10 Lesser-Known Facts About George Orwell's 1984

📚George Orwell attended a prestigious boys boarding school in England and studied French under Aldous Huxley.

🎬The movie version of 1984, starring John Hurt, was filmed in 1984, with some scenes shot on the same day as in the novel.

🏴George Orwell finished writing 1984 while living on a remote Scottish Island and battling tuberculosis.

💡The concept of Big Brother in 1984 inspired the reality TV show Big Brother, where strangers live together under constant surveillance.

📝1984 was originally going to be titled 'The Last Man in Europe' but was changed to a more commercially appealing title.

What is the significance of Big Brother?

—Big Brother represents the all-seeing, all-knowing leader of Oceania, constantly reminding citizens that they are being watched.

What inspired George Orwell to write 1984?

—Orwell's ideas were likely influenced by the toko, a Russian government division of secret police known as the thought police.

Was 1984 banned in schools?

—There have been instances where 1984 was removed from school reading lists due to its controversial themes, but it remains an important literary work.

How did the NSA controversy impact sales of 1984?

—After it was revealed that the NSA was secretly monitoring people's internet and phone usage, sales of 1984 surged.

What is the significance of the slogan '2+2=5'?

—The slogan '2+2=5' in 1984 represents an obviously false fact and was also used as a communist party slogan in the past.

00:00George Orwell attended a prestigious boys boarding school in England and studied French under Aldous Huxley.

00:30The movie version of 1984, starring John Hurt, was filmed in 1984, with some scenes shot on the same day as in the novel.

01:02George Orwell finished writing 1984 while living on a remote Scottish Island and battling tuberculosis.

01:30The concept of Big Brother in 1984 inspired the reality TV show Big Brother, where strangers live together under constant surveillance.

02:011984 was originally going to be titled 'The Last Man in Europe' but was changed to a more commercially appealing title.