Question. In Orwell's 1984, do you remember off the top of your head, what land and people the three nations were fighting over?In my several readings of the book, I don't remember the answer. The presenter of this question states that most students of Orwell miss his Cultural Connections. I'm totally lost. Somebody? Anybody? Don't say Spain.
Update: Matt remembers clearly: "they were fighting over (bits of) the middle east, africa, india and indonesia"
An Aside: Orwell had strong feelings about India, he was born there during British rule where his father was a servent of the crown, and himself served in their Indian Imperial Police for a few years, leaving when he realized that he was the "hand of the oppressors". Coincidentally, he hated Ghandi early on, thinking Ghandi to be a puppet of British imperialism. He later recanted and apologized. Orwell had also worked as a broadcaster for the BBC reporting on India.
# — 06 November, 2002