george orwell & the writing of 1984
TRANSCRIPT
GEORGE ORWELL & THE WRITING OF 1984
a brief look at how politics and culture shaped creation of the famous novel
bio
Born Eric Blair in Bengal, 1903 British colony at the
time of his childhood Joined Imperial Indian
Police of Burma due to lack of funds for university education First up close
experience with imperialism “Shooting an Elephant” & Burmese Days
Pen name adopted in 1933, demonstrating deep connection to English culture and countryside
bio
1936: Orwell joins a sister army for the Republican Popular front during the Spanish Civil War Prompts the writing of “Homage to Catalonia,”
further reflecting Orwell’s opinions of social class & nationalism
Living and observing a “fear state,” experiences with secret police
Constant connection with war, fascist regimes, and totalitarian government led to the writing of Animal Farm and 1984
historical context of 1984 Published in London on 8 June
1949 General foundation of the novel
conceived in early to mid 1940s wake of WWI, WWII, the
Holocaust, and the onset of the Cold War propaganda, paranoia
Notes on Nationalism (1945), Politics and the English Language (1946) Published in a post WWII society emphasizing
dangers of offensive nationalism (BIG BROTHER), vague and easily manipulated language (propaganda Ministry of Truth)
impetus for 1984 & cultural references
sources
"Biography of George Orwell." George Orwell Biography. Web. 27 Feb. 2012. <http://www.george-orwell.org/l_biography.html>.
DANGERS OF TOTALITARIANISM
PSYCHOLOGICAL MANIPULATION
USE OF TECHNOLOGY FOR CONTROL
LANGUAGE AS A MEANS OF CONTROL
CHANGES IN HISTORY