Transcript 1984 - Anderson School District One

1984
George Orwell
War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
George Orwell “Big Brother is
Watching You!”
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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
Orwell, cont.
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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.
Orwell, cont.
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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.
1984 - themes
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Dehumanization: stripping people of their
individuality.
Isolation
Repression
Loneliness
Social class disparity: great differences in
financial and social classes.
Abuse of power
Themes, cont.
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Totalitarianism as a dangerous system of
government
Control: physical, psychological, plus the
control of information and language
Encroaching technology
Symbols
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“A place with no darkness”
Beetles
Chess Pieces
The paperweight
Diary
Dreams
Golden country
Rats
Razor blades
Telescreens
Symbols
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Big Brother
St. Clement’s Church
The red-armed prole woman
Terms
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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
Terms, cont.
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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.
The World of 1984
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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.”
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.
Think about the word government.
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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?
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