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The Theory And Practice Of Orwell 's Libertarian Socialism

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The Theory and Practice of Orwell’s Libertarian Socialism First published in 1949, Orwell certainly believed that the novel would have some higher purpose in the political sphere, and it did. But perhaps it wasn’t the purpose that was truly intended? Nearly seventy years after its first appearance, 1984 can be found on many high school, college and political group reading lists. Coining terms such as “Big Brother,” or “thoughtcrime,” the novel created an entirely new type of dystopian society defined by many as “Orwellian.” But with close reading one can see that George Orwell wrote 1984 for a very specific purpose. In 1984 Orwell writes about the dangers of deviating from a true socialist society. In order to completely understand 1984, one must first understand the history surrounding the novel. Written from 1947 to December 1948, 1984 first hit shelves in June of 1949. The Second World War, which ravaged England, Europe, and much of the world, ended a mere four years prior. Along with the rest of Europe, London was still rebuilding from the constant bombings, and still mourning the incredible loss of life. But there was a growing threat that could not be ignored. The Soviet Union, in an effort to prevent future attacks, occupied much of Eastern Europe (known as the Eastern Bloc), including Eastern Germany, and the eastern portion of Berlin. As the year 1948 came and went, the people of Europe saw the Berlin Blockade, and the monumental airlift to keep West Berlin

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