Dystopia: A futuristic, imagined universe in which oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, technological, moral, or totalitarian control. Dystopias, through an exaggerated worst-case scenario, make a criticism about a current trend, societal norm, or political system.
Dystopia: A futuristic, imagined universe in which oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, technological, moral, or totalitarian control. Dystopias, through an exaggerated worst-case scenario, make a criticism about a current trend, societal norm, or political system.
Listen to this course's companion podcast to help make sense of everything you find published here
This week we are going to engage in a short research project in order to shore up some of our knowledge around the periods that Nineteen Eighty-Four covers. This is all in pursuit of the key inquiry: how does Nineteen Eighty-Four help us to define the genre “Dystpian Literary Fiction”?
These articles all take a different angle on Nineteen Eighty-Four, but what they have in common is their acknowledgement of George Orwell’s prescience. It could be said that his only mistake is that he got the date wrong…
This week we continue our analysis of Nineteen Eighty-Four. We will expand our exploration of Marxist Literary Theory and you’ll be asked to work with another student to develop a presentation looking into an aspect of the context of the novel.
This advertisement, aired during the Super Bowl in 1984 shows Apple’s advertising agency tapping into the Cold War anxieties about totalitarianism to present it’s new computer products. How does this ad appear to us now Apple has become one of the world’s largest multinational companies?
This week we begin our analysis of Nineteen Eighty-Four in Earnest. We explore the historical contexts of the novel, you will be introduced to Marxist Literary Theory and we will examine opportunities for further reading.
An introduction to Marxist criticism including a starting sample of ‘what Marxist literary critics do’
Fragments of historical information to put into context the social/historical norms at the time George Orwell wrote “Nineteen Eighty-Four”
Further reading to enhance your appreciation of the dystopian Genre. Use the links to download a copy onto your phone and computer so you can read these (or at least one of them) at your leisure.
Your focus over the holiday break should be on completing your reading of our core text, Nineteen Eighty-Four.
After yesterday’s excellent conference, we’re all in a good place to move forward. Here’s today’s plan.