The first part of this week's reading was talk about the preparation for hate week. Winston is extremely tired after working so many hours, but it made me think, if nobody even reads books, like the ones he's changing, why does he have to change them?? As hate week begins there is a speaker in the town square and half way through his speech he gets a note notifying him of a change in enemy. Winston noted that he didn't even "skip a beat" when he went from one enemy to the next. This made me definately assume that the Party had planned for this to happen, perhaps to get more emotion from the crowd, or create more work for people like Winston who would now have to change all the records again.
The majority of the reading this week was reading "the book" O'brien had given Winston. It was not what I expected at all. I predicted that it would be very angry and denouncing towards the Party. When it was really just a complex explanation for the cause of the war. After reading just the first part of chapter three, I question how brainwashed Winston really is. He should have picked up on the fact that this was a bunch of lies. For instance on page 186 it states that "war involes a very small number of people...and causes comparatively few casualties." It also goes into great detail about the three different regions involved in the war. Why does Winston need to know these things? How is this going to help him "overthrow the Party"??
Throughout "the book" it brought up numerous different reasons for the war, but one struck me as almost funny. It stated that the reason for was is to use up all the products that are manufactured. How can Winston believe this?!?! Finally, it made me question, what is the war (if they even are at war) really about?? Could any of this be true?? Or maybe it's all true?? I came to the conclusion that the point of "the book" is to make Wintson believe that life is the same everywhere, so it must be right, as in majority rules. They made this clear several times when they compared the three regions and how they were all in this big "war" together.
Another reason, "the book" said, for the war was "to keep the structure of society intact". As unbeleivable as this book can sometimes be, Orwell made a completely true analogy about how the social classes alter now and throughout history. The high is always taken out by the middle class and the low always stays low. So, in Oceania, they believe they finally figured out a way to keep the high class in its position. As odd as it seems, they're right, they did figure it out. There is no class system in Airstrip One, they are all the same.
As I finished reading the portion about "the book" I wondered if Winston could actually understand it, for whoever wrote it was very educated and "the book" itself was very complex. Perhaps thats the point, it doesn't really matter if he can read and understand it all, it is just going to give him a sence that he belongs to "the brotherhood" now.
Finally on page 218, we were given our first clue that things were going to be getting worse, possibly deadly, for Winston and Julia as she commented that "it seems to have gotten colder." Cold, like winter, symbolizes death and struggle.
Oddly, right before I read the last party, when they get caught, I was thinking that Winston and Julia would be ok, because now that they , unknowingly, worked for the Party they wouldn't ever vaporize them because they needed them to do their dirty work, they were one of them. Well, apparently I was wrong.
I'm not sure what to think about their sort of "capture" yet. I don't believe their are actually going to be vaporized. I think this is the work of O'brien, and this is when they will have to start doing all those inhumane acts they talked about with O'brien.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
1984 Pages 157 - 179
There wasn't many pages to read this week, but those few were packed with new information and a few surprises. The first chapter opens with O'brien giving Winston the address to his apartment, right in front of the telescreen. Winston took note of this, but didnt' seem too concerned. I think O'brien did it right in front of the telescreen because if they tried to do it secretely then it would seem suspicious. It's like they played a sort of "reverse psychology" on the Party.
At the end of page 159 Winston said that " He had the sensation of stepping into the dampness of a grave, and it was not much better because he had always known that the grave was there and waiting for him." This line really stuck out because not only was it a beautifully written metaphor, but it foreshadowed that Winston, ultimately, would step into his own grave because of his rebellious actions against the Party.
Winston dreams about his mother and his sister, but it's not really a dream, its a memory that really happened. Perhaps the more he rebells and allows himself to commit thoughtcrime the more he will be able to remember. I think he struggles to remember the past because he is scared to, but if he just relaxes and lets himself, I think he will be amazed at all he really does remember. In the one memory he does recall, we get the idea that Winston did sort of kill his mother and sister by starving them to sickness, and eventually death.
