"All the confessions that are uttered here are true. We make them true. And, above all, we do not allow the dead to rise up against us." page 254
This statement by O'Brien was probably the most disturbing statement in the whole book. It truly encompasses the power of the Party. They can make things true because no one has the strength or the desire to question them. In fact, most people are not even phased by the Party's lies. What the Party says is true, not because that actually happened but because no one is allowed to remember anything differently. The whole book seemed scary to me because of the concept of never being alone, even in one's own mind. The scarier thing, though, is that the past is alterable. If no one remembers the past, who can know for sure what happened? That seems absolutely terrible to me, like a recipe for disaster.
Showing posts with label 1984. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1984. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
1984-page 217
"He had still, he reflected, not learned the ultimate secret. He understood how; he did not understand why." page 217
Winston thinks this to himself shortly after reading Goldstein's book. He realizes that everything that is presented to him in the book is something he already knew. There was no new information that he had not first thought in his own mind. The same question still exists after he reads the book. To me, this seemed like a red flag. I don't understand how he doesn't see anything fishy about that. That's when I started to suspect O'Brien. There's no way that the book could have been written exactly as Winston thought. It was meant to build his confidence, not to enlighten members of the Brotherhood.
Winston thinks this to himself shortly after reading Goldstein's book. He realizes that everything that is presented to him in the book is something he already knew. There was no new information that he had not first thought in his own mind. The same question still exists after he reads the book. To me, this seemed like a red flag. I don't understand how he doesn't see anything fishy about that. That's when I started to suspect O'Brien. There's no way that the book could have been written exactly as Winston thought. It was meant to build his confidence, not to enlighten members of the Brotherhood.
1984-Conflict
"You are unable to remember real events, and you persuade yourself that you remember other events which never happened." page 245 (I know I used another one from page 245, but both examples are really good in my opinion, so I hope it's okay.)
Throughout the novel, Winston has several conflicts which are both internal and external. His primary external conflict is with the Party and it's incredibly loyal members such as the guards who beat him and O'Brien. These conflicts, while important, are relatively minor. The internal conflicts, however, have a huge impact. The above quote is from O'Brien and depicts the "problems" with Winston's brain. Through questioning and statements like this, O'Brien is able to confuse Winston enough that he has an internal conflict. His resistance in believing the Party's lies is weaken by O'Brien's statements, and Winston's internal conflict becomes his weakness. It becomes O'Brien's route into Winston's mind.
Throughout the novel, Winston has several conflicts which are both internal and external. His primary external conflict is with the Party and it's incredibly loyal members such as the guards who beat him and O'Brien. These conflicts, while important, are relatively minor. The internal conflicts, however, have a huge impact. The above quote is from O'Brien and depicts the "problems" with Winston's brain. Through questioning and statements like this, O'Brien is able to confuse Winston enough that he has an internal conflict. His resistance in believing the Party's lies is weaken by O'Brien's statements, and Winston's internal conflict becomes his weakness. It becomes O'Brien's route into Winston's mind.
1984-Direct Characterization
"O'Brien's manner became less severe. He resettled his spectacles thoughtfully, and took a pace or two up and down. When he spoke, his voice was gentle and patient." page 245
This scene occurs when O'Brien questions Winston for the first time, immediately following the first shock of pain that Winston feels. O'Brien seems to be playing the good-cop-bad-cop routine, except he's the only one playing. Throughout the novel, at least up to the point when Winston and Julia are caught, O'Brien seems to be on Winston's side. When Winston and Julia go to his home, O'Brien appears to be some sort of guardian. In the interrogation room, he switches between that O'Brien and the O'Brien who inflicts pain upon Winston and nearly exposes his face to hungry rats. Winston informs the reader directly of this and also of O'Brien's intelligence. Even without Winston's description of O'Brien's intelligence, though, the reader can see how truly smart he is. No dumb or moderately intelligent individual could switch so easily between appearing to be Winston's friend and inflicting pain upon him with machines.
This scene occurs when O'Brien questions Winston for the first time, immediately following the first shock of pain that Winston feels. O'Brien seems to be playing the good-cop-bad-cop routine, except he's the only one playing. Throughout the novel, at least up to the point when Winston and Julia are caught, O'Brien seems to be on Winston's side. When Winston and Julia go to his home, O'Brien appears to be some sort of guardian. In the interrogation room, he switches between that O'Brien and the O'Brien who inflicts pain upon Winston and nearly exposes his face to hungry rats. Winston informs the reader directly of this and also of O'Brien's intelligence. Even without Winston's description of O'Brien's intelligence, though, the reader can see how truly smart he is. No dumb or moderately intelligent individual could switch so easily between appearing to be Winston's friend and inflicting pain upon him with machines.
1984-Foreshadowing
"Of all the horrors in the world--a rat!" page 144
This quote is from a scene in the novel in which Julia and Winston are in Mr. Charrington's upper room. Julia sees a rat and shoos it away, triggering this response from Winston. This quote, along with Winston's narrated warning about rats eating babies, foreshadows Winston's torture involving hungry rats in the Ministry of Love. In fact, when O'Brien reveals the rats to Winston in the Ministry, he even explains the rats' nature to Winston almost exactly as Winston explains it to the reader. The rats are symbolic for Winston. They are his biggest fear, but they represent the last shred of sanity in his mind. When the door of the cage clicks shut, Winston has officially lost his mind to the Party. He is no longer able to think for himself because he is not himself.
