2 directions – terrible things happen to characters and
◦A) they escape their fate◦B) the “establishment” wins”
◦ Act 1 Exposition which establishes parameters of society Event at end introduces conflict
◦ Act 2 Rising action Attempts by main character to escape or change
society Climax at the end - one side or other must win
◦ Act 3 The aftermath – theme derived from resolution Escape successful/society changed vs. failure
POV - Inside Representative of powerful; those in control Typical citizen- happy or blissfully unaware
◦ Patriotic & can’t comprehend dissatisfaction◦ Naively take for granted the way things are◦ Passive/philosophical – understand, but no need
or point in change At least one disenfranchised who desires
escape/change◦ Begin w/+ feelings, high rank◦ Begin w/desire to change but feel powerless
Individual worth nothing more than value as part of government machine
Power can reside in a single dictator or larger organization
Forms of control include means of communication, education, mass media, pop culture, military, society
Controlling group uses pop culture to distract members
Controlling body uses a scapegoat to deflect blame for suffering
Born Eric Blair in Bengal, India Attended prestigious prep school Eton
◦ on scholarship◦ unpopular◦ skeptical of English class system
Joined British Civil Service◦ Imperial Police stationed in Burma◦ resigned in 1927
Lived in poverty Poverty as punishment for his job in Burma
◦ oppressive British government
means that it expresses a pessimistic view of a dull, uniform world where every aspect of life is controlled and organized by the State
Spanish Civil War ◦ evidence of the falsification of news ◦ invention of false news◦ " I saw history being written not in terms of
what happened but of what ought to have happened, according to the party ; this kind of thing is frightening to me. If a leader says of such-and-such an event that it never happened - well, it never happened. If he says that two and two are five -well, two and two are five. "
Twisted and corrupted for political ends language controls people Newspeak
◦ restrictive◦ no word = no ability to comprehend concept