We start off the reading this week with Hate Week in progress. After working so many hours in preparation for the Hate, Winston is eshausted. On the sixth day of Hate Week, Winston was taking part in a demonstration when an announcement was made that the enemy was not Eurasia. It was indeed Eastasia. It seems impossible that the Party would want people like Winston to rewrite every last thing that had mentioned Oceania being at war with Eurasia. I didn't think the people could read or hear about those things anyway.
Winston starts to read the book from O'Brien. It seems like this book just goes into a little more depth of what we already know. How the war started is the main point, as pointed out by Chapter 3: War is Peace. It claims that war involves few people, therefore has few casualities. Anyone stupid enough to believe that must not know whats going on around them.
In chapter ten, Julia sees Winston for the first time in a week and both are excited. While in bed, Winston starts to read the book to Julia, but is soon sleeping. Winston glances at the clock and hears a prole singing a song. They talk about the woman, when the telescreen has finally revealed itself. It repeats everything they say, but with 'you.' They party knows what they were doing, and I had a feeling that Mr. Charrington was in on it somehow. If it was illegal to sell things other than what the Party sells, how didn't they find out about it before now? I think they have been on to Winston ever since he bought his first journal.
When the police arrive in the room, they are not anything close to 'nice.' They slammed a punch into her stomach and struggles for air. And what do you know, here come "Mr. Charrington." His facial apperance slightly different than before. Winston set himself up for this, or did he? It was Mr. Charrington was the one who showed Winston the room and claimed there was no telescreen in the first place. I think that the government wanted Winston dead, this was just their way of making it legal, not that it would matter to them.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
1984-September 23rd, 2008
This weeks reading is relatively short, but Winston is talking with O'Brien. O'Brien is showing his appreciation for Winston's work. This could be somewhat of an invite for Winston to join the Inner Party. O'Brien gives his address to Winston, right in front of a telescreen. Winston mentions a 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." Is Winston foreshadowing his own death? By taking the time to meet with O'Brien ultimately kill him?
Chapter 7 starts off with Winston waking with tears in his eyes. He had a dream of his mother and his sister. He was inside a glass paperweight, everything flooded with a soft white light, bringing back the memory of what really happened. Winston tells us of his past. He was sort of a naggy little kid. When it was supper time, he wanted more than anyone else, and wouldn't quite nagging until he got it. Same with the chocolate ration. He thought he should get all of it. Getting 3/4 of it wasn't enough obviously. He stole the other quarter from his sister and ran away! Winston was feeling guilty of killing his mother and sister, because he possibly starved them to death of his greed. And once you were gone, so was your memory.
Winston's idea's of the proles is quite interesting. The proles are no loyal to a party or a country or an idea, they were loyal to each other. They had stayed human! The proles hadn't become like the rest of the population and turned into robots. They held on to what made them feel human: their emotions.
In chapter 8, Julia and Winston take the time to meet with O'Brien. Once arriving at his home, they realize that he is part of the Inner Party. What was wierd about the Inner Party homes, was that they could turn off their telescreens. However, why do they need them anyway? Isn't the Inner Party the one's who are in control of the telescreens? It is kind of ironic that they Inner party trusts the employees enough to turn off their telescreens, because Winston and O'Brien are plotting against the Party. Oops.
O'Brien asks a series of questions asking the dedication of Winston. The only thing they didn't agree to is the separation of Julia and Winston, which isn't suprising. They do have a love for each other that they don't want to give up. The way the questions were asked, it seemed that they were going to be employees of the party itself. I guess we will have to see.
Chapter 7 starts off with Winston waking with tears in his eyes. He had a dream of his mother and his sister. He was inside a glass paperweight, everything flooded with a soft white light, bringing back the memory of what really happened. Winston tells us of his past. He was sort of a naggy little kid. When it was supper time, he wanted more than anyone else, and wouldn't quite nagging until he got it. Same with the chocolate ration. He thought he should get all of it. Getting 3/4 of it wasn't enough obviously. He stole the other quarter from his sister and ran away! Winston was feeling guilty of killing his mother and sister, because he possibly starved them to death of his greed. And once you were gone, so was your memory.
Winston's idea's of the proles is quite interesting. The proles are no loyal to a party or a country or an idea, they were loyal to each other. They had stayed human! The proles hadn't become like the rest of the population and turned into robots. They held on to what made them feel human: their emotions.
In chapter 8, Julia and Winston take the time to meet with O'Brien. Once arriving at his home, they realize that he is part of the Inner Party. What was wierd about the Inner Party homes, was that they could turn off their telescreens. However, why do they need them anyway? Isn't the Inner Party the one's who are in control of the telescreens? It is kind of ironic that they Inner party trusts the employees enough to turn off their telescreens, because Winston and O'Brien are plotting against the Party. Oops.
