Introductory Information

Question 1

when was 1984 first published?

Answer 1

written by George Orwell

first published in 1949

Question 2

what is 1984 commonly seen as a warning against? what does it reflect?

Answer 2

1984 was commonly seen as a warning about the strength of state control and the drift towards a totalitarian dictatorship

it reflects the despair of the Great Depression of the 1930s, links to how totalitarianism threatened to engulf Europe and the rise of communism as a threat to liberal democracy

Orwell’s depiction of a modern single party dictatorship is both critical of society and satirical

the messages of the book are still relevant to this day as there are still plenty of dictatorships, many religious movements that use brainwashing tactics like O’Brien and thousands of people that are oppressed, both politically and socially — this is what makes it so alarmingly believable

Question 3

what narrative techniques and used and what is the effect of this?

Answer 3

Winston is a focaliser — the story is from his viewpoint, but he is not narrating the story himself, this gives an insight into his thoughts and feelings

third person narration (limited omniscient) is used with free indirect discourse — we see events from Winston’s viewpoint and many sentences seem to echo his thoughts and emotions, but it is not his ‘voice’ narrating

creates distance between the reader and Winston, discouraging us from completely identifying with him — detached narrative

but we are also able to track and be involved in Winston’s changing thoughts and feelings, rather than just being given information

Question 4

1984 depicts a speculative, dystopian world BUT there are many references that readers in Orwell’s day would’ve immediately recognised…..

Answer 4

Big Brother poster — Lord Kitchener (Your Country Needs YOU!) recruitment poster of 1914

Two Minutes Hate — inversion of the two minutes silence

descriptions of London — highly reminiscent of the 1940s, during and after the war (bomb sites, power cuts, rationing, etc)

Ministry of Truth — Ministry of Information in the University of London during WW2, whose telegram address was ‘Miniform’, seems to resemble the appearance and size of the Ministry of Truth

Question 5

what is 1984 satirical of?

Answer 5

1984 is critical but also satirical — Orwell often exaggerates human failings for purposes of social commentary

caricatures religious and political fanaticism — the ritual, chant-like Two Minutes Hate is an example of this

as well as Britain now being known as ‘Airstrip One’, no longer important in its own right other than its military value, which may be satirical of Britain’s changing place in the international order

Question 6

what is Winston’s diary written in and what is the effect of this?

Answer 6

Winston’s diary is written in first person, allowing the reader to learn more about his direct thoughts and feelings

our understanding of his character deepens as the diary gives us detailed insights that we may not have gotten if the whole book was written in third person

he clearly struggles to express his personal thoughts because he is unfamiliar with doing so — the state forbids such freethinking, which is seen in how parts of his diary are reduced to semi-literacy

Question 7

what was the book originally meant to be called?

Answer 7

The Last Man in Europe