"He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother"(Orwell 298).
Winston has turned his mind inside out. He allowed the tactics of the Party to get inside of him and change him forever. The battle that Winston had once fought against the Party, became the battle he fought against himself for the Party. In the end, Winston won. Not the battle he once forged, but the battle that allowed him to survive. Winston once mentioned that it is in human nature to try to survive as long as possible, he won that battle. He unconsciously adapted, and won the battle of survival. If he fought to keep human nature alive, by his surviving, he won. Human nature, its emotions, its individualism might be dying in Oceania, but the nature of surviving will live on as long as the world in run by fear.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
1984: 13
"If you are a man, Winston, you are the last man. Your kind is extinct; we are the inheritors"(Orwell 270).
If a lunatic is a minority of one, then Winston is a lunatic. He is the last person in Oceania who possesses human emotions and the gut feelings that separate us from animals or robots. As the Party slowly but surely diminishes emotions and makes all its members numb to feelings, Winston stood firm in his beliefs. He worked tirelessly to keep himself from becoming just another Party member, from believing in all the propaganda, from being a robot. Now, caught in the glare of the Party headlights, Winston is falling into the mold. Not only is his kind extinct, he is too.
If a lunatic is a minority of one, then Winston is a lunatic. He is the last person in Oceania who possesses human emotions and the gut feelings that separate us from animals or robots. As the Party slowly but surely diminishes emotions and makes all its members numb to feelings, Winston stood firm in his beliefs. He worked tirelessly to keep himself from becoming just another Party member, from believing in all the propaganda, from being a robot. Now, caught in the glare of the Party headlights, Winston is falling into the mold. Not only is his kind extinct, he is too.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
1984: 12
"We do not merely destroy our enemies; we change them"(Orwell 253).
The Party cannot reconcile itself to merely total physical control; it must control the mind, body, and soul of each member. But why? At this point, nothing is unfathomable in this book, but one question remains. Why. What is it to the Party to control the final minor thoughts of a dying man? Thoughts unspoken, never to be noted, never to start rebellion. Why take so much interest in conversion, if death is the automatic next step? Is it not a waste of time and energy, better used to cultivate hate or some other artificial emotions in the loyal Party members? What makes each thought so individually important? If no action can be taken, if the words agree with the Party, there is no value to whether or not the weakened, doubled over in pain, mindless victim truly believes in what they are saying. They have no way to act upon what they think, no way to alter the Party's political stance, so let them die with the inner peace that they stood strong. Or is this satisfaction, even in death, a threat?
The Party cannot reconcile itself to merely total physical control; it must control the mind, body, and soul of each member. But why? At this point, nothing is unfathomable in this book, but one question remains. Why. What is it to the Party to control the final minor thoughts of a dying man? Thoughts unspoken, never to be noted, never to start rebellion. Why take so much interest in conversion, if death is the automatic next step? Is it not a waste of time and energy, better used to cultivate hate or some other artificial emotions in the loyal Party members? What makes each thought so individually important? If no action can be taken, if the words agree with the Party, there is no value to whether or not the weakened, doubled over in pain, mindless victim truly believes in what they are saying. They have no way to act upon what they think, no way to alter the Party's political stance, so let them die with the inner peace that they stood strong. Or is this satisfaction, even in death, a threat?
Monday, February 8, 2010
1984: 11
"In the face of pain, there are no heroes"(Orwell 239).
As Winston tries to collect the broken fragments of thought that stir in his mind, he is also trying with desperation to survive. He awaits the razor blade, yet knows it would be against every muscle in his waning body to kill himself. He knows that he will, as he has done is whole life, struggle against death. How is this different? Winston knows all his actions will lead to a certain death, no matter how he strives to live on, it is only a matter of time. He has nothing left to lose at this point, no Julia, no Brotherhood, no hope. There is nothing heroic left for him to do. There is no revolting now, there is no journal writing, there is no crime in the name of the Brotherhood, and above all, there is no standing up to the guards. All Winston has left to do is shrink away from pain and live moment by moment in wait.
As Winston tries to collect the broken fragments of thought that stir in his mind, he is also trying with desperation to survive. He awaits the razor blade, yet knows it would be against every muscle in his waning body to kill himself. He knows that he will, as he has done is whole life, struggle against death. How is this different? Winston knows all his actions will lead to a certain death, no matter how he strives to live on, it is only a matter of time. He has nothing left to lose at this point, no Julia, no Brotherhood, no hope. There is nothing heroic left for him to do. There is no revolting now, there is no journal writing, there is no crime in the name of the Brotherhood, and above all, there is no standing up to the guards. All Winston has left to do is shrink away from pain and live moment by moment in wait.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
1984: 10
"But no advance in wealth, no softening of manners, no reform or revolution has ever brought human equality a millimeter nearer"(Orwell 202).
As Winston reads the book explaining how the world really works, it is truly eerie how close some of the book's ideals are to our own world. No matter how the world has progressed throughout history, we really have not come any closer to equality. No matter what form of government has been employed, we have not come any closer to equality. Now, in Winston's world, they are farther than ever from obtaining equality, they have a rigid classes that allow for no movement. People cannot move up, they cannot move down. They must live, day in and day out the exact same way. The Proles will be Proles, the Inner Party will be the Inner Party. Nothing equal, nothing changing. But is true equality really the goal? Or just equal opportunity? In our world, equal opportunity to move up is what we have found to work, but would that work in Oceania, or when given the freedoms we have in our world, will another Party-like regime take over in the ensuing chaos?
As Winston reads the book explaining how the world really works, it is truly eerie how close some of the book's ideals are to our own world. No matter how the world has progressed throughout history, we really have not come any closer to equality. No matter what form of government has been employed, we have not come any closer to equality. Now, in Winston's world, they are farther than ever from obtaining equality, they have a rigid classes that allow for no movement. People cannot move up, they cannot move down. They must live, day in and day out the exact same way. The Proles will be Proles, the Inner Party will be the Inner Party. Nothing equal, nothing changing. But is true equality really the goal? Or just equal opportunity? In our world, equal opportunity to move up is what we have found to work, but would that work in Oceania, or when given the freedoms we have in our world, will another Party-like regime take over in the ensuing chaos?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
1984: 9
"The best books, he perceived, are those that tell you what you already know"(Orwell 200).
As human beings, it is our instinct to look for reassurance. We find validation for our actions by seeking examples of people acting, feeling, or thinking the same way that we do. It is in our nature to gravitate towards things similar to ourselves. This aspect of Winston is clear, both in the way he seeks companionship from others who share his contempt for the Party and the way in which he treats the book. Winston looks for people who think like he does, and share his need to stay human, thus satisfying the part of him that needs reassurance. As he reads the book, Winston finds that it puts together all of his jumbled feelings and thoughts, in this way, his actions and thoughts have been validated. In our own lives, we are much like Winston, we like things that prove our point, and we need reassurance. Winston is staying in touch with the part of him that needs answers, asks questions, and looks for reason.
As human beings, it is our instinct to look for reassurance. We find validation for our actions by seeking examples of people acting, feeling, or thinking the same way that we do. It is in our nature to gravitate towards things similar to ourselves. This aspect of Winston is clear, both in the way he seeks companionship from others who share his contempt for the Party and the way in which he treats the book. Winston looks for people who think like he does, and share his need to stay human, thus satisfying the part of him that needs reassurance. As he reads the book, Winston finds that it puts together all of his jumbled feelings and thoughts, in this way, his actions and thoughts have been validated. In our own lives, we are much like Winston, we like things that prove our point, and we need reassurance. Winston is staying in touch with the part of him that needs answers, asks questions, and looks for reason.
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