Orwell's Evidence

[m4nboston4e]

The book 1984 is obviously one that is trying to predict the future. Orwell based his writing upon what was happening at the time and by what had happened in the past. What specific events and/or people heavily contributed to Orwell's rather pessimistic prediction of the year 1984 (and the future in general?)

[kevinthediltz]

He didn't write it to predict, he wrote it to warn. And its not so pessimistic. Look at the way the North Koreans look at Kim Jong Ill. Startlingly similar to the idea of big brother.

[The Atheist]

The book 1984 is obviously one that is trying to predict the future.

Nope. Not even slightly.

I understand the error in thinking that, but it's wrong. Orwell wasn't Nostradamus - as kevin noted, the book is a lesson aganist totalitarianism, not a prediction, although some parts of it seem predictive.


Orwell based his writing upon what was happening at the time and by what had happened in the past. What specific events and/or people heavily contributed to Orwell's rather pessimistic prediction of the year 1984 (and the future in general?)

Well, since we are condemned as a species to repeat the errors of the past, basing a book on them to warn the future seems pretty sensible.

I'm pretty sure the 1984 time was just an arbitrary date using simple arithmetic - the year at the time, 1948, plus a dozen years for the next war to start and finish, then a couple of dozen for Winston's post-childhood life. 1948 + 36 = 1984.

I'm reasonably confident it is that simple.