historical criticism in 1984?

Question

is there any historical criticism in the book 1984, and if so...where???????????????

Answer 1

Yes. There is The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism, by Emanuel Goldstein. This book-within-a-book contains a review of the history of class conflict in England between about 1640 and 1940, as Orwell had learned it at school and experienced it himself.

By the way, there is an excellent appraisal of Nineteen Eighty Four (the title should always be spelled out in full) in a book called 1985 by Anthony Burgess. The novel in 1985 need not detain us but the critique of Nineteen Eighty Four is very revealing.

Answer 2

Most things in the book are happening now, but Orwell did have a strong dislike for the Communists (read Animal Farm for reverence) and he obviously linked the brainwashing, and the huge posters of Big Brother, to communism trying to keep the capitalist western world out, and all the propaganda and brainwashing techniques used there. Also Hitlers National Socialist party, and the fascists. (basically the part where everyone has to shout at the picture of the opposition Goldberg or Goldstein, I cant remember his name, but it is Jewish, and probably refers to Hitler creating anti Semitic hate amongst the Germans)

Answer 3

maybe you (or I) misunderstand historical criticism:

Historical criticism is an approach to literature that uses history as a means of understanding a literary work more clearly. Such criticism moves beyond both the facts of an author's personal life and the text itself in order to examine the social and intellectual currents in which the author composed the work. A work may also be studied in reference to previous works of literature that may have had an impact on the author.