1. What You Need to Know to Begin SMIC, 2011-2012 English 12 Regular
George Orwell's 1984
What You Need to Know to Begin
SMIC,
English 12 Regular

2. The Author – George Orwell
Chose to live among the lower classes for one year
Became a socialist, moved to Spain, was kicked out by Communist Party
In 1945, wrote Animal Farm, a political satire
Pen name of Eric Blair
Born 1903 in India, grew up in England
After school, joined civil service
Was a sergeant in the police force
Saw British imperialism first-hand in India, was appalled at the oppression he witnessed

3. More About the Author 1984 was written in 1948.
At age 47, in early 1950, he died from poor health and exhaustion.

4. Orwell’s Political Views
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 & was very outspoken during WWII

5. Author’s purpose Orwell said, “History is written by the winners.”
1984 is a dystopian satire on trends in international politics at the end of WW2.
Orwell’s intention was to draw attention to the oppression and cruelty he saw in Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, and even the behavior of some Western countries.

6. What Orwell Saw . . . Economic depression in the 1930s
High unemployment
Shortages of money, housing, and food
Restrictions on daily life and rations
The beginning of the Cold War
Countries east of the “iron curtain” were communist
Countries west of it were protected by US

7. Background to 1984
The world of 1984 is based upon two totalitarian dictatorships, Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany.
The world of 1984 bears strong resemblances to the
Soviet Union, but much
of the detail of life
comes from Germany.

8. Big Brother is based on Stalin.
The face of a man...with a heavy black moustache and ruggedly handsome features
Pg 3, 1984
Orwell experienced the horror of totalitarian rule firsthand, as a member of a radical Socialist-Trotskyite militia.

9. Like Stalin, Adolph Hitler denied his subjects access to the truth.
His Third Reich “can be read as a war against memory – an Orwellian falsification of reality...”
(Primo Levi)

10. Nazi Germany
EVER since I have been scrutinizing political events, I have taken a tremendous interest in propagandist activity. I saw that the Socialist-Marxist organizations mastered and applied this instrument with astounding skill. And I soon realized that the correct use of propaganda is a true art which has remained practically unknown to the bourgeois parties.
Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler Volume One - A Reckoning

12. The Setting London, England—aka “Airstrip One”
The year 1984 (but really just sometime in the future – if it helps, think 2120)
Government=totalitarian dictatorship
The Proles: the “subhuman” workers

13. What’s their world like?
All citizens are monitored!
24/7
Telescreens are present in all homes and workplaces.
The government is represented by Big Brother, a figure who “sees everything.”
Citizens also watch each other. Any small facial gesture or sigh can give away their “thoughtcrime.”

14. The human need for freedom
In the society Orwell imagines, people could not:
Love who they want
Work where they want
Walk where they want
Eat what they want
Write anything down
Weren't allowed to have memories

15. What is someone willing to risk for freedom?

16. Things you need to take note of when reading the text:
The “new” language. Any term that is unfamiliar to you should be noted down and defined. At the start of the novel most words are defined or explained.
Words/terms like: newspeak, minitrue, thoughtcrime, proles, Ministry of Love, Hate Week. Doubleplusgood, duckspeak, Oceania

17. A few terms from 1984
Doublethink – the ability to believe two contradictory things at the same time
Newspeak – the language of Oceania
Ingsoc – Oceania’s form of government
Thought crime – thinking anti-party thoughts
Inner Party/Outer party – those closest to Big Brother and those on the outside
Proles – the lower classes who live in a separate part of the city
Oceania – One of the 3 Superstates

18. The Three Superstates

19. Slogans of “The Party”

20. Orwellian?
This word comes directly from Orwell’s writing in It carries a negative connotation and refers to anything involving systematic controlling/monitoring of the individual.

21. Questions to consider as you read
This novel predicted one possible future. Are we closer to 1984 today than we were in 1949?
Who is Big Brother?
In what ways are we watched and monitored today?
What is Orwell’s ultimate message about
Societal apathy?
The use of fear?
Mass manipulation?
Isolation and individualism?

22. Sources:
Information in this PPT was gleaned from Mrs. Ma’s previous ppt, misc teacher information (I am sorry that I have not kept complete sources throughout the years), and the following current sources online: