questions about 1984. please help

[AudioPh1x]

what would you say the central conflict of the book is??
also...whats the signifigance of the title?
thank you for your help.

[puppyshoes]

First, Orwell was a Socialist, we must understand where he was coming from. 1984, in the far future when written, showed the total dehumanization and degradation of humanity. Orwell was an atheist, but even so he knew that within all people there is that spark, that desire to be fully human. Read "Brave New World."

[The Atheist]

what would you say the central conflict of the book is??

Have you read it?

The central premise of the book is that absolute power corrupts absolutely; the main conflicts are centred around Winston - his struggle with himself in rebelling and then Winston vs The Party.


also...whats the signifigance of the title?

That's an oft-asked question and there are a variety of possible responses. That it was written in 1948 may be significant, or it could just be a number that Orwell pulled out of the air. Given the way Orwell is believed to have chosen his own name, the 1948 link is attractive, but I prefer to attempt logic with it and look at what Orwell would have thought. He knew the book would be published in 1949.

Orwell had to allow a long time lapse between the end of WWII and the book for several reasons: the technology he used didn't exist - it had to become not just publicly available, but universal; there had to be sufficient time to allow for most adults to have grown up with no memory at all of before Party rule, and Winston's own time frame within his memories in the book place limits on when it could be.

Accordingly, the time frame of 35 years from publication to the events described could just as easily have been an estimate based upon what Orwell thought could happen under his scenario.

Take your pick, as far as I'm aware, Orwell didn't make any statements about the date himself, so nobody can prove you wrong!


Orwell was an atheist, but even so he knew that within all people there is that spark, that desire to be fully human.

This makes no sense at all, sorry.

Atheism makes no comment on humans or humanity.