In this weeks reading, we begin in the Cruncher household, were we meet Mr. Cruncher and his wife. Mr. Crunchers wife is supposedly praying for him, but he thinks that she is praying against him. Why is this? Mr. Cruncher also exclaims that her praying against him brings him bad luck. Mr. Cruncher must be doing something out of the ordinary in order to believe that his wife would be giving him bad luck.
Also, Mr. Cruncher throws a fit about the mud on his boots. Did his wife really put the mud on his boots? I'm a bit confused about this part of the chapter.
What does the rust under the fingernails mean? Does it have meaning? It is strange because young Jerry wants to know where the iron rust comes from because there isn't any around there, he says. It makes me wonder why he wants to be so much like his father when he isn't even completely sure what it is that he is doing.
Another part of this reading section that disturbed me quite a bit, was the way of punishment for a guilty punishment in court. It is absolutely grotesque the way that they quarter the people up. Half hanging them, cutting out their insides and burning them up, then cutting the body into quarters and burning that! Plus, the people treat it as a form of entertainment!! It is disgusting to even think about enjoying that kind of event.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
1984-October 14th, 2008
In the books last section of reading, we find Winston in a room being intensely interrogated by O'Brien. The sessions are becoming easier for Winston, with the dial becoming less of a factor. However, it seems that every answer that Winston gives O'Brien is not the correct response. He wanted to grasp the ideas of the Party so the pain would stop, but the he couldn't believe what he was saying.
The "dial torture device" proved to be very effective in the interrogation. By inflicting pain on the criminals, it becomes easier to change the way they think because they are in pain and in a fragile state of mind. This makes it very easy for the Party to brainwash the people back to the way they want them. O'Brien even makes the point that they are not interested in the good of the people, the are interested in the good of the Party, which was virtually understood already. The only difference is that they admitted it personally now! Not only does he admit that they want the government to reign supreme, it confirms any idea that the Party is based off of the Nazi party or the Russian Communists. The only difference is that the Party is actually following through with all of its ideas, rather than "letting them slide."
Winston has a dream about Julia and ends up blurting out "Julia, Julia!" He gets punished for the outburst, but the Party had not yet gained control of how Winston felt. His emotions were still in tact. It must be an incredible feeling to be completely brainwashed, but still be able to have feeling for others that you have once loved. It is a glimmer of hope!
The section in the reading when O'Brien is putting the rat up to Winston's face is the absolute greatest idea the Party has had thus far in the book! It is the perfect way to get someone to break down! If there was a hungry carnivorous rat in a cage attached to my face, It would scare the crap out of me too! It almost makes me wonder why they didn't just go to this plan to begin with.
After reading this book, it makes me wonder if something like this could actually happen. The Nazi's became very close to acheiving domination over Europe, but simply didn't follow their methods. If a government spells out a plan and plays it out religiously, I think this could happen more readily then we may think. Heck, it could be happening to us now! :0
The "dial torture device" proved to be very effective in the interrogation. By inflicting pain on the criminals, it becomes easier to change the way they think because they are in pain and in a fragile state of mind. This makes it very easy for the Party to brainwash the people back to the way they want them. O'Brien even makes the point that they are not interested in the good of the people, the are interested in the good of the Party, which was virtually understood already. The only difference is that they admitted it personally now! Not only does he admit that they want the government to reign supreme, it confirms any idea that the Party is based off of the Nazi party or the Russian Communists. The only difference is that the Party is actually following through with all of its ideas, rather than "letting them slide."
Winston has a dream about Julia and ends up blurting out "Julia, Julia!" He gets punished for the outburst, but the Party had not yet gained control of how Winston felt. His emotions were still in tact. It must be an incredible feeling to be completely brainwashed, but still be able to have feeling for others that you have once loved. It is a glimmer of hope!
The section in the reading when O'Brien is putting the rat up to Winston's face is the absolute greatest idea the Party has had thus far in the book! It is the perfect way to get someone to break down! If there was a hungry carnivorous rat in a cage attached to my face, It would scare the crap out of me too! It almost makes me wonder why they didn't just go to this plan to begin with.
After reading this book, it makes me wonder if something like this could actually happen. The Nazi's became very close to acheiving domination over Europe, but simply didn't follow their methods. If a government spells out a plan and plays it out religiously, I think this could happen more readily then we may think. Heck, it could be happening to us now! :0
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
1984-October 7th, 2008
In this weeks reading, we start off with Winston captured and in a cell with high white walls with no ceilings, what he thinks to be Ministry of Love. It is a place where many people are held and tortured-both physically and mentally-until the facts about their crimes come out of the mouths' of the convicted persons. There is never darkness in the Ministry of Love, which is ironic because really the only thing that ever happens here is torture.
Many people come and go out of the cell before Winston is even looked at to be taken, such as Parsons. He was turned in by his daughter for saying, "Down with Big Brother!" He is proud of her for turning him in!! These people are so brainwashed that they don't realize they are being punished for seemingly ridiculous things, like ThoughtCrime.
During the torture of Winston, it seemed shockingly similar to the Concentration Camps of Nazi Germany. The acid baths that the Germans forced the prisoners to take, the inhumane experiments, and the lack of food all seem similar to the torture of ThoughtCrime criminals. Electrocution was similar to an acid bath and an experiment at the same time. They know it's torture, but they really don't know how powerful it has to be to kill, so it is kind of different for everyone.
Also, now that I am through the chapters, I think that the white walls symbolize the cleansing of the inmates (in the idea of the Party), they just leave them human-less.
Many people come and go out of the cell before Winston is even looked at to be taken, such as Parsons. He was turned in by his daughter for saying, "Down with Big Brother!" He is proud of her for turning him in!! These people are so brainwashed that they don't realize they are being punished for seemingly ridiculous things, like ThoughtCrime.
During the torture of Winston, it seemed shockingly similar to the Concentration Camps of Nazi Germany. The acid baths that the Germans forced the prisoners to take, the inhumane experiments, and the lack of food all seem similar to the torture of ThoughtCrime criminals. Electrocution was similar to an acid bath and an experiment at the same time. They know it's torture, but they really don't know how powerful it has to be to kill, so it is kind of different for everyone.
Also, now that I am through the chapters, I think that the white walls symbolize the cleansing of the inmates (in the idea of the Party), they just leave them human-less.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)