"Oceania was at war with Eastasia. Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia" (Orwell, 182).
This quote is interesting because of the action that surrounds it. We've been informed that history (especially war allies or enemies) are changed every so often in the world of 1984. But until now we haven't seen the actual process that occurs when one of these drastic historical changes is made. The change comes in a simple slip of paper, placed into a speaker's hand during Hate Week. This small slip of paper sets of a chain reaction in Winston's department. The workers have one week to completely erase any record implying a war with Eurasia. Because of this, Winston is forced to take 18 hour shifts, altering every last word. The idea that a small slip of paper delivered in such an unplanned fashion can lead to that large of a disruption is astonishing. It's similar to the idea that when a butterfly beats its wings, a hurricane appears on the other side of the world.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Blog post #7
"There is no possibility that any perceptible change will happen within our own lifetime. We are dead. Our only true life is in the future" (Orwell, 176).
The fact that the brotherhood is resigned to death before seeing any of their work take effect shows how hopeless the state of their world is. That a revolution could take so many deaths to make the most minuscule change exemplifies how committed the brotherhood is to their cause, and how slowly progressing their cause is. The function of the brotherhood is very interesting because their organization is the very opposite of a "brotherhood". They are united by an ideal, but not by any sense of "nationalism". Indeed, each member only knows four to five other members. This wish for a world from the past is strong enough to unite the brotherhood just as strongly as any other revolutionary group. They are willing to kill, destroy, commit suicide, or change their bodies for the brotherhood. They pledge their lives to a party they do not even know the size of. This shows how one small seed of a revolutionary idea can bring together people of the same cause, even under the worst conditions.
The fact that the brotherhood is resigned to death before seeing any of their work take effect shows how hopeless the state of their world is. That a revolution could take so many deaths to make the most minuscule change exemplifies how committed the brotherhood is to their cause, and how slowly progressing their cause is. The function of the brotherhood is very interesting because their organization is the very opposite of a "brotherhood". They are united by an ideal, but not by any sense of "nationalism". Indeed, each member only knows four to five other members. This wish for a world from the past is strong enough to unite the brotherhood just as strongly as any other revolutionary group. They are willing to kill, destroy, commit suicide, or change their bodies for the brotherhood. They pledge their lives to a party they do not even know the size of. This shows how one small seed of a revolutionary idea can bring together people of the same cause, even under the worst conditions.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Blog post #6
"The Proles are human beings...We are not human" (Orwell 165).
Winston is considering the real difference between the comrades and the Proles; the Proles retain the freedom to be human, and to show normal human emotions. The Comrades can't show any emotion in the normal sense of the word. Emotional responses to events are truthful, and the comrades are constantly forced to lie about how they feel. They can only feel the emotions the party wants them to feel. Beyond that, they can only do anything the party wants them to do. They can't have desires, grudges, jealousy, anger, or dreams. The Proles, however, in being viewed as "non human" have actually retained the most human qualities of all. They are allowed to want, and to feel, two things that the Party constantly guards against. Winston finally realizes that the hope lies within the proles not because they are not under the control of the party, but because they are the only true humans left in the world.
Winston is considering the real difference between the comrades and the Proles; the Proles retain the freedom to be human, and to show normal human emotions. The Comrades can't show any emotion in the normal sense of the word. Emotional responses to events are truthful, and the comrades are constantly forced to lie about how they feel. They can only feel the emotions the party wants them to feel. Beyond that, they can only do anything the party wants them to do. They can't have desires, grudges, jealousy, anger, or dreams. The Proles, however, in being viewed as "non human" have actually retained the most human qualities of all. They are allowed to want, and to feel, two things that the Party constantly guards against. Winston finally realizes that the hope lies within the proles not because they are not under the control of the party, but because they are the only true humans left in the world.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
1984 blog #4
"Until they have become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious" (Orwell 70).
This is similar to the chicken and the egg scenario. The people will not rebel until they gain some sort of power within themselves, and they will not gain that power within themselves until they have rebelled. One cannot happen without the other. This is another example of how the party has trapped the people into and endless cycle. They perform the same tasks every day, without risk of interruption because the Party controls and prevents every one possible. The party is blocking the fuel to the proles' fire. Without that initial spark, they can never become "conscious" of the potential power they hold as a majority. Perhaps the knowledge of just how many there are is being kept from them. Certainly any revolutionary literature is long gone, because you would have to be blind to not see that this is the perfect stage for a Victor Hugo novel.
