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An introduction to 1984 by George Orwell. About the Author. George Orwell = a pen name Real name = Eric Blair Born in 1903 in India Educated at a boarding school in England; despised the school’s rigid discipline; felt outraged and oppressed by rules. About the Author (continued).
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An introduction to 1984 by George Orwell
About the Author • George Orwell = a pen name • Real name = Eric Blair • Born in 1903 in India • Educated at a boarding school in England; despised the school’s rigid discipline; felt outraged and oppressed by rules
About the Author (continued) • Orwell skipped college and joined the British Imperial Police (in Burma, India); hated this job because as an officer, people feared him • Volunteered on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War, which is where he gained much insight that inspired him to write very political novels • Orwell was shot in the throat by a sniper during this war, but he survived; suffered a few weeks of paralysis in his throat (maybe why there are no recordings of him talking?)
About the Author (last one) • Orwell despised his duties as an officer in the British Imperial Police; quit and fled to England to write • Struggled as a writer; both Animal Farm and 1984 were difficult to get published in both England and the U.S. • Died in 1950 during a “routine surgery” after suffering from tuberculosis
Setting of 1984 • Set in Oceania (a fictionalized version of London, England) • Set in 1984 (a futuristic setting since the novel was written and published in 1948-49) • Set in the context of a totalitarian government • The proles (the proletarians, or commoners) are under the control of a mysterious man called Big Brother, who is never seen in person.
Characters • Winston Smith: main character; a minor member of the Party; 39 years old; a dreamer of sorts • Julia: the dark-haired girl Winston is mesmerized with; also a Party member • O’Brien: a mysterious member of the Party with whom Winston is also mesmerized, believing him to be special for several reasons
Characters (continued) • Big Brother: the ruler of Oceania; never actually seen in the book; may not even exist • Mr. Charrington: old man who runs a secondhand store in the prole district (proles are proletariats, or the commoners/lower class) • Syme: an intelligent man who works with Winston; specializes in langauge
Characters (last one) • Parsons: Winston’s fat, obnoxious neighbor; also a Party member • Emmanuel Goldstein: according to Big Brother, he is a legendary leader of the Brotherhood; never seen in the novel; seems to be a Party leader who fell out of favor with the regime; an enemy of Big Brother