1984

 Nineteen Eighty-four - George Orwell

Nineteen Eighty-four, also published as 1984, novel by English author George Orwell published in 1949 as a warning against totalitarianism. The chilling dystopia made a deep impression on readers, and his ideas entered mainstream culture in a way achieved by very few books. The book’s title and many of its concepts, such as Big Brother and the Thought Police, are instantly recognized and understood, often as bywords for modern social and political abuses.

Orwell wrote Nineteen Eighty-four as a warning after years of brooding on the twin menaces of Nazism and Stalinism. Its depiction of a state where daring to think differently is rewarded with torture, where people are monitored every second of the day, and where party propaganda trumps free speech and thought is a sobering reminder of the evils of unaccountable governments. Winston is the symbol of the values of civilized life, and his defeat is a poignant reminder of the vulnerability of such values in the midst of all-powerful states. (Source)

Genre Study:

Dystopian Literature & Orwellian

• Worksheet - 1: Understanding Dystopia and Orwellian

Movie Adaptations (Source)

• Worksheet - 2: Screening Film Adaptation of George Orwell's 1984

(1) 1984 (1956)

Director: Michael Anderson

Notable Cast: Edmond O’Brien, Jan Sterling, Michael Redgrave, Donald Pleasence

The first film adaptation of 1984 was a British production released in 1956, directed by Michael Anderson and starring Edmond O'Brien, Jan Sterling, Michael Redgrave, and Donald Pleasence. The 1956 film remained faithful to the themes and story of the novel, but made many changes to plot points and characters, combining, rearranging, and replacing elements of the novel in order to make a clearer storyline. Additionally, the characters of O’Brien and Goldstein are renamed O’Conner and Calidor. While well-received, this movie never became a hit.

(2) 1984 (1984)

Director: Michael Radford

Notable Cast: John Hurt, Richard Burton, Suzanna Hamilton

The second film adaptation was released in the actual year 1984, directed by Michael Radford and starring John Hurt, Richard Burton, and Suzanna Hamilton.

This adaptation remained more faithful to the plot of the novel, although it 

diverged significantly in its ending. In the film, Winston’s confession is broadcast 

publicly after he is released from the Ministry of Love. While the film—like the 

novel—ends with Winston encountering an image of Big Brother, the film seems to

indicate that the image instills shame, regret, or grief in Winston, while the image in

the novel instills love for Big Brother. Like its predecessor, this adaptation was 

well-received, but not a major hit.

Online Test - Check your understanding of the novel

Video Resources

 

Crash Course - 1

   

Crash Course - 2

   

Newspeak

   

Video Summary

   

Summary of the novel

   

1984 - BBC-Why it still matters?

   

How to recognize a Dystopia?

   

What is Orwellian?

   

Introduction by Students

   

Orwellian Explained