O'Brien asks a series of questions asking the dedication of Winston. The only thing they didn't agree to is the separation of Julia and Winston, which isn't suprising. They do have a love for each other that they don't want to give up. The way the questions were asked, it seemed that they were going to be employees of the party itself. I guess we will have to see.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
1984-September 16th, 2008
In the first chapter of this weeks reading, Winston makes his way to the secret hiding place to meet the girl that loves him. He follows the instructions and finds her just before getting to the hiding spot. They go to the spot and Winston finds out that Julia is part of the Youth Anti-Sex League. This is quite ironic because she admits to having sex with "scores of men," yet she is a counselor of the anti-sex league. I also found it weird that Winston like the corruption of Julia, with having all the sex. For him, it's an excuse to get away from the "real world." Also in my previous blog, I said that I thought Julia may work for the Inner Party. When the rocket almost hit them, I thought of that. This could be an unsuccessful murder attempt. But I could be wrong. Rockets are hitting London on a daily basis.
Later on, Julia is expressing her feelings about the Inner Party. He hates them. I found it interesting on Julia's views on sex. When we have sex, we use all of our energy, but we feel happy. Winston has eliminated his gin drinking, and replaced it with sex in Mr. Charrington's room.
One thing I don't understand, why does Winston wish Katherine was dead? I thought she was vaporized already.
Later on, Julia is expressing her feelings about the Inner Party. He hates them. I found it interesting on Julia's views on sex. When we have sex, we use all of our energy, but we feel happy. Winston has eliminated his gin drinking, and replaced it with sex in Mr. Charrington's room.
One thing I don't understand, why does Winston wish Katherine was dead? I thought she was vaporized already.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
1984-September 9th, 2008
In this weeks reading, we take a little "trip" with Winston. First, he sees a man who is elderly, born before the revolutionary war. Winston stops in and overhears his argument with the bartender over a pint of beer. He claims a half liter isn't enough, but a liter is too much. Winston tries to find out what his opinion is about the living conditions before the war and after. Winston never really get's it out of him. All he gets is random crap about top hats and the House of Lords. Winston is forced to believe what the Party says, even though it probably isn't true. He eventually comes to a familiar alley and runs into the shop where he bought his journal. He goes inside and buys a piece of coral for four dollars, a piece of history. The confrontation with the woman was kind of wierd. I thought it was the ThoughtPolice spying on him and plotting against him. He thought about crushing her skull with a cobblestone, but refrained.
Turns out that the creepy woman from the previous chapter is in love with Winston, as stated by the note given to him by her when she tripped in the hallway. At least he was a gentleman and helped her up. The note is ironic because he was going to kill her just a week ago. Anyway, they meet up somewhere(don't remember) and she gives Winston directions on where to meet her next. I guess we will see if this is love, or a plot against Winston. I'm voting for the plot.
Turns out that the creepy woman from the previous chapter is in love with Winston, as stated by the note given to him by her when she tripped in the hallway. At least he was a gentleman and helped her up. The note is ironic because he was going to kill her just a week ago. Anyway, they meet up somewhere(don't remember) and she gives Winston directions on where to meet her next. I guess we will see if this is love, or a plot against Winston. I'm voting for the plot.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
1984 - September 2nd, 2008
This weeks chapters from 1984 start off with us learning about what Winston job really is: changing history. He receives small notes with codes written on them. He then goes back through history to match it to what Big Brother has said. This is Winston's greatest source of happiness. I find this interesting, because it seems that he contradicts what his job is by disagreeing with the ways of the Party.
We later become familiar with Syme, a Newspeak writer. This is the strangest language I have ever heard of. It seems ridiculous that a government can actually reduce the vocab available in a culture. If they would want to prosper in any way, they should be expanding it, but the way the Party think is ridiculous too. However, this makes sense. By reducing the number of possible words to use, they are eliminating any chance for thought crime. If there is no such thing as a word, then it can't be used (correctly.) Just the thought of using 'good' as 'ungood' or 'plusgood' seems stupid.
What are Proles? Syme says that "Proles are not human beings." I think that Proles are the poor people that the government doesn't really care about. They think so little of them, they don't even have a telescreen in their homes, in some cases. Winston seems to be influenced by the proles, and hopefully they will be further explained later.
One last thing that is very clear, the Party wants complete control over the people of London. It even could go as far as telling the people that 2+2=5, and you would have to believe it. Not only would you be killed for thought crime, but what if they were actually right? Everything that we once known would be false. Who could we believe? Or government? or our conscience?
We later become familiar with Syme, a Newspeak writer. This is the strangest language I have ever heard of. It seems ridiculous that a government can actually reduce the vocab available in a culture. If they would want to prosper in any way, they should be expanding it, but the way the Party think is ridiculous too. However, this makes sense. By reducing the number of possible words to use, they are eliminating any chance for thought crime. If there is no such thing as a word, then it can't be used (correctly.) Just the thought of using 'good' as 'ungood' or 'plusgood' seems stupid.
What are Proles? Syme says that "Proles are not human beings." I think that Proles are the poor people that the government doesn't really care about. They think so little of them, they don't even have a telescreen in their homes, in some cases. Winston seems to be influenced by the proles, and hopefully they will be further explained later.
One last thing that is very clear, the Party wants complete control over the people of London. It even could go as far as telling the people that 2+2=5, and you would have to believe it. Not only would you be killed for thought crime, but what if they were actually right? Everything that we once known would be false. Who could we believe? Or government? or our conscience?
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