1. Nineteen Eighty-Four
Orwell’s Dystopia

2. Literary Significance
One of the most influential political novels of our century
Added vocabulary to our everyday speech
Fascinating plot and vivid characters
Although the year 1984 has passed, the questions Orwell leaves us with remain relevant today

3. Themes Dangers of Totalitarianism The Attack on Privacy
The Control of Language
The Destruction of History
The Value of Memory
The Appreciation on the Past
The Fallibility of the Human Mind

4. Symbols/Motif Urban decay (motif) Big Brother Paperweight/rhyme
“The Place Where there is no Darkness”
Red-armed prole woman
Winston’s diary

5. Winston Smith
Late 30s, lonely, in poor health, separated
Alienated by his awareness/intellectual
Rebels - diary/Julia
Needs to understand the past
Afraid of rats
Is broken in the end
"But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother." pg 300

6. Julia Young, beautiful, sensual
Devious – plans trysts and pretends well
Small scale rebellion
Not intellectual
Longs to be feminine
O’Brien says she gives up easily
"she only questioned the teachings of the Party when they in some way touched upon her own life. Often she was ready to accept the official mythology, simply because the difference between truth and falsehood did not seem important to her." pg 154

7. O’Brien Complex/paradoxical
Burly and imposing, wears glasses and adjusts them – “refined”
Tormentor/saviour
''Do you remember writing in your diary …'that it did not matter whether I was a friend or an enemy, since I was at least a person who understood you and could be talked to? You were right. I enjoy talking to you. Your mind appeals to me. It resembles my own mind except that you happen to be insane.' pg. 271

8. Minor Characters of Interest
Syme – represents the Party’s unwillingness to allow unique minds to exist. He is vaporised.
“One of these days, thought Winston with sudden deep conviction, Syme will be vaporized. He is too intelligent… The Party does not like such people”.
Parsons – a typically orthodox man. His imprisonment at the end reinforces the injustice of the system
“…one of those completely unquestioning, devoted drudges on whom…the stability of the Party depended." —pg 22

9. Discussion Topics
Newspeak – use in your essay and discuss as a method of mind control
Proles – Winston/Orwell thinks they might be the only hope
Past artifacts and Winston’s obsession
Expression of energy through 2 mins hate
Telescreens
Winston’s memories and dreams

10. Children are evil – new generation
The inherent contradiction of party slogans
The relationship between Winston and O’Brien
Winston’s betrayal of Julia – the last of his humanity?

11. Key Quotes cont’d
“Thoughtcrime does not entail death: thoughtcrime is death." —pg 27
“Who controls the past …controls the future: who controls the present controls the past." —pg 32
“If there was hope, it must lie in the proles..” – pg 60
“We are the dead”.