Transcript 1984 - ccurley

George Orwell’s 1984
Part One
Ideas to Consider
1. What individual freedoms do you have that you
particularly enjoy?
2. How would you feel if such freedoms were
rescinded? Why?
3. Think of freedoms you are denied simply due to
your social position. What is the reason for such
denials, and how do you feel about them?
4. How would you say the future is portrayed in
various media, namely in film? Why do you think
this is the case?
5. What historical events would have informed
Orwell’s writing of this novel?
6. What is your greatest fear or fears?....
A Quick Word on Etymology and Genre…..
Etymology- study of the history of words, their
origins, how their meanings have changed over
time
•UTOPIA- Greek origin
“no place” “no such place” “nowhere”
(Factoid- Utopia was coined by Thomas More
in his 16th century classic, Utopia….)
Utopia: a place/world where everything seems
ideal or perfect
•DYSTOPIA- dys- “ill” or “bad”
Dystopia: a highly imperfect place/world where
everything is nightmarish and dark.
A Quick Word on Etymology and
Genre…..
Dystopian literature- genre used to explore
social and political structures in dark,
nightmarish worlds
1984 portrays an example of a dystopian
world …..
The protagonist of 1984 lives in a dystopia….
Characteristics of a Dystopia
• Propaganda- spread of ideas/information for
the purpose of a specific cause- method of
control.
• Information & thought are restricted.
• Individuality & dissent are ‘bad.’
• A figurehead or concept is worshipped.
• Citizens under constant surveillance.
• Citizens live in ignorance /fear about the
outside world.
• Society- an illusion of an orderly world.
• Citizens live in a dehumanized state.
Orwellian?
• This word comes directly
from Orwell’s writing in
1984. It carries a negative
connotation (perception,
feeling) and refers to
anything involving
systematic
controlling/monitoring of
the individual.
Part One, Chapter I
• Winston Smith- protagonist- Common
•
•
•
•
surname shows that he can symbolize
‘everyman.’ Also, Orwell was inspired by
what English WWII prime minister who
fought against the evils of totalitarianism?
Etymology of ‘Winston’- “joy town” (irony)
Opening lines- strangeness/darkness of
Smith’s dystopian world; ex: “clocks striking
thirteen.”
Victory Mansion-name of Smith’s broken
down building. (Victory Cigarettes, Gin…)
No electricity due to Hate Week (Basic
necessities always in short supply).
Part One, Chapter I
• Overall landscape- “grimy” and depressing.
• Smith is ‘broken down’- seems older than
39- varicose ulcer, rough skin, wears ratty
blue overalls as part of Party Uniform.
• Big Brother watches everyone,
everywhere. No one can escape the
propaganda.
• All citizens’ homes* have telescreens to
monitor their every movement and read
their thoughts. (*not necessarily the proles
though…)
Part One, Chapter I
• Winston’s secret act of rebellion- writing in
his diary obtained in the “free market.”
This is an act punishable by death or
decades of work in a labor camp.
• Note how difficult it is for him to actually
write- no one seems to do it anymore.
(Speakwrites are now predominant).
Part One, Chapter I
• 4 main buildings of Airstrip One: Ministry
of Truth (Winston’s place of work,) Peace,
Love, Plenty
• The Ministry of Truth- Minitrue*
Concerned w/ news, entertainment, etc
• The Ministry of Peace- Minipax*
Concerned w/ war
• The Ministry of Love- Miniluv*
Concerned w/ law and order
• The Ministry of Plenty- Miniplenty*
Concerned w/ economic affairs
*Their names in Newspeak, the language of Oceania
Part One, Chapter I
• Party slogans- WAR is PEACE,
FREEDOM is SLAVERY, IGNORANCE
is STRENGTH
• Setting- England, now Airstrip One in
1984- no one is sure of actual dates
anymore; gov’t trying to wipe history/past
clean. Airstrip One- part of Oceania, as
Europe is now known.
Part One, Chapter I
• Diary entry- Winston’s account of a
disturbing war movie “flick” – only people
who have a normal reaction are the proles
• Proles- ‘proletariat’ or member of the
working class
• Winston has flashback- thinks back to
being forced to watch Two Minutes Hate
at work- sees coworker with dark hair
wearing scarlet (deep red) sash. She is a
member of the Anti-Sex League. Winston
seems to abhor her- has thoughts of
murdering and raping her. (Should we trust
Winston?)
Part One, Chapter I
• Flashback continues- Winston remembers
seeing coworker O’Brien (Inner Party
member- social elite-) and sharing a look
with him that seemed to say “I hate this
Party too!”- huge turning point for Winston.
• Reader meets Emmanuel Goldstein“Enemy of the People”- mythical figure
who led a revolution/resistance movement
against the Party- the Brotherhood. He
represents everything the gov’t of Oceania
is against- freedom of thought, speech, etc...
Part One, Chapter I
• Emmanuel Goldstein’s thoughts, beliefs
are all rumored to be written down in the
book- a collection (“compendium”) of –
anti-Party or anti-Big Brother thoughts that
the Party feels is highly ‘dangerous….’
• EG- object, the focus of the daily Two
Minute Hate exercise.
• Winston continues to reflect on his
‘moment’ w/ O’Brien- writes DOWN
WITH BIG BROTHER all over his
diary…..
Part One, Chapter I
• Anyone guilty of committing a
thoughtcrime is “vaporized” or
“annihilated.”
• Winston continues to reflect on his
‘moment’ w/ O’Brien- writes DOWN
WITH BIG BROTHER all over his
diary…..
More…
• Laws are enforced by the
• Citizens are constantly
Thought Police, who
arrest and “vaporize”
anyone who even thinks
disruptive thoughts
• History is constantly
rewritten so that the
predictions of Big Brother
will never be wrong
asked to show their
allegiance by engaging in
rallies and meetings to
support Big Brother
• Hatred for the enemies of
Big Brother is encouraged
through the use of
propaganda
• The society of Oceania is
constantly at war with
other countries: Eurasia
and Eastasia --- or so Big
Brother says.
Chapter 2
• Winston answers the knocking at his door.
It is his neighbor Mrs. Parsons, the wife of his
coworker, Tom Parsons.
• Notice they address each other as
‘comrade’- a word typically associated w/
the Communist Party or even Socialism.
• The Parsons’ flat is just as dingy and
broken- down as Winston’s.
Chapter 2
• Tom is the average citizen- a ‘model’ or
ideal Party Member- does everything he
should, questions nothing.
• The Parsons’ children- like all children in
Oceania- are Spies, indoctrinated at a young
age to report on everyone- who could be a
threat- including their parents.
• They accuse Winston of being a “Traitor”
and “Thought-Criminal.”
• Parents are actually scared of their children
now.
Chapter 2
• Parson children are upset b/c they did not
get to see the hanging of the Eurasian
‘criminal’. (Oceania at war w/ Eurasiasupposedly)
• Watching public executions is a popular
activity in Oceania.
• Back at his apartment, Winston thinks back
to a dream he had in which O’Brien had
said to him “We shall meet in the place
where there is no darkness…”
Chapter 2
• Yet another way the Party/Big Brother
controls the people- rationing of material
goods….
• Winston hears more from the telescreen: the
amount of chocolate being given out
(rationed) is to be reduced- 30 g to 20g.
• Winston sadly realizes that his thoughts in
the diary cannot last: his thoughtcrime
WILL be the end of him.
“Thoughtcrime is death”
A few terms from 1984
• Doublethink – the
• Police Patrol- like a secret
ability to believe two
contradictory things at
the same time (“reality
control”)
• Newspeak – the
language of Oceania
• Ingsoc – Oceania’s
totalitarian form of
government (English
socialism)
police stalking citizens
• Thought crime – thinking
anti-party thoughts
• Inner Party/Outer party –
those closest to Big
Brother and those on the
outside- (O’Brien is Inner;
Winston is Outer)
• Proles – the lower classes
who live in a separate part
of the city
Chapter 3
• Winston dreams (flashback) about his
family, specifically his mother, father, and
sister. It appears they are gone- a victim of
one of the purges in the fifties. (veiled
allusion to …?)
• It is not clear why/how they died: all we can
tell is that Winston seems to be alive b/c they
are dead. They saved him in some way.
“They were down there because he was up
here….” -in some way the lives of his mother
and sister had been sacrificed to his own.”
Chapter 3
• Dreamy sequence continues…Winston sees
coworker (girl w/ scarlet sash) in Golden
Country. He is not aroused by her body but
by what about her exactly?....- her rebellious
nature, seeming willingness to oppose the
Party
• Cut to telescreen again- Winston has to
perform Party-ordered weird exercises
“Physical Jerks”- We learn he is a member
of the Outer Party.
• Winston continues to reflect- Oceania has
always been at war in one way or
another….
Chapter 3
• The Party controls all thoughts- can even
‘change’ people’s memories of the past.
Reality Control/Doublethink:
“Who controls the past controls the future.”
• How have Winston’s thoughts become
dangerous? What does he know that all
other average citizens do not?
Chapter 3
• “The past, he reflected, had been
destroyed.” The Party/Big Brother destroys
facts- ‘falsifies’ the past. The past has become
mutable.
The Party said that it had never been in an
alliance w/ Eurasia. Winston remembers that
Oceania had been in an alliance w/ Eurasia as
short a time as 4 years ago- dangerous
knowledge for Winston to remember….