The document analyzes the dystopian elements in George Orwell's novel '1984', exploring the theme of totalitarianism and its societal impacts. It characterizes Winston Smith's struggles against an oppressive regime and highlights common elements in dystopian literature, such as the devaluation of individuals and the rise of dictatorial power. The analysis emphasizes the narrative's critical reflection on communication, control, and the implications of a society governed by fear and oppression.

1. Dystopian Element in the novel 1984
PREPARED BY-DAYA VAGHANI
BATCH-2020-22 (MA SEM-II)
PAPER – THE TWENTIETH CENTURY LITERATURE :FROM WW II TO THE END
OF THE CENTURY
ROLL NO-06
ENROLLMENT NO-3069206420200017
EMAIL ID -DAYAVAGHANI2969@GMAIL.COM
SUBMITTED TO-S.B. GARDI DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH MAHARAJA KRISHNAKUMARSINHJI
BHAVNAGAR UNIVERSITY

2. What is Dystopian Fiction?
v The term Dystopia (bad place) has recently come to be applied to
work of fiction, including science fiction, that represent a very
unpleasant imaginary world in which omnious tendencies of our
present social , political and technological order are projected into a
disastrous future culmination.
A Glossary of LIterary Terms
-M.H.Abrams

3. Elements of Dystopian Literature
 The novel 1984 is a dystopian novel that tells the story of Winston Smith
and how is tries to rebel against the totalitarian state in which he lives.
 A dystopian novel is a society that is as dehumanizing and is
uncomfortable to all that live in it.
 Orwell wrote 1984 to warn society about what would happen if we accept
totalitarian governments into society.
 In 1984 acts of terror and torture were used to run Big Brothers
dictatorship.
 The use of torture is direct parallell to the Soviet union because in 1984
Wintson cried out to O'Brien.

4. "Do anything to me.You've been
starving me die.Shoot me.Hang
me.Sentence me to twenty-five
years.Is there somebody else you want
me give away? Just say who it is and I
'll tell you anything you want.I don't
care who it is or what you do to
them."(Pg 236-237)
Wintson Smith

5.  Act II contains most of the rising action as it follows the attempts of the main
character to either escape or change the society.
 The climax—the point at which the character’s attempts to fulfill his/her desire and
the society’s attempts to thwart him/her reach the point at which one side or the
other must win—usually occurs either at the end of Act II or the beginning of Act III
Elements of Dystopian Literature

6. Elements of Dystopian Literature
 Act III contains the falling action, the aftermath of
the action in Act II.
 The theme is derived from the resolution of the plot: if the
attempt to escape is successful, or the dystopian society is
changed, the novel has a positive theme.
 If, however, the attempts at escape or change fail, the novel has
a negative theme.

7. Characters in dystopian fiction
 Common characters in the dystopian
novel include:
 Representative of the powerful, those in
control.
 Representative of the “typical” citizen,
perfectly happy with the society or
blissfully unaware of the society’s flaws.
 At least one character disenfranchised by
the society, who desires either to escape
or to change.

8. Point of view
 The narrative point of view is almost always from the inside… either a member of
the society itself or someone who enters it.
Big- Brother
Inner
Party
Outer Party
Proles
<2% of population
85% of Population

9. Themes of dystopian novels
 The individual is worth nothing more than a part of the government machine
 Power resides with a dictator or large government
 Control is through communication, education, mass media and popular culture.
Military control plays a lesser role.
 The controlling party often encourages drug and alcohol use, sexual promiscuity,
rampant consumerism

10. Two Minutes of Hate

11. Reference
 Abrams, M. H., and Geoffrey Galt Harpham. 1999. A glossary of literary terms. Boston,
Mass: Thomson Wadsworth.
 "A Dystopian Novel 1984." StudyDriver.com, 10 Apr 2019, https://studydriver.com/a-
dystopian-novel-1984/
 Balaje, Palanimuthu. “Dystopian Elements in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.”
International Journal of English Language,Literature in Humanities, vol. 7, no. 2,
2019. ResearchGate,
www.researchgate.net/publication/340448832_Dystopian_Elements_in_George_Or
well’s_Nineteen_Eighty-Four.
 Orwell, George, Ben Pimlott, and Peter H. Davison. Nineteen Eighty-Four. London:
Penguin Books in association with Secker & Warburg, 1989. Print.