This chapter analyzes key themes and phrases from George Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four', focusing on his critique of bureaucratic language and political manipulation. It discusses the social dynamics between the proles and the ruling elite, emphasizing the implications of consciousness and rebellion in a dystopian society. Additionally, the chapter contrasts Orwell's vision with that of Aldous Huxley, exploring the themes of hope, despair, and the fragility of democracy.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss George Orwell's (1903-1950) final novel, published in 1949, set in a dystopian London which is now found in Airstrip One, part of the totalitarian superstate of Oceania which is always at war and where the protagonist, Winston Smith, works at the Ministry of Truth as a rewriter of history: 'Who controls the past,' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.' The influence of Orwell's novel is immeasurable, highlighting threats to personal freedom with concepts he named such as doublespeak, thoughtcrime, Room 101, Big Brother, memory hole and thought police.
With
David Dwan
Professor of English Literature and Intellectual History at the University of Oxford
Lisa Mullen
Teaching Associate in Modern Contemporary Literature at the University of Cambridge
And
John Bowen
Professor of English Literature at the University of York
Producer: Simon Tillotson
In Our Time is a BBC Sounds Audio Production