“Nineteen Eighty Four”, by George Orwell

An Introduction

Contents1. George Orwell – Biographical Information2. Timeline of Key Historical Events

Surrounding “Nineteen Eighty Four”3. Political Context

a) Hitler’s Germanyb) Stalin’s U.S.S.R.

4. Cultural Impact5. Main themes

George Orwell – Biographical Information

• George Orwell (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English writer.

• He spent most of his time in Great Britain, although lived and worked in India before returning to Britain, where he focused on his writing.

• His work is marked by:– a profound awareness of social

injustice; – an intense dislike of totalitarianism; – and a passion for clarity in language.

• He wrote works in many different genres including fiction, journalism, memoir and critical essays.

• His most famous works are two novels: “Animal Farm” (1945) and “Nineteen Eighty-Four” (1949).

• He wrote 1984 “to alter other people’s idea of the kind of society they should strive after.”

“Nineteen Eighty Four” – Timeline of Events

1903 – George Orwell (christened Eric Arthur Blair) is born.

1939-1944 – World War Two

Mid-1940s – The Cold War begins

1948 – Orwell completes writing “Nineteen Eighty Four” (published in 1949)

1950 – George Orwell dies of tuberculosis, aged 46.

1950s – Television sets became popular in the UK.

1984 – The year in which the events of the novel are set.

1990s – Closed-circuit television surveillance was popularised in the UK.

Hitler’s Germany• Adolf Hitler was the leader of Germany

from 1934-1945. • His political party were the National

Socialists, more commonly referred to as the Nazi party.

• Some of the defining characteristics of Nazi party were:1. A dictatorship system of government.2. Extensive use of propaganda to

promote a positive view of the government and a negative view of its enemies.

3. The use of a secret police force to maintain the obedience of the public.

4. The persecution of a range of groups of society, particularly the Jewish race.

5. An aggressive foreign policy, resulting in World War Two.

Stalin’s U.S.S.R.• Joseph Stalin was the leader of the Soviet

Union (consisting of Russia and many other eastern European countries) from 1929–1953.

• His political regime in the Soviet Union is now referred to as Stalinism.

• Some of the most typical characteristics of Stalinism were:1. A dictatorship system of government.2. Extensive use of propaganda to

promote a positive view of the government and a negative view of its enemies.

3. The establishment of a personality cult.4. The use of a secret police force to

maintain the obedience of the public.

5. A series of purges, whereby millions of people who were seen to be a threat to Stalin’s government were executed or exiled to labour camps.

Stalin and Hitler – Propaganda Posters

Cultural Impact“Big Brother”

– A term used to describe any overly-inquisitive or overly-controlling authority figure, or attempts by government to increase surveillance.

“Room 101”– A term used to describe a place where unpleasant things are

kept. “The Thought Police”

– A term used to describe a system of law enforcement where people are punished before they commit a crime, as it is assumed that it is their intention to go on to commit the crime anyway.

“Orwellian”– A term used to describe a society or system of government that

seems to the reflect the type of society/government evident in Orwell’s novel “1984”.

Major Themes

1. The Dangers of Totalitarianism

2. Language as a form of Mind Control

3. Technology

4. Control of Information and History

5. Psychological Manipulation

6. Physical Control