1. Create a report on the similarities between Orwell’s Oceania and some current or past totalitarian regime. In doing so, consider the role of children and family, the idea of “thoughtcrimes,” the re-creation of history, and the use of propoaganda. 2. Draw a map of the political structure of the […]
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1. Although O’Brien confirms the existence of Big Brother, he refuses to confirm or deny the existence of the Brotherhood. Discuss the role of the Brotherhood in the dynamics of Oceania’s society and in the novel. 2. Orwell wrote 1984 as a warning. Explain what he was warning people about. […]
Read more Study Help Essay QuestionsStudy Help Full Glossary
belfry a bell tower. beseech to ask (someone) earnestly; entreat; implore. bluebells any of various plants with blue, bell-shaped flowers, such as the harebell, Virginia bluebell, etc. blue-bottle a bright, metallic-blue blowfly. bourgeoisie the social class between the aristocracy or very wealthy and the working class, or proletariat; middle class. […]
Read more Study Help Full GlossaryCritical Essays The Mutability of History
One of the issues raised in 1984 is the idea that history is mutable or changeable, that truth is what the Party deems it to be, and that the truths found in history are the bases of the principles of the future. Some Fascist German leaders of the time boasted […]
Read more Critical Essays The Mutability of HistoryCritical Essays The Role of the Author
Orwell lived in a time in which he felt oppressed in terms of his writing — publication was difficult in general, and his important work, Animal Farm, for example, had a difficult time finding a publisher. So it is not hard to see why he made Winston Smith a kind […]
Read more Critical Essays The Role of the AuthorCritical Essays The Purpose of Newspeak
Orwell was sure that the decline of a language had political and economic causes. Although he had no solid proof, he presumed that the languages of countries under dictatorships, such as the Soviet Union or Germany, had deteriorated under their respective regimes. “When the general atmosphere is bad, language must […]
Read more Critical Essays The Purpose of NewspeakCritical Essays The Role of Language and the Act of Writing
Newspeak, the “official” language of Oceania, functions as a devise of extreme Party control: If the Party is able to control thought, it can also control action. In the year 1984, Newspeak is not fully employed, and for good reason; we would not understand the novel otherwise. However, Orwell makes […]
Read more Critical Essays The Role of Language and the Act of WritingGeorge Orwell Biography
Early Years George Orwell is the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair, born in 1903 in Motihari, Bengal, India, during the time of the British colonial rule. Young Orwell was brought to England by his mother and educated in Henley and Sussex at schools. The Orwell family was not wealthy, […]
Read more George Orwell BiographyCharacter Analysis Big Brother and Emmanuel Goldstein
Big Brother and Emmanuel Goldstein are the conceptual leaders of the opposing forces in Oceania: Big Brother is the titular head of Oceania, and Goldstein is the leader of his opponents, the Brotherhood. They are similar in that Orwell does not make clear whether they actually exist. Using doublethink, O’Brien […]
Read more Character Analysis Big Brother and Emmanuel GoldsteinCharacter Analysis O’Brien
O’Brien is a prominent leader in the Inner Party, although his official title is not clear. He seems to be close to Big Brother and may even be part of a collective that makes up Big Brother. O’Brien seems to be a co-conspirator and friend to Winston Smith until the […]
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