Transcript 2 1984 The PowerPoint

Past
1984
PAST
MEETS
PRESENT
MEETS
1984 …
(A FICTIONAL 1984)
By George!
 “George Orwell” was the pen name of
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Eric Blair.
Orwell was an Englishman born in India
in 1903. He died at age 47.
He considered himself a Democratic Socialist and
was critical of Communism
He hated intellectuals, lying, cruelty, political
authority, and totalitarianism
He strongly opposed Stalin and Hitler -- he was very
outspoken during WWII
Publishing Period
 1984 was published in 1949.
 Several events of the early 20th century contributed to
Orwell’s mood in writing 1984.
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World War I
the Great Depression
Joseph Stalin’s rise to power in the Soviet Union
World War II
Dawn of the nuclear era, beginning with the 1945 bombings of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Television which debuted in America at the 1939 World’s Fair
House (of Representatives) Committee on Un-American
Activities aggressively attacking suspected Communists
As the World Turns…
 Orwell expresses his idea of a DYSTOPIA (or how the
world should NOT be)
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1984 shows a world where integrity, freedom, and the
individual consciousness are forgotten. Fear and hatred
prompted by the government motivate and unite people.
 It is a political parable narrated in third person. The story is
told from the viewpoint of a single character.
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A parable is a narrative, or story, from which a moral can be
drawn.
The moral here is that the abuse of power by a totalitarian
regime destroys the individual.
Historical Conditioners
(not for your hair)
 Orwell lived through the most devastating war in his
history and then saw its victors almost immediately
turn on each other in a tense Cold War.
 1984 is a fierce attack on what Orwell sees as a
terrifying loss of freedom and individuality.
 He satirizes the Party’s (the fictional government)
determination to create a society of sheep by
restricting their means of expression.
Hey, what’s wrong with that?
 Orwell is chiefly concerned not with characters but
with ideas.
Historical Conditioners
 The main influence for this novel was Stalin
 In the mid 1930s, Stalin started the purging of his enemies in
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order to maintain a stronghold on his position of power.
He first attacked his closest party members by making them
confess in court to fabricated crimes and then executing them.
He next attacked other party officials, military leaders, industrial
managers, and members of the secret police.
Eventually he purged artists, university professors, and the
population at large.
Stalin's aides tried to justify what was happening and ordered
filmmakers to produce Hollywood-style movies to persuade
Soviets that they were living in normal times.
Many believe he killed 8-13 million and more died from famines
and forced labor camps.
Historical
Conditioners
(still not for
your hair)
Put in
Visual
That History Book is Wrong
Take note of this photo…
That History Book is Now Better
What’s different now?
History Changes…?
After Yezhow was executed he
vanished from this picture too.
That History Book is Wrong…Again
Take note of this photo…
That History Book is Now Better
What’s different now?
History Changes…?
Trotsky and Kamenev, who were
standing on the steps of the
platform, removed.
It’s the End of the World as We Know It
 1984 is set in the near future in a world of new
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alliances.
The year is 1984 (but really just sometime in the future)
London, England : a.k.a. “Airstrip One”
Government = totalitarian dictatorship
The countries we now know are three huge super
states:
 Oceania
 Eurasia
 Eastasia
The World as We Know It…
Now the world is split among three superpowers,
Eurasia
Oceania
Eastasia
Oceania
which are constantly at war.
Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. Sorta.
 Oceania is a huge country ruled by The Party, which
is led by a figure called “Big Brother”
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The Inner Party (<2% of pop.) control the country
The Outer Party (13% of pop.) are controlled by the Inner Party
The Proles (85% of pop.) are the
labor power who live in poverty
The Brotherhood is an underground
rebellion organization lead by
Emmanuel Goldstein
So, How Was Your Day?
 The Party keeps its members under constant
surveillance.
 Anyone—co-workers, neighbors, or
even your own children—can
denounce you to the Thought Police
Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It’s Off to Work We Go
 You must work for the state…
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The Ministry of Truth
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The Ministry of Peace
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The Ministry of Love
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The Ministry of Plenty
Responsible for all Party
news, entertainment,
education and fine arts. The
Party's propaganda machine.
Responsible for the Party's
management of issues
surrounding war.
Maintains law and order.
Dissidents are taken here to
be tortured, reformed, or
killed.
Responsible for the Party's
economic affairs.
Is That Tree Following Us?
Um, no. I’m not. Just keep doing what you’re
doing.
 The government is represented by Big Brother, a figure who
“sees everything”
 Laws are enforced by the 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
 Citizens are constantly 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
Peeps in the Hood
 Winston Smith
 Works at Minitru rewriting history; 39; intellectual; feels that
something is missing in his life and wants to break free;
constantly paranoid that he will be discovered and arrested for
Thought Crime
 Julia
 Outer Party member who works in the Fiction Department at
the novel-writing machines; conforms outwardly to Party
doctrine by belonging to the Junior Anti-Sex League and
spending much time on Party matters.
 Big Brother
 Is an omnipresent image, appearing on the telescreen and
everywhere else in daily life.
More, well, Peeps
 Emmanuel Goldstein
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He is the Party’s scapegoat and arch enemy; serves as the
target of the public hatred generated by the Party against
its enemies.
 O’Brien
 Lives in comparative luxury because he holds an important
position in the Inner Party; is fanatically loyal to the Party’s
teachings.
A Warning…?
 Orwell seems to warn against the far
reaching effects of Western technology,
destructive world wars, and the rise of
totalitarianism.
 He also poses the question: can we
change human nature so that humans lose
their humanity?
 Food shortages and rationings, censorship
of the media, forced labor camps, spying,
secret police and constant war (or the
threat of constant war) are all a part of
1984.
 IS IT PART OF OUR WORLD NOW?
The Spanish "Happy
1984" stencil graffito,
denoting mind control via
video games, on a
standing piece of the
Berlin Wall, 2005.
Our Major Ideas
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Psychological Manipulation
Control of History/Information
Technology (far reaching, too much, “accepting” information
breaches, etc.)
Language as Mind Control
Urban Decay
Doublethink (lies, “frenemy”, etc.)
Acts of Rebellion
Dangers of a Totalitarian reign
Psychological manipulation
Control/manipulation of information
Urban decay and keeping the Poor poor
Spy and Surveillance—freedom or safety
General Major Themes
 Dehumanization
 Isolation
 Loneliness
 Repression
 Social Class Disparity
 Abuse of Power
 Invasion of Privacy
 Language
 Communication
 Warfare
 Manipulation
 Rebellion
 Oppression
 Paranoia
Characteristics of a Dystopian Society
 Propaganda is used to control the citizens.
 Information, independent thought, and freedom are
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restricted.
A figurehead or concept is worshipped by the citizens.
Citizens are perceived to be under constant
surveillance.
Citizens have a fear of the outside world.
The natural world is banished and distrusted.
Citizens conform to uniform expectations.
Individuality and dissent are bad.
The society is an illusion of a perfect utopian world.
Characteristics of a Dystopian Protagonist
 Often feels trapped and is struggling to escape
 Questions the existing social and political systems
 Believes or feels that something is terribly wrong
with the society in which he or she lives
 Helps the audience recognize the negative aspects of
the dystopian world through his/her perspective