When Winston tells Julia about this dream, he really wants to talk about it with her, but she simply blows it off. This made me feel sad for Winston, and it also clarified the fact that Julia and Winstons relationship is merely about sex and the hatred of the Party. Julia doesn't understand Winston, she doesn't even see when he is hurting emotionally and needs help.
On page 165 Winston had his biggest "ah ha" moment of the entire novel when he realized that the real difference between the Party members, like himself, and the proles is that "the proles had stayed human". I couldn't agree with him more!! Everyone thinks of the proles as the poor and under-class, but in reality they are the ones that figured it out. Like Winston said, it was just a few weeks ago that he had kicked the severed hand into the gutter like it was a cabbage stalk, thus reenforcing the fact that Winston does not possess human qualities. This made me wonder, though, why can't Winston go and live the lifestyle of a prole? What stops a prole from becoming a Party member, or a Party member from becoming a prole??
In Chapter VIII Winston and Julia visit O'brien and we discover that O'brien is an inner party member. Perhaps we already knew that, and I just forgot, but that made me a little leary about the fact that he was part, or perhaps headed the brotherhood AND belonged to the inner party. I also found it a bit peculiar that he could turn off the telelscreen. I find it hard to believe that Big Brother had enough trust in his employees to allow them to turn off the telescreen. After all, the inner party members should have nothing to hide from Big Brother, so why would they be allowed to turn it off?? Also, the fact that they each had to have a breath mint before they left. Who cares if they left smelling like wine, like drinking wine was a crime and having a secret meeting plotting against the Party wasn't??
O'brien eventually asks Winston all sorts of questions about what he would be willing to do and I found it astonishing that he could answer "yes" to all of these things. Would he really throw acid in some little girls face, or kill mass amounts of people with out even knowing why?? This does not seem like the Winston I know. Also, didn't we also establish that Goldstein was just a ploy of the government?? I don't believe in all O'brien is telling Winston, but I think Winston and Julia do because they want so badly to believe that there is a brotherhood and they can over throw the party. In the end, my prediction is that they are not joining a brotherhood against the party, but are instead, unknowingly, working for the party. It makes sence, otherwise, why would O'brien keep telling them that they would have to do all these cruel and horrific things to other people and even themselves without a single reason why!? They just need more people to do their dirty government work, they just need more people to do the vaporizing.
Finally, the story came a bit full circle when O'brien stated that they would speak again "In a place where there is no darkness". This is the same line that Winston had heard in his dream.
At the end of page 159 Winston said that " He had the sensation of stepping into the dampness of a grave, and it was not much better because he had always known that the grave was there and waiting for him." This line really stuck out because not only was it a beautifully written metaphor, but it foreshadowed that Winston, ultimately, would step into his own grave because of his rebellious actions against the Party.
Winston dreams about his mother and his sister, but it's not really a dream, its a memory that really happened. Perhaps the more he rebells and allows himself to commit thoughtcrime the more he will be able to remember. I think he struggles to remember the past because he is scared to, but if he just relaxes and lets himself, I think he will be amazed at all he really does remember. In the one memory he does recall, we get the idea that Winston did sort of kill his mother and sister by starving them to sickness, and eventually death.
When Winston tells Julia about this dream, he really wants to talk about it with her, but she simply blows it off. This made me feel sad for Winston, and it also clarified the fact that Julia and Winstons relationship is merely about sex and the hatred of the Party. Julia doesn't understand Winston, she doesn't even see when he is hurting emotionally and needs help.
On page 165 Winston had his biggest "ah ha" moment of the entire novel when he realized that the real difference between the Party members, like himself, and the proles is that "the proles had stayed human". I couldn't agree with him more!! Everyone thinks of the proles as the poor and under-class, but in reality they are the ones that figured it out. Like Winston said, it was just a few weeks ago that he had kicked the severed hand into the gutter like it was a cabbage stalk, thus reenforcing the fact that Winston does not possess human qualities. This made me wonder, though, why can't Winston go and live the lifestyle of a prole? What stops a prole from becoming a Party member, or a Party member from becoming a prole??
