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Diego Pestana
Dr. Hobbs
ENG 435 – Literary Criticism
March 26, 2012
Understanding Nineteen Eighty-Four by Understanding 1949: New Historicism and George Orwell
In his essay entitle “Witness Against the Beast,” E.P. Thompson analyzes the historical context and influence surrounding William Blake's poem “London.” Through an analysis of Blake's wording in the final draft of the poem, compared to earlier drafts, Thompson is able to decipher possible messages that Blake may have intended in his writing of the poem. Thompson does a meticulous job in understanding word choices on Blake's part in certain passages of the poem. And it is from these word choices that Thompson is able to analyze their larger meaning in the context of the environment that surrounded Blake during his writing of “London.” A similar task can be undertaken when it comes to George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. In the same way that Thompson analyzes political, social, and economic factors that were in place during Blake's writing of his poem, an analysis of the historical context surrounding Orwell's writing of his novel can assist in developing a greater understanding on Orwell's purpose and meaning in writing Nineteen Eighty-Four, which was finally published in 1949 after a couple of years of writing.
In his book, Thompson specifically points out Blake's intentional choice in including the word “charter'd” in the beginning of the poem. Thompson then writes about the connotations that surrounded “charter'd” at the time of Blake's writing. According to Thompson, “'Charter'd' arose in Blake's mind in association with 'cheating' and with the 'little blasts of fear' of the 'hireling'” (534). Thus, by Blake's intentional word choice of “charter'd,” Thompson is able to demonstrate that “London” is meant to be read as more than a one-dimensional poem. Thompson continues, throughout the piece, to analyze context surrounding the word “charter'd” including even other circumstances in which Blake makes economic statements that are related to ideas con-notated with the word “charter'd.” So, in a similar fashion in which Thompson uses contextual information to support his idea that “London” is a device in which Blake makes commentary on the economic and social conditions in England at the time, it is possible to examine wording and other devices employed in Nineteen Eighty-Four to discover what Orwell meant to accomplish in publishing the novel.
Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four is one of the greatest examples of dystopia in literary history. The novel surrounds a man named Winston Smith and his experiences that he has living in Airstrip One, a totalitarian region in which the moves and actions of all its citizens are meticulously monitored to ensure that the government maintains total control over its subjects. The novel chronicles Smith's struggle to comply with the demands of the society that engulfs him while pursing an emotional relationship with a woman named Julia – a relationship that would endanger both Smith and Julia if the authorities were ever to learn of it. By understanding the context surrounding Orwell's construction of the novel's plot will assist in understanding any possible meaning the novel may have.
The novel, published after two years of work, was released just a few years after World War II. A major characteristic of World War II was the totalitarian nature of the government of Nazi Germany. Against the backdrop of one history's most notorious authoritarian regimes, Orwell, an Englishman himself, could be understood to have been commentating on the nature of intrusive, dictatorial government he would have witnessed during his life in Nazi Germany. And because he was English, and England was one of the primary opponents of Nazi Germany in World War II, it is even more understandable that Orwell would seek to commentate on the government against which his country went to war against. In order to properly apply New Historicism to Nineteen Eighty-Four, a recognition and analysis of these historical factors is required.
In order to write a proper New Historicist analysis of Nineteen Eighty-Four, a couple of devices would have to be employed. Orwell's novel is known for the vocabulary used by the novel's dystopian government. Words like “doublethink” and “Big Brother” have become commonplace in today's vernacular. Therefore, in order to apply New Historicism properly, an analysis of these words that Orwell came up with would be necessary to understand any message that Orwell attempts to convey through his portrayal of government in the novel. Another analysis that would assist in providing a well-rounded New Historicist application to the novel would be an analysis of Orwell's love story between Smith and Julia, which is paramount in the novel. By understanding the nature of Smith and Julia's emotional relationship, and why Orwell portrays it as “forbidden” by the government, a deeper understanding of how Orwell employs the theme of love can be understood. And this understanding, in turn, will add to a greater New Historicist understand of Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Works Cited
Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty Four. 1949. New York: The New American Library, 1961. Print
Thompson, E.P. “Witness Against the Beast.” 1993. Literary Theory: An Anthology. 2nd ed. Eds. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan. Malden : Blackwell, 2004. 533-48. Print.