This is similar to the chicken and the egg scenario. The people will not rebel until they gain some sort of power within themselves, and they will not gain that power within themselves until they have rebelled. One cannot happen without the other. This is another example of how the party has trapped the people into and endless cycle. They perform the same tasks every day, without risk of interruption because the Party controls and prevents every one possible. The party is blocking the fuel to the proles' fire. Without that initial spark, they can never become "conscious" of the potential power they hold as a majority. Perhaps the knowledge of just how many there are is being kept from them. Certainly any revolutionary literature is long gone, because you would have to be blind to not see that this is the perfect stage for a Victor Hugo novel.
Monday, September 12, 2011
1984 Blog post #3
"Don't you see that the whole aim of newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? ... Every concept that can ever be needed will be expressed by exactly one word, with its meaning rigidly defined..." (Orwell, 52).
I think this is the most obvious and succinct proposal of the Party's goals. They have worked to control all other aspect of the comrades' lives, and now they wish to fully control all thoughts as well. There will not even be an element of "hiding" unwelcome thoughts from the party, because no one will have the capacity to think those thoughts because they will not exist. With Newspeak, the Party is not simply creating a new language; they are eradicating concepts and ideas which they do not like from the syntax. By creating new words which they define, and throwing out all the old words, they can control every thought and method of communication, because the only things that can be expressed will have already been approved by the Party.
Personally, I think this method is horrific, but brilliant. There is no way to have radicals and revolutionaries if the very seeds of rebellion planted in their heads simply do not exist. The Party has effectively eliminated all methods of conflict within their "kingdom". I believe that is what the Party fears the most. They put all of these restrictions and plans in place simply so that the governed will not wise up to the world around them, and try to change it. They recognize the power of a small group of people with an agenda who can strong arm others. They use this idea, in fact, in their creation of the thought police.
I think this is the most obvious and succinct proposal of the Party's goals. They have worked to control all other aspect of the comrades' lives, and now they wish to fully control all thoughts as well. There will not even be an element of "hiding" unwelcome thoughts from the party, because no one will have the capacity to think those thoughts because they will not exist. With Newspeak, the Party is not simply creating a new language; they are eradicating concepts and ideas which they do not like from the syntax. By creating new words which they define, and throwing out all the old words, they can control every thought and method of communication, because the only things that can be expressed will have already been approved by the Party.
Personally, I think this method is horrific, but brilliant. There is no way to have radicals and revolutionaries if the very seeds of rebellion planted in their heads simply do not exist. The Party has effectively eliminated all methods of conflict within their "kingdom". I believe that is what the Party fears the most. They put all of these restrictions and plans in place simply so that the governed will not wise up to the world around them, and try to change it. They recognize the power of a small group of people with an agenda who can strong arm others. They use this idea, in fact, in their creation of the thought police.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
1984 blog #2
"Nothing was your own except for the few cubic centimeters inside your skull" (Orwell, 27).
This quote is referring to the universal presence of Big Brother and the thought police, but it relates to, and twists the larger theme that the only person you can truly trust is yourself. Winston has realized that he cannot trust anyone else not to betray him for his traitorous thoughts, and that, beyond this, he cannot even trust himself to correctly interpret the body language of others for fear of misinterpreting. In the book, everyone hides themselves behind a mask of mundane blandness, for fear of being punished by the thought police. This takes away any potential for "inappropriate" interpersonal communication, as they cannot speak of, motion of, or even think of topics detrimental to the "government". The thought police trap citizens within themselves, and then goes further to trap them into virtual nothingness. The idea that even your thoughts may not be your own is frightening to say the least, which is why this story goes beyond the idea of only being able to trust yourself. This story takes away the safe haven that we are taught to retreat to when we cannot voice our thoughts to the world. Winston cannot trust his comrades, the government, or his own perception and thoughts. This is the true mark of the oppressive government- forcing people to trust their leaders above their own personal morals and thoughts.
This quote is referring to the universal presence of Big Brother and the thought police, but it relates to, and twists the larger theme that the only person you can truly trust is yourself. Winston has realized that he cannot trust anyone else not to betray him for his traitorous thoughts, and that, beyond this, he cannot even trust himself to correctly interpret the body language of others for fear of misinterpreting. In the book, everyone hides themselves behind a mask of mundane blandness, for fear of being punished by the thought police. This takes away any potential for "inappropriate" interpersonal communication, as they cannot speak of, motion of, or even think of topics detrimental to the "government". The thought police trap citizens within themselves, and then goes further to trap them into virtual nothingness. The idea that even your thoughts may not be your own is frightening to say the least, which is why this story goes beyond the idea of only being able to trust yourself. This story takes away the safe haven that we are taught to retreat to when we cannot voice our thoughts to the world. Winston cannot trust his comrades, the government, or his own perception and thoughts. This is the true mark of the oppressive government- forcing people to trust their leaders above their own personal morals and thoughts.
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