In Chapter VIII Winston and Julia visit O'brien and we discover that O'brien is an inner party member. Perhaps we already knew that, and I just forgot, but that made me a little leary about the fact that he was part, or perhaps headed the brotherhood AND belonged to the inner party. I also found it a bit peculiar that he could turn off the telelscreen. I find it hard to believe that Big Brother had enough trust in his employees to allow them to turn off the telescreen. After all, the inner party members should have nothing to hide from Big Brother, so why would they be allowed to turn it off?? Also, the fact that they each had to have a breath mint before they left. Who cares if they left smelling like wine, like drinking wine was a crime and having a secret meeting plotting against the Party wasn't??
O'brien eventually asks Winston all sorts of questions about what he would be willing to do and I found it astonishing that he could answer "yes" to all of these things. Would he really throw acid in some little girls face, or kill mass amounts of people with out even knowing why?? This does not seem like the Winston I know. Also, didn't we also establish that Goldstein was just a ploy of the government?? I don't believe in all O'brien is telling Winston, but I think Winston and Julia do because they want so badly to believe that there is a brotherhood and they can over throw the party. In the end, my prediction is that they are not joining a brotherhood against the party, but are instead, unknowingly, working for the party. It makes sence, otherwise, why would O'brien keep telling them that they would have to do all these cruel and horrific things to other people and even themselves without a single reason why!? They just need more people to do their dirty government work, they just need more people to do the vaporizing.
Finally, the story came a bit full circle when O'brien stated that they would speak again "In a place where there is no darkness". This is the same line that Winston had heard in his dream.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
1984 Pages 117 - 157
In this week's reading I picked up an early connection on the second page. Wintsin mentioned the "summery weather" which foreshadowed their upcoming romance. This was the chapter when Julia and Winston would finally meet in the country side, but I was a bit surprised that winston didn't question how Julia knew her way around the area so well. She had obviously been there many times, but with who? for what? I thought it was especially peculiar for Winston because he is always paranoid about somebody turning him in for thought crime or something else. I also found it surprising that Winston thought the inner Party was "clean", as in they didn't have sex, they didn't eat real chocolate and coffee, etc. How could he be so unaffected by thier attempts to brainwash him into thinking that they've always fought the same country, or that life is better now, but be completely brainwashed into thinking they are follow the same rules as him! I would have expected Julia to believe they were following the same rules because she grew up knowing nothing else, but Winston knows they are corrupt, he has lived through the change.
A little later on in the chapter they are walking through a back street and a rocket nearly hits them. I may be reading to much into it, but perhaps it is symbolizing the trouble ahead if they continue to be together??
As we are learning more about Julia and her intersting thoughs on life, one quote struck me in particular, she stated: "Books were just a commodity that had to be produced like jam or bootlaces." This made me think of two things; first, the intelligence level of these people really is low, like the man in the bar, making for easy brainwashing, and secondly, if people don't read books- why write and produce them?!?!
As the chapter goes on we find out a good deal about Julia and how much she hates the party. I think it's quite odd that she is so anti-Party when she grew up with it. Usually when you grow up with something and know no other way you just presume it's right, what changed her mind? I also thought that maybe it was too much of a coincidence that the man she had an affair with, the one that would have given up her name, commited suicide before he had the chance...
Julia also gave a new outlook on why the Party is so anti-sex. She made a good point when she said that they hate it because when you have sex you have used up all your energy and are very happy, therefore why should you get excited about Big Brother and Hate Week, and waving flags and banners around? I thought this was a great point and agree with her completely. For instance, Winston said now that he has no need for gin, for he has fulfilled his need with love. Thus also telling us why so much gin is given out, to keep everyone on that fine line between happiness and rebellion.
