By George Orwell

For this term’s book we will be reading George Orwell’s novel This presentation is to help give you background on both the upcoming reading, and the context from which it came. Be sure to complete all activities listed on the website. Pay attention to the words highlighted in red. These are our first vocabulary words for this unit. You will be tested on these UNIT

He was often sick as a child and enjoyed making up stories He later went to boarding school and experienced the injustice of England’s class system. As one of the poorest students, he was not treated well. As an adult he spent five years in Burma, India as a member of the India Imperial Police Force in After being a part of the ruling class in India, Orwell wished to live outside the traditional class system and took low paying jobs in both London and Paris After this he became more politically active and traveled to Spain, where he joined one of the groups fighting against General Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War. Orwell was badly injured getting shot in both throat and arm. For several weeks, he was unable to speak, and his voice was permanently affected He was diagnosed with tuberculosis in When World War II came he was rejected from serving because of his health. GEORGE ORWELL

Instead of serving in the military he became a literary critic and essay writer. He then got a job working at the BBC where he developed news commentary and shows for audiences. After a while in this job Orwell found himself as a voice for pro- English propaganda. His frustration with this aspect of his job led him to resign in Shortly after leaving the BBC Orwell became the literary editor for a left-wing socialist newspaper. In 1949 he published his novel 1984, and the next year Orwell died of Tuberculosis which was untreatable at the time. Propaganda: information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view. Tuberculosis: an infectious bacterial disease characterized by the growth of nodules (tubercles) in the tissues, especially the lungs.

Published in 1949 at the very end of Orwell’s life. Like the Hunger Games or Divergent, 1984 takes place in an alternative world run by an repressive government. This type of novel is often called a Dystopian novel. The novel is Orwell’s portrayal of a totalitarian government where the government is in charge of every detail in people’s lives, including their private thoughts. Dystopia: an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one. The opposite of a Utopian, or ideal society. Totalitarian: of or relating to a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state. 1984

The world of 1984 is split into three distinct social classes: the Inner Party, the Outer Party, and the Proles. All groups serve the leader only known as Big Brother. The phrase “Big Brother is Watching You” is from this book. The novel follows Winston Smith, a member of the Outer Party, through his experiences with this kind of life. Proletariat - (Proles) Workers or working-class people, regarded collectively. The lowest social class; the blue collar people. This term is still used today often in reference to ‘the common man.’ 1984

Propaganda: information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view. Tuberculosis: an infectious bacterial disease characterized by the growth of nodules (tubercles) in the tissues, especially the lungs. One symptom of TB is coughing up blood. Literary characters with TB include: Fantine from Les Mis, Satine from Moulin Rouge, and Mimi from La bohème. Dystopia: an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one. The opposite of a Utopian, or ideal society. Totalitarian: of or relating to a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state. Proletariat - (Proles): Workers or working-class people, regarded collectively. The lowest social class; the blue collar people. This term is still used today often in reference to ‘the common man.’ VOCAB WORDS