1984 - Discussion on its symbols & its relation to Nazism, Stalinism, and Ingsoc?
These are two main discussion topics I thought might be interesting. Feel free to add any others that may be related:
Symbols
Some symbolic concepts/objects I thought we could discuss:
- The Brotherhood & Goldstein's book
- Fragile Glass Paperweight
- Winston's Diary
- Relationship between Winston & Julia
- Newspeak
- Ingsoc
Relation to Nazism and Stalinism
I was reading a Foreward for Brave New World which happened to describe the differences between the two books as:
"He [George Orwell] was writing about the forbidding, part-alien experience of Nazism and Stalinism, whereas Huxley was locating disgust and menace in the very things - the new toys of materialism, from cars to contraceptives - that were becoming everyday pursuits."
When I read this I had to pause and wonder about for a bit before I could see a connection. What I noticed is that 1984 focuses on a world whose people are faced with a system of totalitarianism - it fails to provide for its citizens (the inner and outer party members, etc.). However, is that the only link? If so, then what role does the proles play in this novel?
Further, how does the Eastasia-Eurasia-Oceania conflict come into the picture? We realize that they're warring for the sole purpose of draining resources since they believe that people leading a luxurious life will revolt, so is this just another form of oppression?
Lastly, but most importantly, how is the concept of Ingsoc incorporated into the book, and what is Orwell trying to tell us in the end?