Mr. Wilson – English 536
Context is when you get a little bit of background info on not only the author, but about the history of the era in question; the intended audience and the culture from which the work came form.
Born in British India, he attended Eton College, received numerous scholarships for his writing but returned to Burma to work as a policeman. He also worked as teacher before he fought in the Spanish Civil war ( ), injured by a sniper he returned to England. He married, and started writing again using the pen name “George Orwell.”
His first book, Animal Farm, was written in response to the actions of Joseph Stalin leading up to the outbreak of WWII. It was an overnight success.
Nineteen Eighty-Four was published in 1949, It features a dystopian society. Considering the post-WWII climate and the Cold War between the USSR and the USA, Nineteen Eighty-Four has become the classic political novel. Furthermore, Orwell’s creation of the Oceanic society has left a huge mark even on our vernacular speech; like the popular TV show “Big Brother.”
Dystopia? Cold War? Stalin?
What really motivated Orwell to write Nineteen Eighty-Four?
It is 1917…WWI has been going on for almost 3 years.
Before the Revolution, Russia was run by the Tsar (which means “King” or royal family.) There was some democracy within the Tsarist regime, but it was only an elected body which was allowed to “advise” the throne. This elected group was called the Duma.
March 1917 The Duma assumes control of the country, easily done considering the Tsar's forces were all in Germany fighting. They created a provisional government in St-Petersburg. Tsar Nicholas II abdicated (gave up the throne) and left the provisional government to fend for itself.
At this point, Russian Soldiers are trying to get home from the German Front, and the army itself was not entirely in control. As a result, a sort of dual-power formed, with the provisional government on one side, and a group of socialists on the other. The final straw was when the provisional government decided to keep fighting in Germany…
November 1917 Vladimir Lenin! The Bolshevik Party (the socialists) led by the one, THE ONLY: Vladimir Lenin! took control from the provisional government. They signed a treaty with Germany ending Russia’s involvement in WWII. They also formed the Cheka (secret police) to try a squash any dissent.
Lenin suffered a stroke in In his writings about Russia’s new socialist government, he vehemently criticized Stalin’s policies, and begged that he not hold any power. However, Stalin out manoeuvred Lenin, and when Lenin died of a heart attack – Stalin assumed control with the help of his friends: namely Trotsky.
Stalin was now in control of the new Bolshevik Communist Russia, even though his official title was “Chairman of the Central Committee.” He then started his various policies of Collectivisation and Industrialization, as well as increasing the size of the secret police. What were they called again?
How did Stalin get so much power? Stalin had the tendency to “purge” the Politburo and send his opposition to forced labour camps, and then execute them. This was also attained by cutting “counter- revolutionaries” out of Russian history.
BEFOREAFTER
Hitler’s Germany, Mussolini’s Italy and Stalinist Russia are all examples of totalitarian regimes. What do they all have in common? Are there any totalitarian regimes in effect now? Why are ideas like Socialism and Communism associated with this type of Government?
Orwell designed the futuristic world of Oceania as a Dystopian setting for his novel. Why? Because exaggeration is a very good way of drawing people’s attention to things that are really messed up – like Russia was under Stalin
Utopia is a name for an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. Which would make a Dystopia the complete opposite…
(oh yeah.)