Literature in Politics

The Appropriation of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four in contemporary British parliamentary debate

Authors

  • Imogen Birkett Independent Scholar, United Kingdom

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v10i3.1197

Keywords:

English Literature, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Orwell, Orwellian, parliamentary debate, rhetorical political analysis

Abstract

The relationship between English Literature and Politics has, historically, been understated and underexplored in academia. This article recognises the value of this relationship, significantly contributing to the field through original research which explores the political appropriation of literature. Using politicians’ references to George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four in parliamentary debate as a precedent, this research shows how fiction is used as a strategy of political argument. In supporting this claim, this research engages with the rising approach of Rhetorical Political Analysis, and wider theory which views political rhetoric as argumentation.

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The Palace of Westminster, UK

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Published

2023-05-04