Finally, I was a bit confused on why they keep bringing up Winston's wife, Katherine. Winston keeps acting like he is married yet and even once said something like "if only katherine would be dead".. what is that about? She was vaporized years ago! The last thing I will note is that I think putting Julia in this story with Winston creates a great contrast. They are almost the antithesis of each other, and that makes for an interesting relationship. It's also nice to see the views vary between those that grew up and remember before the revolution, and those that know nothing more than the Party.
A little later on in the chapter they are walking through a back street and a rocket nearly hits them. I may be reading to much into it, but perhaps it is symbolizing the trouble ahead if they continue to be together??
As we are learning more about Julia and her intersting thoughs on life, one quote struck me in particular, she stated: "Books were just a commodity that had to be produced like jam or bootlaces." This made me think of two things; first, the intelligence level of these people really is low, like the man in the bar, making for easy brainwashing, and secondly, if people don't read books- why write and produce them?!?!
As the chapter goes on we find out a good deal about Julia and how much she hates the party. I think it's quite odd that she is so anti-Party when she grew up with it. Usually when you grow up with something and know no other way you just presume it's right, what changed her mind? I also thought that maybe it was too much of a coincidence that the man she had an affair with, the one that would have given up her name, commited suicide before he had the chance...
Julia also gave a new outlook on why the Party is so anti-sex. She made a good point when she said that they hate it because when you have sex you have used up all your energy and are very happy, therefore why should you get excited about Big Brother and Hate Week, and waving flags and banners around? I thought this was a great point and agree with her completely. For instance, Winston said now that he has no need for gin, for he has fulfilled his need with love. Thus also telling us why so much gin is given out, to keep everyone on that fine line between happiness and rebellion.
Finally, I was a bit confused on why they keep bringing up Winston's wife, Katherine. Winston keeps acting like he is married yet and even once said something like "if only katherine would be dead".. what is that about? She was vaporized years ago! The last thing I will note is that I think putting Julia in this story with Winston creates a great contrast. They are almost the antithesis of each other, and that makes for an interesting relationship. It's also nice to see the views vary between those that grew up and remember before the revolution, and those that know nothing more than the Party.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
1984 pages 81 - 117
This week's reading was by far the most cultivating and interesting so far. Before Part II , Winston decides to not go to the community center one night and instead takes a walk to a part of the town where the proles live. As he walks, he sees an old man and realizes that this man is probably one of the few men left that know what life was like before the revolutionary war. He follows the man into the pub and tries to get him to remember things about his youth. After many failed attempts, Winston realizes that even if there are men alive that lived prior to the war, all they remember are bits and pieces of random information. I feel that this was semi-depressing for Winston, all his hopes of finding out if the Party was telling the truth were gone now, and he must continue to live by the Party's word. when he leaves the bar, he isn't quite sure where he is, but soon stumbles upon the shop where he bought his journal. He enters, knowing what a risk it is, and finds a friend in the shopkeeper. He ends up buying a piece of old coral, so he can feel that he belonged to a time other than his own.
In the next chapter, I was completely blown away by the event that took place. Julia gives Winston a note that says "I love you" and nothing else!! So after all this time and worry about Julia being the thought police and trying to kill him, she was really just in love with him. Winston thought that maybe this was just some sort of ploy to get him to commit thought crime. I personally never thought that, I think Winston sometimes thinks too badly of people. If he doesn't agree with the Party and their rules, shouldn't he think that there has to be other people that think the same? Anyways, the note was ironic because only a week earlier when he left the shop and saw her, he thought that maybe he should smash her head with a rock to take care of her. They eventually talk shortly at the canteen and then in then at the end in the square she gives him directions to meet her. I think Julia is going to be quite rebellious. She has obviously done a lot of thinking and planning on how to get Winston alone, therefore ignoring Party rules. Perhaps, though, she is just what Winston needs, a little push to help him rebel. After all, a change starts with just one person.
