Main content

Ep 5: But I鈥檓 Not Guilty!

How our writers foresaw the powerlessness many of us feel today.

With his nightmare visions of miscarriages of justice and petty authorities in his novel 'The Trial' Franz Kafka foresaw the powerlessness and frustration many of us feel in the face of faceless corporations and bureaucracies today. George Orwell's '1984' depicts a society where citizens are conditioned, monitored and made to live in eternal fear without protest.

In this episode of Orwell vs Kafka, Helen Lewis and Ian Hislop look at powerlessness - and why both our writers were obsessed with it.

Guests:
DJ Taylor, George Orwell biographer
Dr Karolina Watroba of All Souls College, Oxford
Professor Robert Douglas-Fairhurst of Magdalen College, Oxford

With thanks to Charles Games, makers of the 鈥淧laying Kafka鈥 video game.

Producer: Sarah Shebbeare

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Mon 5 Aug 2024 09:00

Broadcasts

  • Sun 9 Jun 2024 16:00
  • Mon 5 Aug 2024 09:00

The Orwell vs Kafka Quiz

The Orwell vs Kafka Quiz

Just how Orwellian or Kafkaesque do you think you could possibly be?

Orwell and Kafka 鈥 Two iconic dystopian writers explored

Orwell and Kafka 鈥 Two iconic dystopian writers explored

Find programmes on Orwell and Kafka on 成人快手 Sounds.