The Mysteries of History (June 8 Edition)
George Orwell's 1984
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” — Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana, 1905
“He is free to evade reality, he is free to unfocus his mind and stumble blindly down any road he pleases, but not free to avoid the abyss he refuses to see.” — Alice O’Connor, 1961
1949 — George Orwell’s “1984” Published
public domain image from wikimedia commons
On this date in 1949, Eric Arthur Blair (1903-1950), known by his nom de guerre George Orwell, published his dystopian and highly influential novel 1984, depicting life under a totalitarian, repressive regime.
Blair/Orwell was previously chiefly known as an essayist and the author of the 1945 novella Animal Farm, which was written during and published just before the end of World War 2.
1984 was required reading (and, based on my experience, much enjoyed and appreciated by students) and contributed many catchphrases and quotes for our use, such as, “Newspeak,” “The Thought Police,” “Big Brother” referring to the surveillance State, as in, “Big Brother Is Watching You,” “In the end, the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it,” “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stomping on a human face– forever.”
public domain image from wikimedia commons
Questions: Have you read 1984? If yes, how many times, and when was the most recent time? Have you read Orwell’s Animal Farm?
