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
Movie Adaptations (Source)
(1) 1984 (1956)
Director: Michael Anderson
Notable Cast: Edmond O’Brien, Jan Sterling, Michael Redgrave, Donald Pleasence
The first film adaptation of 1984
(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 toindicate that the image instills shame, regret, or grief in Winston, while the image inthe 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
God is Power | 1984 | George Orwell
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.
