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?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I was kind of curious about the proles too. I would really like to learn more about them because of the fact that the gov doesn't even take the time to put telescreens in their homes. Winston said the hope lies in the proles. Maybe they'll finally start a rebellion or something...
I also questioned the proles. I think the government doesn't really care about them because they don't fully understand what the government is doing to them, whereas the poeple like Winston do understand what they are doing because they are doing it...changing history.
Post a Comment