Where It All Goes Down
Oceania in 1984
With a hint of science fiction, 1984 is set in near-future Oceania. (Yes, it is the past now, but it was the future at the time the book was written.) The city is still named London, though the country is now called Airstrip One. The super-country of Oceania is in a constant state of war, and bomb explosions are ubiquitous. The living conditions are poor – very poor – with the buildings dilapidated, the food synthetic and rationed out, wages poor, and clothing shoddy. One cannot expect privacy anywhere, as there is a telescreen (that monitors behavior visually and audibly) in almost every room. Certainly a setting to make a character feel disgruntled.
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