1984 - Introduction Notes

1984

• George Orwell 

  • Born Eric Blair - India, 1903

  • Dystopian novel that describes the overbearing control of the government 

    • The paranoia that “Big Brother is Always Watching”

  • Only son of British civil servant 

  • 1911 formal education began 

  • Eventually won a scholarship to Eton 

  • Began to recognize the difference between his own background and the wealthy lives of his classmates 

  • After graduating - Indian Imperial Police in Burma

  • Feeling guilty over class privilege - resigned his position 

  • Changed name to Orwell 

  • By 1936 - lucrative writing career

  • Published 1994 in 1949

  • Died unexpectedly of tubercular hemorrhage in 1950 

  • 1984 introduces characters such as Winston Smith, Julia, O’Brien, and Goldstein

  • These characters symbolise the different attitudes towards the authority of the government and their response

    • Winston wants to actively rebel against the solitary conformity o becoming less individualistic in society

      • Craves for more meaningful, human interaction 

    • Julia desires for love and affection, but does not necessarily want to rebel against the government 

    • O’Brien seems to be quite similar to Winston in the fact that he wants to rebel against the government

      • Potentially part of an organization that is against the Party’s ideals 

      • The organization, the Brotherhood, is kept under close wraps to the point where it is seen as a rumor

    • Goldstein openly opposes the Party, and is hated on during the two minute hate

• Three superstates

  • Oceania

  • Eurasia

  • Eastasia 

• The Novel - setting 

• Near future - A World of Contradictions 

• Why is Time important to the beginning of the novel?

  • Spring 

  • Diary Entry

  • Clock

• Airstrip One - how is it described?

• How is the government organized?

• Ruled by The Party - led by a figure called “Big Brother”

• The Inner Party (2% of pop.) control the country 

• O’Brien - representation of inner party 

• The other Party (13% of the pop.) are controlled by the Inner Party 

  • Anyone working at the Ministry of Truth 

• The Proles (85% of pop.) are the labor power who live in poverty 

  • Not intentionally controlled by Big Brother 

  • Big Brother controls their lives about the goods and day-to-day things

  • Not afraid of Big Brother/ not as brainwashed as the Outer Party 

  • They do not live in the city 

• The Brotherhood is an underground rebellion organization lead by Emmanuel Goldstein

  • Jewish

• Two Party objectives

  • Whole-world domination

  • Eliminate independent thought

• Big Brother 

  • Four Main Agencies of the Government (4)

  • Ministry of Truth (minitrue) - history is altered to suit the present - day conditions 

    • Responsible for information (news, entertainment, and the fine arts)

  •  Ministry of Peace (minipax)

    • War 

  • Ministry of Love (minilove)

    • To enforce the law 

    • Law and order 

    • Utilize fear to instill the law and order 

    • Torture and vaporized

  • Ministry of Plenty (miniplenty)

    • Economic affairs 

    • Give them false information 

  • Maintains status quo of brainwashing 

  • The Party Slogans 

    • What are they? How is each paradoxical in nature?

    • Freedom is slavery - the man who is independent is doomed to fail

    • Ignorance is strength - the inability of the people to recognize these contradictions cements the power of the authoritarian regime

    • War is Peace - having a common enemy keeps the people of Oceania united