The time had come…

1. The time had come… • In 1948 when Orwell’s 1984 was published, World War II had just ended. One of England’s allies was Russia which was ruled by a cruel dictator named Joseph Stalin.

2. Totalitarian Regime • A totalitarian regime is a political system where ordinary people have no power and are completely controlled by the government. • Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Mao Tse-tung, Benito Mussolini, and Francisco Franco are a few examples during WWII.

3. Stalin • Joseph Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920s to his death in 1953. When he joined the Boslhviks, he took on the name of "Stalin", which means "Man of Steel" in Russian. He ruled with an iron fist, and was famous for his midnight purges: he would round up hundreds of citizens at a time and murder them in deserted areas as Oceania citizens are vaporized. Stalin’s victims where his imagined enemies, such as political dissidents, artist, or Jews. Stalin attempted to suppress all opposition through a bureaucratic and arbitrary network of terror. Scholarly estimates of the death toll under Stalin's leadership vary widely, with the average numbers about twenty million over a period of some twenty-three years.

4. Other Totalitarian Regimes • Meanwhile Adolf Hitler, in Germany, had slaughtered his enemies as well in the end killing six million Jews plus nine millions Slavs, gypsies, political dissidents, homosexuals and mentally challenged people. In China Mao Tse-tung was fighting for communism against the Chinese national forces under Chiang Kai-shek. Mao would finally defeat the nationalists in 1949 and begin a long oppressive Totalitarian regime.

5. Dictators continued • Other dictators of the time included Francisco Franco in Spain and Benito Mussolini in Italy. These oppressive rulers controlled citizens through propaganda and violence. This state of affairs prompted Orwell to create Big Brother, the ultimate totalitarian leader who dominates all political, social and economic activities.

6. 1984 the bitter protest against the nightmarish future and corruption of truth and free speech in the modern word. • Britannia has become Airstrip One in the super-state Oceania, which is controlled by Big Brother and the Party. "The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power."(From Nineteen Eighty-Four) • The Party's agents constantly rewrite history. • The official language is Newspeak, and the society is dominated by such slogans as "War is Peace", "Freedom is Slavery", "Ignorance is Strength." • Goldstein with his book is plotting against Oceania, and a target of a hate period.

7. Winston – our hero • The hero, Winston Smith, a minor Party operative believes that O'Brien, a member of the Inner Party, is not sympathetic to Big Brother. O'Brien enrolls him and Julia in a conspiracy. One day Winston is arrested by the Thought Police, tortured and brainwashed. O'Brien directs Winston's torture and rehabilitation and tells that Goldstein is the invention of the Party. His spirit broken, Winston learns to love Big Brother. Winston and Julia meet briefly one day, they both have gone through the process and have lost their former love for each other. Some critics have related Smith's sufferings to those the author underwent at preparatory school - Winston is finally broken by rats. Orwell has said that the book was written "to alter other people's idea of the kind of society they should strive after."

8. Ministries and their duties • Ministry of truth (Minitrue) – concerned itself with news, entertainment, education, and fine arts-recreating the past/falsifying records. • Ministry of Peace (Minipax) – concerned itself with war – always at war with either Eurasia or Eastasia. • Ministry of Plenty (Miniplenty) – responsible for economic affairs – distribution of food, rationing, etc.. • Ministry of Love (Miniluv) – maintained law and order through torture, brainwashing and manipulation.

9. Quotable quotes • Under the spreading chestnut tree I sold you and you sold me, here lie they, here lie we, under the spreading chestnut tree. • Freedom is the freedom to say two plus two is four. • We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness

10. Slogan sayings • Ignorance is strength • freedom is slavery • war is peace. • big brother is watching you

11. Quotable quotes • Oranges and lemons says the bells of saint Clemens. • Down with big brother. • Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. • If there is hope it lies in the proles

12. Quotable Quotes • perhaps you might pretend, that it was only a trick and that you just said it to make them stop and didn’t really mean it. But that isn’t true. • You want it to happen to the other person. You don’t give a damn what they suffer. All you care about is yourself. • Thought crime was not a thing that could be concealed forever . . . Sooner or later they were bound to get you.” • In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it. • Here comes a chopper to chop off your head.”

13. Quotable Quote • We are the dead,” she replies calmly, “We’re not dead yet.” • Four! Five! Four! Anything you like. Only stop it! Stop the pain. • Do it to Julia. • He had won the victory over himself. He loved big brother.

14. Utopia/Dystopia • Utopia – An ideally perfect place, especially in its social, political, and moral aspects, • Dystopia – An imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror. • How does Orwell uses these in 1984 to comment on the way he saw world politics. Find examples.

