Lecture Notes: "1984" and George Orwell

Introduction to George Orwell

• Name: George Orwell, born Eric Arthur Blair
• Education: Attended a prestigious boys' boarding school in England
  • Studied under Aldous Huxley, who later wrote Brave New World

About "1984"

• Novel: 1984 is a dystopian novel by George Orwell
• Title Consideration: Originally to be titled "The Last Man in Europe"
• Publication Timing: Orwell raced to finish the book while suffering from tuberculosis, died 7 months after publication

Key Themes and Concepts

• Big Brother: All-seeing, all-knowing leader of Oceania
  • Inspired the reality TV show "Big Brother"
• Surveillance State: Constant monitoring of citizens, echoes modern privacy concerns
  • Notably, a surge in book sales after NSA surveillance revelations in 2013
• Thought Police: A concept likely inspired by the Tokko, a Japanese secret police division

Cultural Impact

• 1984 vs. Brave New World: Frequent comparisons with Huxley's work due to shared dystopian themes
• Literary Influence: Influenced by the Russian novel We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
• Influence on Society: Often referenced in discussions about privacy and government surveillance

Interesting Facts

• Film Adaptation: 1984 was adapted into a film starring John Hurt, filmed in the actual year 1984
• Educational Controversy: In 1961, an English teacher in Minnesota was fired for refusing to remove 1984 from reading lists
  • Compromise made to keep book for college preparatory students

Symbolism and Slogans

• 2+2=5: Used by Orwell as an example of falsehood
  • Originally a Communist Party slogan during the implementation of the Five Year Plan (1928-1932)