What Does "Orwellian" Mean?
“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” -Orwell, 1984
When people call something “Orwellian,” they're referring to the controlling government in 1984.
When you hear this term, remember:
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it can refer to any powerful individual, not just a group.
Big Brother is Watching You
“There are no private lives...Everything is public.” -Philip K. Dick, dystopian author
1984 focuses on warning against surveillance and control by the government- think “Big Brother is Watching You.”
What do you think are the risks of living in a watched world?
Before you decide, consider that:
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Commercial surveillance is everywhere. We pay good money to stay accessible.
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Surveillance society is increasingly common, meaning people are getting used to it.
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Technology advances faster than regulations.
ACTIVITY:
Create Your Own Dystopia
“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” -Orwell, 1984
Which elements of society would you draw upon to create a worst-case-scenario future?
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Define Dystopias. Dystopian fiction takes aspects of a problematic society and amplifies them to create dark, unsettling views of the future.
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Identify and review the defining characteristics of dystopian worlds, like a controlling, pervasive force and a trapped, doubtful protagonist.
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Write a description of your dystopia...who (or what) is in control?
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If you're a visual thinker, try creating a storyboard of your dystopian world instead.