GEORGE ORWELL

GEORGE ORWELL

Vita:

Born in Bengal, in the british empire. Suffered sense of anxiety over the expectations of his parents. Moved to London, Paris, Spain . contrast with his family: very rich / his interest for poor people. Was a journalist. Interested in social aspect of life - social themes in his works.

Utopia:

Utopia tradition with Plato, Thomas More, Swift, Bacon - turned to dystopia - gloomy vision of failure.

Works:

animal farm (1944), 1984 (1948-9), down and out in paris and London, homage to catalonia (civil war - positive and negative effects on orwell).

Animal farm: + testo del discorso del porco (tutto come prima)

A political fable in the form of an allegory. Ref. to Russian revolution, allegorical names: marx, stalin, Trotsky. It's a satire on totalitarism. Importance of the 7 commandments.

Themes: struggle between humans and animals (war against any form of exploitation), the danger of proanda, danger of personality cult, manipulation of the masses, control of language as a political instrument (commandments)

Language: clear and precise instrument of communication - no experimentalism. Political language.

dystopian novel, probably inspired by the presence of wiston Churchill (last name of the protagonist), written after ww2.

Importance of the rebellion by wiston smith, an intellectual.

Destruction of words is seen as the dissolving of thinking and of human's identity, capacity of judgement. Standard way of thinking. Pessimism expressed by orwell. New speak against old speek.

Big brother is the boss who always controls you obsessively, with the thought police. External pain of the character is the expression of an inner sorrow. Symbolic importance of the mirror (identity) and of the ministry of truth (the imposed truth). Loss of memory and identity. Autobiographic references (war).