1 of 8

Information and History Manipulation

2 of 8

In your groups, research and discuss the following questions:

Group 1 & 2: To what extent did the Soviet Union use censorship? To what degree did it affect daily life for its citizens?

Group 4 & 5: To what extent is China’s censorship manipulating information? Examples?

Group 6: What is the origin of Valentine’s Day? How is it related to Lupercalia?

Aim: How does George Orwell portray the usage of controlling of information and history in 1984?

Do Now

3 of 8

STALIN’S USAGE OF ERASING HISTORY

A meeting of the St. Petersburg chapter of the Union of Struggle for the Liberation of the Working Class in February 1897. Shortly after the picture was taken the whole group was arrested. / Nadezhda Krupskaya�

4 of 8

“‘Who controls the past,’ ran the Party slogan, ‘controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.’”

  • What does this mean in the context of 1984 as a whole? What examples throughout the book demonstrate this idea?

Essential Question: What is the main purpose of manipulation of history in 1984?

ANALYZE THIS QUOTE FROM 1984

5 of 8

“Suddenly there sprang into his mind, ready-made as it were, the image of a certain Comrade Ogilvy, who had recently died in battle, in heroic circumstances. . . . It was true that there was no such person as Comrade Ogilvy, but a few lines of print and a couple of faked photographs would soon bring him into existence.”

  • Why did Orwell included this example and how does this show the usage of manipulation of history?

TURN AND TALK

6 of 8

ACTIVITY

Think of any event throughout history and attempt to persuade the class that the event never existed.

7 of 8

Summary

  • The manipulation of information and history is something that happens in real life
  • Since 1984 is didactic, the information control portrayed within it is used as a warning for the future
    • We have to be aware of when information is being manipulated or when history is being erased

8 of 8

Source