Summary, character analysis, conflict, and theme of Gerorge Orwell's "1984"

Essay by deazn1A, June 2006

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1. George Orwell's novel, "1984", was published on July 1, 1950 by Penguin Books. The genre is dystopian and it contains 227 pages. I never knew the genre dystopia until I recently did the vocabulary terms, so I did not know what to expect when I first chose the book. Not until the Animal Farm vocabulary words, did I realize that dystopia meant a perfect, classless society that seemed successful with a authoritarian or totalitarian form of government on the outside, but on the inside contained fatal flaws that actually made it completely opposite. Some possible "hallmarks" of this kind of literature include Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Giver by Lois Lowry, The Iron Heel by Jack London, and another one of George Orwell's works that the class will eventually begin, Animal Farm. George Orwell real name is actually Eric Arthur Blair and he was born in India, but raised in England.

At the age of six, Blair was sent to a small Anglican parish school in Henley-on-Thames. He became a very accomplished student and was recommended to one of the most successful preparatory schools in England at the time, St. Cyprian's School, in Eastbourne, Sussex. Blair attended St Cyprian's on a scholarship that allowed his parents to pay only half of the usual fees. After graduating, Blair adopted the pen-name George Orwell just before Down and Out was published. It is unknown exactly why he chose this name. Orwell wrote many essays and novels throughout his life, but none were as successful as Animal Farm and 1984. Orwell died in London at the age of 46 from tuberculosis.

2. Winston Smith is the main character of the story. He is a 39 year old, Caucasian man...