15. Dystopia/Utopia • Brainstorm the answer to the following question: • How does Orwell uses the theme of Dystopia/utopia to comment on the way he saw world politics in 1984? Find examples. Discuss…

16. Dystopia or Utopia? • ● He feared the world / government of the future. • ● How political authority might gain ultimate power over its citizens • ● No identity – hate week, two minute hate. • ● No expression – face crime, thought crime, newspeak • ● No privacy- telescreens, monitored, microphones • ● No freedom – thought crime, newspeak, face crime • ● No emotions except fear • ● Parson’s daughter turning in her father • ● Skull faced man telling officer they can kill his whole family in front of him it won’t bother him as long as he doesn’t go to room 101 • ● Wars, dictators, powerful, cruel, murderers – you’re killed for your thoughts “vaporized” • ● Language control – newspeak “narrowing language” and thoughts.

17. Fear/war/conflict • Brainstorm a list of answers/events to answer the following question: • In what ways are the characters in 1984 affected by fear? • Find examples. • Discuss…

18. Fear/War and Conflict – In what ways are the characters affected by fear? • ● Repression of government • ● Torture – Room 101 • ● Brainwashing – 2 minutes of hate • ● Betrayal of Julia because of fear and betrayal of Winston because of fear. • ● Conflict between ministry of love’s name and its duty. • ● Internal conflict of Winston. He loves Julia but he betrays her. “Do it to Julia” • ● Conflict between O’Brien and Winston. Individual vs. society • ● People are being suppressed by fear and being controlled. Fear of death and physical pain. • Syme has vanished because he thinks too much. Winston tortured in room 101 because • He didn’t repress his ideas about the government. • ● Even though Oceania is at war, no one is aware except for the proles. And because they don’t actually know what is going on at the war – only what they are told. They are desensitized to feelings, not affected by war. They don’t see the worst part of war. • ● Many people have internal conflicts – their ideas are being suppressed. Ex: doublethink • fear of war and existence of war also keeps people together. People are accepting to be under Big brother’s power because of war. “War should be continuous to govern a society” • ● Skull faced man telling officer they can kill his whole family in front of him it won’t bother him as long as he doesn’t go to room 101

19. Rebellion • Brainstorm some responses to the following question: • In what ways does Orwell have his characters rebel? • Examples • What are they rebelling against – do not limit to politics. • Discuss…

20. Rebellion – what ways does Orwell have his characters rebel? What are they rebelling against – do not limit to politics. • ● eating real chocolate, drinking real coffee • ● having sex • ● writing in diary –expressing thoughts • ● trying to remember and discover the past – Bell of st. Clements rhyme • ● Bonding with someone – Julia and Winston fall in love • ● wearing things like make-up and high heeled shoes b/c not party uniform • ● Hiding from telescreens, cameras and microphones

21. Rebellion continued… • Betrayal even between family members – Parson’s family • ● Syme – newspeak – his is clever and he thinks a lot – people shouldn’t think - leaves the word God in a poem – Winston says he is too intelligent and will be vaporized one day. • ● Winston – thinking, diary writing, betrays Julia, has sexual relationship, responsible for family situation – rebellion against family – Parson’s daughter • ● Julia – sex with many, betrayal of Winston • ● Parson’s daughter – turns in own father – family relationships • ● Goldstein, symbol of rebellion against party and their ideas – 2 minute hate • ● Ample forth, syme, parsons, Winston, skull faced man – rebel against political authority

22. Power/authority/dangers of Totalitarianism • Brainstorm in what ways the lives of the characters in 1984 are affected by a government that is too powerful. • Examples • Discuss…

23. Power/authority/dangers of Totalitarianism – what ways the lives of characters in 1984 affected by a government that is too powerful. Examples • ● Parson’s family system. There is no such thing called love in the family because the party uses children in junior spy league and by doing that they destroy any feeling related with love. • ● Party does not want people to think. This means that they restrict their actions and feelings (hate/love) – • ● Manipulation of documentation and information - ex: chocolate sales – they announce chocolate is going to be cheaper – actually they increase the cost. • ● Limiting thoughts to non-existent – two minute hate: they automatically yell, and scream without questioning the action or what their hate is towards. • ● Use of language – unable to express idea, simplifying it is order to limit the freedom of thought. • ● Double think and the manipulation of words. People don’t know what is going on, not sure about the past b/c it has been changed. • ● Memory hole: history constantly destroyed

24. Continued… • ● Limiting freedoms and rights • ● Brain washing • ● Torture • ● monitoring – people watched all the time, they don’t act like themselves they don’t’ have personalities, fear is their lifestyle (thought police, telescreens, “big brother is watching” • ● destroying of past • ● Breakdown of family relationships

25. Appearance vs. Reality • Brainstorm examples of appearance vs. reality – In 1984. • Things are not always as they seem. What is the underlying message that Orwell is making. • Find examples. • Discuss…

26. Appearance vs. Reality • ● O’Brien (seems like he is on Winston’s side and part of the brotherhood – we learn he is on Big Brother’s side) • ● Goldstein (he is the one who talks about real freedom – shown as the enemy) • ● Anti-sex league and sash (Julia likes sex) • People can be safe like Parson’s who Winston believes will never be vaporized, but in the end it turned over for thought crime. • There is hope…Winston in the end is turned and loves big brother.