George Orwell's 1984 is set in Oceania, which is constantly at war. The story follows Winston Smith as he secretly rebels against the totalitarian rule of the Party. He rents a room from Mrs. Charrington that is not monitored by telescreens, where he can meet his lover Julia without surveillance. They are later betrayed by O'Brien and taken to the Ministry of Love to be "re-educated" and forced to conform. The novel examines the use of propaganda, censorship, and historical revisionism to obtain complete control over citizens.

1. 1984
George Orwell

2. Setting
 Oceania: This is where the story is
based in. It is at war with Eastasia and
Eurasia.
 Mrs. Charrington‟s room: This is rented
by Julia and Winston. It has no
telescreens, hence it was safe for them
to carry out their intimate interests
without being seen by the Party.
 Miniluv: Here the prisoners are
brainwashed and turned in favor of the
party. They maybe killed later, forced to
go to labor camps, or may even be
allowed to mingle with the society.

3. Politics of Britain and 1984
 Orwell had drafted many of the themes
for 1984 from Zamyatin‟s novel “We”,
which revolves around the development
of state in which free will causes
unhappiness, and insinuates that the
public should be controlled by
“mathematical precision based on the
system of industrial efficiency created by
Frederick Winslow Taylor”.
 He had witnessed the distortion of news
and falsification of facts during the
Spansih Civil war so to turn the tide in
the favor of the ruling party. We see a
similar propaganda being promoted in

4.  Language was being warped for political
interests. In an essay entitled " Why I Write ",
written in 1946, he commented : " To write in
plain vigorous language one has to think
fearlessly, and if one thinks fearlessly one
cannot be politically orthodox “. One of the
themes of Nineteen Eighty-Four is the use of
language by the State to gain enhanced
political control over the people who speak it.
 Newspeak was based on the idea held by
many writers of his time that thought is
dependant on words, and if words cannot
express that thought, then it is impossible for
that thought to occur to the people who use
that language. Orwell was against this
notion.

5.  Many aspects of wartime life in ; London
are included in Nineteen Eighty-Four,
one example being of the news film of
the refugees being bombed on the boat.
 The Ministry of Truth building in the novel
was sculpted after the London University
building used during World War II and
BBC's key building.
 His wife's worked for Ministry of Food,
which publicized the consumption of the
“right” kind of food, this gave Orwell the
inspiration for the brief, crisp slogans
used in „1984‟.

6. Characters
 Winston smith – an Outer Party member
of Oceania. The main protagonist
 Julia – Winston‟s comrade
 O‟Brien – Winston‟s ideal until he betrays
him and tortures him in the Ministry of
love. He posed as a member of The
Brotherhood and deceives him, finally
capturing him.
 Big Brother – an important symbol for the
members of the Party. The Party‟s
Leader.
 Syme – Winton‟s friend who was very
orthodox but intelligent, thus vaporized.

7.  Emmanuel Goldstein – the former
leader of the Party but became
ideological and deserted the party to
become the national enemy.

8. Newspeak
 It was the language of Oceania.
 There was a committee set up to
destroy the real English words and
form newspeak words.
 This way the motive of the party – to
abolish feelings and diminish the
sense of comparison, thus preventing
revolt from the crowd – could be
achieved by words like doublethink,
blackwhite and goodthinker.

9. Futurology & Censorship
 The main focus of the ingsoc
principles was for the future and how
to freeze history thus in the future to
retain the present.
 Thus it was necessary for the party to
forger the past records, hamper the
pictures and abolish anything that
does not correspond to the present
and words of Big Brother.

10.  By this process it was made sure that
each fact matched the present and
when the present became past it
would be the same.
 Also the ulterior motive was to prevent
the low class people to revolt as they
would not have anything to compare
their situation with.
 Thus freezing time and making sure
that the high class people remained
on the top, the middle class in the
middle and the low at low positions.

11. Lack of privacy
 There was no real privacy for the
people of Oceania, they could be
inspected without prior notice.
 The members of the party were
scrutinized every minute by a
telescreen which had a camera eye
and was always keeping the people
updated. It served the purpose of
video calls (but permanent and not to
be switched off) and a television.

12. Ministries
 Ministry of Love: It sought to inculcate
affection and loyalty for “Big Brother” by
means of Brainwashing and torture.
 Ministry of Truth: Ironically it was related
with the news and media sector. It‟s
function was to contort the facts and alter
history in a way which would support the
party line.
 Ministry of Peace: It was responsible for
conducting Oceania‟s wars.
 Ministry of Plenty: It controlled whole of
Oceania‟s economy, and was in
command over the inflow of food and
goods.

13. Plot
 The story s about Winston and Julia
and how they encountered each other,
and the difficulties they faced in
communicating and meeting.
 They meet O‟Brien and Winston trusts
him blindly, while he plays along and
traps him and Julia.
 The confessions, betrayal and
acceptance of the party believes and
ingsoc.

14.  He re encounters Julia and they both
confess they have betrayed each
other.
 The novel concludes after Winston
realizes that he actually loved Big
Brother and his party.

15. Living conditions
 The conditions that the inner party
members lived in were exquisite and
luxurious.
 The conditions prevailing in the outer
party members were really down
trodden.
 The conditions of the proles (i.e. the
normal population of Oceania,
consisting of 85% of people) were of
scarcity of food and pitiable living

16.  These conditions were prevailing
among the people so that they do not
acquire education and intelligence,
and in the long run demand more,
creating a rift and threatening the
dominion of the party.

17. Emotional repression & war
hysteria
 In the people the instinct for sexual
pleasure was repressed along with
strong emotional feelings so that the
people can have more enthusiasm for
war and hatred for he enemy.
 Thus they would have little to think
about except hatred and war and
would prevent them coming to sense
and revolting for the bad conditions
prevailing in the country.

18. Political Geography
 Oceania: It comprises of America, Great Britain,
S. Africa, Australia and Ireland.
 Eurasia: It is said that Eurasia came into being
when the Soviet Union conquered the rest of
Europe. In Goldstein‟s book we are told that
Eurasia‟s expansive landscapes act as it‟s
natural defenses. It is also implied that there is a
dispute between Eurasia and Eastasia over the
possession of Mongolia.
 Eastasia: Not much details are given regarding
this super state, as it‟s the smallest and the
newest super state, emerging after the passing
of a decade since the establishment of the two
other.

19. Varicose Ulcer
 varicose ulcer
n. Loss of skin surface in the drainage area of a
varicose vein, usually in the leg, resulting from
stasis and infection.
Credit: The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton
Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
In 1984, Winston has varicose ulcer
which indicates that his body had
grown weak with age, in contrast to
youthful Julia‟s (his love interest).