1. 1984
George Orwell

2. War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength

3. George Orwell “Big Brother is Watching You!”
Born June 25, 1903 in Motihari, India
Died January 21, 1950 in London, England
Real name Eric Blair
Parents were financially secure, but not wealthy; father a low level official of British government in charge of India.
Moved back to England when 8

4. Went to fashionable prep school – felt out of place.
Orwell, cont.
Went to fashionable prep school – felt out of place.
Received scholarship to Eton – mediocre grades.
Chose a career in Indian Imperial Police in Burma – disliked.
Returned to England and rented a room to write.

5. Lived among the poor to research them.
Orwell, cont.
Lived among the poor to research them.
Chose to write under the pseudonym George Orwell (George very British name: St. George; Orwell name of river near parents’ house)
Politically oriented as a democratic socialist – grew to hate communism and totalitarianism.

6. Dehumanization: stripping people of their individuality. Isolation
themes
Dehumanization: stripping people of their individuality.
Isolation
Repression
Loneliness
Social class disparity: great differences in financial and social classes.
Abuse of power

7. Totalitarianism as a dangerous system of government
Themes, cont.
Totalitarianism as a dangerous system of government
Control: physical, psychological, plus the control of information and language
Encroaching technology

8. “A place with no darkness” Beetles Chess Pieces The paperweight Diary
Symbols
“A place with no darkness”
Beetles
Chess Pieces
The paperweight
Diary
Dreams
Golden country
Rats
Razor blades
Telescreens

9. The red-armed prole woman
Symbols
Big Brother
St. Clement’s Church
The red-armed prole woman

10. Utopia: a perfect society; an ideal place
Terms
Propaganda: information, ideas, and/or rumors deliberately spread in order to hurt a group of people or a nation.
Socialism: a social organization that endorses collective ownership of property, etc.
Totalitarianism: a government of total control of all aspects of society
Utopia: a perfect society; an ideal place

11. Terms, cont.
Dystopia: a society characterized by human misery; the opposite of utopia.
Irony: Use of words or situation to express something other than the literal meaning – not expected.
Paradox: a statement or situation that contradicts itself. It seems absurd, but is really true. Example: I always lie. If it is true, it must be false.

12. The World of 1984
Main character is Winston Smith – seemingly stands alone against a corrupt world.
Parallels the Stalinist Soviet Union and Hitler’s Nazi Germany as seen through the extensive use of propaganda.
Examples: (Nazi propaganda: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”
“The broad mass of the nation will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one.”

13. Social structure of society in 1984
Big Brother: at very top
Next: the Inner Party
Next: the Outer Party
Next: the Proles – 85% of pop.

14. Think about the word government.
Turn to the person on your left and answer the following questions:
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?