In the next chapter, I was completely blown away by the event that took place. Julia gives Winston a note that says "I love you" and nothing else!! So after all this time and worry about Julia being the thought police and trying to kill him, she was really just in love with him. Winston thought that maybe this was just some sort of ploy to get him to commit thought crime. I personally never thought that, I think Winston sometimes thinks too badly of people. If he doesn't agree with the Party and their rules, shouldn't he think that there has to be other people that think the same? Anyways, the note was ironic because only a week earlier when he left the shop and saw her, he thought that maybe he should smash her head with a rock to take care of her. They eventually talk shortly at the canteen and then in then at the end in the square she gives him directions to meet her. I think Julia is going to be quite rebellious. She has obviously done a lot of thinking and planning on how to get Winston alone, therefore ignoring Party rules. Perhaps, though, she is just what Winston needs, a little push to help him rebel. After all, a change starts with just one person.
Monday, September 1, 2008
1984 Pages 37 - 81
In this week's reading of 1984 we find out a little more about Winston's work, are introduced to proles, and find out a little more about Wiston as he makes another entry in his journal.
We first learn that Winston's job is to rewrite history. He has to go back into articles such as the Times and rectifies whatever Big Brother had written prior, in order to make him correct. I found it very surprising when Winston sad that his "greatest pleasure in life is his work." I would have thought he would despise his work. It's an extremely tedious job that basically requires him to do nothing but tell lies. I guess perhaps he likes it because like any job it gives him a sence of pride in accomplishment and doing it well.
In this week's reading we are also intoduced to a new character, Syme, a writer of the new Newspeak dictionary. He is sort of a friend of Winstons that has lunch with him as he tells Winston of the new dictionary. We learn from Syme that the dictionary is becoming less and less as hundreds of words are thrown out everyday. At first I wondered what could possibly come of limiting vocabulary, but we soon find out that the Party is doing this in hopes that soon there won't be enough words to even commit thought crime. I thought this was a bit of a stretch, though, because people such as Winston and the Parsons and the Parson's children are always going to know all the words, regardless of whether or not they are in the dictionary, and these people are going to keep passing them on to new born children. It's impossible to make an entire society to completely stop using a large percentage of their vocabulary. Then again, who would thought it would be possible to make an entire society stretch together every morning?
A large part of the end of this week's reading had to do with proles. I do know proles are humans but a special or different kind because Syme had made the comment "The proles are not human beings". Winston, though, made me think that the proles are like a special group of people that government doesn't care about and therefore doesn't enforce rules upon. I'm not sure what their purpose is exactly, or why they aren't considered "human", but I think they will probably come up in later chapters because they seem awfully important to Winston. To Winston, they are the only people that can overthrow the Party. He made a comment about them that I think is true about all people. He said,"Until they become conscience they will never rebel, and until they have rebelled they cannot become conscience." This reminds me of something we read in Civil Disobedience, which reminds us that it really is just once big story, and no line is original.
As I was reading it occured to me that the only other countries we had really heard about was Eurasia, the enemy country. Why haven't any other countries or Parties been involved? This is similar to a Hitler Nazi situation and therefore when Orwell was writing this, even if he is thinking of the future, he should know that realistically other countries are going to be involved one way or another.
The final thing I tried to figure out as I was reading was what exactly is the "Party" trying to achieve by this control, what is the final goal. As in all dictatorships there has always been a certain goal or means to the control. For instance, the Nazi party wanted to create the "perfect race". So what does Big Brother want to do with this country, what does he want these people for. I predict that we will find out soon and this will be one of the themes of the book. As of now, it is too early in the book to tell and we are still trying to fully understand the ins and outs of life in Airstrip One. Which, by the way, where did the name "Airstrip One" come from? It has to mean something!
Winston continues to write in his journal and realizes at the end that he is really writing this for O'brien. It is sort of a relief for him to know who he is writing to and I think now he will write even more. In this entry he writes about a night he has with a prostitute. He also reflects on his marriage with Katherine years ago. It is difficult for him to write still, but it doesn't come rolling out in short sloppy sentences like last time. Each time i think it will become easier and easier to write. I personally like when we can read his journal entries, it gives us a glimpse into what he really thinks and sometimes a glimpse into the past.
