1984 Background Information
1. Dystopian novel: opposite of a utopian novel. Written by Orwell as a warning
against government controlled totalitarian society. Depicts the worse possible
aspects of this idea in order to underscore his points.
II. The world of 1984: divided into three superstates-Oceania (where Winston
lives), Eastasia, and Eurasia all engaged in perpetual warfare over the disputed
territories. Oceania: Great Britain, Ireland Australia, Polynesia, Southern Africa, and the
Americas.
Eurasia (Neo-Bolshevism)- continental Europe and Northern Asia.
Eastasia (Obliteration of the self or Death worship): China, Japan, Korea, and
Northern India.
The World of 1984
III. Politically, Oceania is governed by four ministries with the governmental
figurehead being "Big Brother". The Newspeak term for Oceania's form of
government is Incsoc (English Socialism).
Posters around Oceania.
Ministry of Peace (Minipax): conducts Oceania's perpetual warfare .
Ministry of Plenty (Miniplenty): responsible for controlling food and goods and
their production. Minplenty claims to be raising the standard of living in Oceania,
but constantly undermines its own intended purpose by creating a shortage of
the basic necessities.
Ministry of Truth (Minitrue): the propaganda arm of Oceania's regime. They
control information, news, entertainment, education, and the fine arts. Winston
Smith works in the records department "rectifying" historical records and
newspaper articles to make them conform to Big Brother's most recent
pronouncements, thus making everything the party says true.
Minstry of Love ( Miniluv): the agency responsible for the identification,
monitoring, arrest, and torture of anyone considered a "dissident" by Big Brother.
IV. Newspeak: the official language of Oceania. The purpose of Newspeak is not
only to provide a medium of expression for the world view and mental habits
proper to the devotees of Ingsoc, but to make all deviating modes of thought
impossible. The ultimate goal of Newspeak is to strip the English language bare of
multiple words that express similar ideas, thereby eliminating all unnecessary
emotion from the citizens' vocabulary.
V. Doublethink: the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind
simultaneously, and accepting both of them. For example, Doublethink requires a
loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands it. It also
means the ability to believe that black is white, and more, to know that black is
white, and to forget that one has ever believed to the contrary.
VI. The society of 1984:
Class structure of Ingsoc
Inner Party: (less than 5% of the population) privileged members of society who
have more luxuries than any other segment of the population. They control all of
the decision making power and are dependent on the lower groups. Oligarchy: a small group that controls the power and authority in society.
Outer party: ( about 10% of the population-Winston's group) the middle class
who live in relative squalor compared to Inner Party members and are
responsible for the day-to-day menial work in Oceania.
Proles (short for proletariat or worker- 85% of the population) seem to have the
most freedom as they do not have to adhere to the strict rules and thinking of
the Party. They are allowed to have close intimate relationships, yet their poverty
and ignorance really keep them enslaved as they are completely unaware of their
freedom. Big Brother promotes and supports various vices for the Proles in
order to keep them busy, and in their minds, happy.
VI. Party slogans are all paradoxes:
The Three Paradoxical Slogans of Big Brother.