smith.He lives in a country that is ruled by a powerful "Party" and its leader Big Brother, and dreams of changing this.

Winston Smith is the character the reader most identifies with, and the reader sees the world from his point of view. Winston is a kind of innocent in a world gone wrong, and it is through him that the reader is able to understand and feel the suffering that exists in the totalitarian society of Oceania.

Winston hates the totalitarian control and enforced repression that are characteristic of his government. He harbours revolutionary dreams. He works in the Ministry of Truth, changing history is his job.

He falls in love with Julia, who agrees with him, and is led into rebellion against the government.

Winston’s lover, a beautiful dark-haired girl working in the Fiction Department at the Ministry of Truth. Julia enjoys sex and claims to have had affairs with many Party members. Julia is pragmatic and optimistic. Her rebellion against the Party is small and personal, for her own enjoyment, in contrast to Winston’s ideological motivation.

The main characters

The leader of Ocenia is Big Brother. His picture is seen everywhere, along with the words "Big Brother is watching you." However, it is not clear if he is a real person.

Emmanuel Goldstein and O'Brien both say that the main role of Big Brother is to be a symbol for the Party. O'Brien also says that Big Brother will never die.

People in Oceania belong to three groups: - Inner Party: The most powerful people in the country. They live like rich people. - Outer Party: People like Winston and Julia. They have a better life than most people. They are always being watched. - Proles: Ordinary people. They are poor, but have more freedom than the Outer Party.

Party workers belong to four ministries: - Ministry of Truth: They tell people what to think. - Ministry of Peace: They run the military - Ministry of Plenty: They run the economy - Ministry of Love: A prison

Something more about the Ministries...

About Newspeak...

In 1984, Syme is a minor character, a language expert who works at the Ministry of Truth on the new edition of the Newspeak dictionary. Syme is thrilled by his job, particularly the elimination of words from Oceania's official language. Syme embodies censorship at its most extreme, that of a totalitarian regime.

The three slogans of the Party, visible everywhere, are... WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGHT.While by definition these words are antonyms, in 1984 the world is in a state of constant war, no one is free and everyone is ignorant.

What happens in "1984" ?

What happens in "1984" ?

What happens in "1984" ?

What happens in "1984" ?

What happens in "1984" ?

What happens in "1984" ?

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Like Big Brother, Goldstein very likely does not exist as an actual person, but rather, is a propaganda tool used by the Party to stir up emotion in the citizens.

The two minutes hate are everyday dedicated to Goldstein.He functions as a threatening but ill-defined monster that the Party uses to keep citizens in line and prevent rebellion.

In 1984, the Parsons (Tom Parsons and his family) are Winston's neighbours in Victory Towers. They represent the average family in Oceania. The Parsons' children, who inform on their father to the authorities, represent the degree to which family loyalties have been replaced by loyalty to the Party.

An old man who runs a secondhand store in the prole district. Kindly and encouraging, Mr. Charrington seems to share Winston’s interest in the past. He also seems to support Winston’s rebellion against the Party and his relationship with Julia, since he rents Winston a room without a telescreen in which to carry out his affair.

But Mr. Charrington is not as he seems. He is a member of the Thought Police.

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