Finally, Winston talks about those three men that confessed to something untruthfully and Winston knew they lied because of an article he accidentally saw in the Times. This part confused me a bit, but I think he was trying to get the point across that this could prove the Party wrong and could possible over throw it? I'm not sure, but I know it was quite significant, and hopefully we can discuss it in class.
We first learn that Winston's job is to rewrite history. He has to go back into articles such as the Times and rectifies whatever Big Brother had written prior, in order to make him correct. I found it very surprising when Winston sad that his "greatest pleasure in life is his work." I would have thought he would despise his work. It's an extremely tedious job that basically requires him to do nothing but tell lies. I guess perhaps he likes it because like any job it gives him a sence of pride in accomplishment and doing it well.
In this week's reading we are also intoduced to a new character, Syme, a writer of the new Newspeak dictionary. He is sort of a friend of Winstons that has lunch with him as he tells Winston of the new dictionary. We learn from Syme that the dictionary is becoming less and less as hundreds of words are thrown out everyday. At first I wondered what could possibly come of limiting vocabulary, but we soon find out that the Party is doing this in hopes that soon there won't be enough words to even commit thought crime. I thought this was a bit of a stretch, though, because people such as Winston and the Parsons and the Parson's children are always going to know all the words, regardless of whether or not they are in the dictionary, and these people are going to keep passing them on to new born children. It's impossible to make an entire society to completely stop using a large percentage of their vocabulary. Then again, who would thought it would be possible to make an entire society stretch together every morning?
A large part of the end of this week's reading had to do with proles. I do know proles are humans but a special or different kind because Syme had made the comment "The proles are not human beings". Winston, though, made me think that the proles are like a special group of people that government doesn't care about and therefore doesn't enforce rules upon. I'm not sure what their purpose is exactly, or why they aren't considered "human", but I think they will probably come up in later chapters because they seem awfully important to Winston. To Winston, they are the only people that can overthrow the Party. He made a comment about them that I think is true about all people. He said,"Until they become conscience they will never rebel, and until they have rebelled they cannot become conscience." This reminds me of something we read in Civil Disobedience, which reminds us that it really is just once big story, and no line is original.
As I was reading it occured to me that the only other countries we had really heard about was Eurasia, the enemy country. Why haven't any other countries or Parties been involved? This is similar to a Hitler Nazi situation and therefore when Orwell was writing this, even if he is thinking of the future, he should know that realistically other countries are going to be involved one way or another.
The final thing I tried to figure out as I was reading was what exactly is the "Party" trying to achieve by this control, what is the final goal. As in all dictatorships there has always been a certain goal or means to the control. For instance, the Nazi party wanted to create the "perfect race". So what does Big Brother want to do with this country, what does he want these people for. I predict that we will find out soon and this will be one of the themes of the book. As of now, it is too early in the book to tell and we are still trying to fully understand the ins and outs of life in Airstrip One. Which, by the way, where did the name "Airstrip One" come from? It has to mean something!
Winston continues to write in his journal and realizes at the end that he is really writing this for O'brien. It is sort of a relief for him to know who he is writing to and I think now he will write even more. In this entry he writes about a night he has with a prostitute. He also reflects on his marriage with Katherine years ago. It is difficult for him to write still, but it doesn't come rolling out in short sloppy sentences like last time. Each time i think it will become easier and easier to write. I personally like when we can read his journal entries, it gives us a glimpse into what he really thinks and sometimes a glimpse into the past.
Finally, Winston talks about those three men that confessed to something untruthfully and Winston knew they lied because of an article he accidentally saw in the Times. This part confused me a bit, but I think he was trying to get the point across that this could prove the Party wrong and could possible over throw it? I'm not sure, but I know it was quite significant, and hopefully we can discuss it in class.
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