This quote is from a scene in the novel in which Julia and Winston are in Mr. Charrington's upper room. Julia sees a rat and shoos it away, triggering this response from Winston. This quote, along with Winston's narrated warning about rats eating babies, foreshadows Winston's torture involving hungry rats in the Ministry of Love. In fact, when O'Brien reveals the rats to Winston in the Ministry, he even explains the rats' nature to Winston almost exactly as Winston explains it to the reader. The rats are symbolic for Winston. They are his biggest fear, but they represent the last shred of sanity in his mind. When the door of the cage clicks shut, Winston has officially lost his mind to the Party. He is no longer able to think for himself because he is not himself.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
1984-page 103
"Nobody ever escaped detection, and nobody ever failed to confess." page 103
The Party is predictable. The same thing happens every time they arrest someone moderately well-known. The person is arrested, they confess, and then they're vaporized. It always happens that way just like it did with Jones, Aaronson, and Rutherford. But once the person is vaporized, the Party deletes all evidence of that person's existence. It doesn't make sense that the Party would go to the trouble of gaining a public confession if they're just going to remove that person from history. Why aren't they secretly kidnapped and vaporized in the middle of the night like the people who are not well-known? If they technically won't exist anyway, why bother with the confession? It just seems like a whole lot of work when they could do it secretively and have the same exact result.
The Party is predictable. The same thing happens every time they arrest someone moderately well-known. The person is arrested, they confess, and then they're vaporized. It always happens that way just like it did with Jones, Aaronson, and Rutherford. But once the person is vaporized, the Party deletes all evidence of that person's existence. It doesn't make sense that the Party would go to the trouble of gaining a public confession if they're just going to remove that person from history. Why aren't they secretly kidnapped and vaporized in the middle of the night like the people who are not well-known? If they technically won't exist anyway, why bother with the confession? It just seems like a whole lot of work when they could do it secretively and have the same exact result.
1984-page 2
"BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU" page 2
This phrase is the basis for Orwell's characterization of Big Brother. B-B is portrayed as the controller and the ruler. He is all-powerful and infallible, but he only seems that way. The perception of the people is all that they have. Because of this, Big Brother can manipulate them in ways he should not be able to manipulate them. Big Brother shows that power is not something that a person can possess just because he or she wants to. Power comes from others. Without the consent of the people "beneath" him, Big Brother would have no power. Because the people consent, and the proles do not realize that they have the option not to consent, Big Brother has power that he should not have.
This phrase is the basis for Orwell's characterization of Big Brother. B-B is portrayed as the controller and the ruler. He is all-powerful and infallible, but he only seems that way. The perception of the people is all that they have. Because of this, Big Brother can manipulate them in ways he should not be able to manipulate them. Big Brother shows that power is not something that a person can possess just because he or she wants to. Power comes from others. Without the consent of the people "beneath" him, Big Brother would have no power. Because the people consent, and the proles do not realize that they have the option not to consent, Big Brother has power that he should not have.
1984-Motif
"The past, though of its nature alterable, never had been altered. Whatever was true now was true from everlasting to everlasting." page 34
The idea of an alterable past appears often in the novel. Winston's job is to change people's memories of the past. He alters the way that people see the past so that the Party always tells the truth. People always assume that the past is done and gone. "What's done is done," people say. In the world of the Party, this is not the case. The past is done, but memories of the past are not. The tiniest sliver of doubt can send those memories out of someone's mind and change them into something entirely different. The Party uses this to "change the past" several times in the novel, and it shows that the past is only what we remember.
The idea of an alterable past appears often in the novel. Winston's job is to change people's memories of the past. He alters the way that people see the past so that the Party always tells the truth. People always assume that the past is done and gone. "What's done is done," people say. In the world of the Party, this is not the case. The past is done, but memories of the past are not. The tiniest sliver of doubt can send those memories out of someone's mind and change them into something entirely different. The Party uses this to "change the past" several times in the novel, and it shows that the past is only what we remember.
1984-Antimetabole
"Until they become conscious, they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious." page 70
The clauses are essentially the same, but the words are rearranged. In this same fashion, the meanings are reversed. The proles will not realize what power they have until someone shows them. They feel a sense of powerlessness which is a mistaken perception. A group as large as the group of proles could easily take over the Party, but they think they cannot. Because of this perception, they will not rise, but in order to gain that view, they must rise. This is the source of Winston's feeling of hopelessness. He knows that the proles have to see their power to realize it, but he knows that they will not realize it without some event that provokes that.
The clauses are essentially the same, but the words are rearranged. In this same fashion, the meanings are reversed. The proles will not realize what power they have until someone shows them. They feel a sense of powerlessness which is a mistaken perception. A group as large as the group of proles could easily take over the Party, but they think they cannot. Because of this perception, they will not rise, but in order to gain that view, they must rise. This is the source of Winston's feeling of hopelessness. He knows that the proles have to see their power to realize it, but he knows that they will not realize it without some event that provokes that.
1984-Paradox
"WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH." page 4
This quote represents the paradox upon which the Party is built. In times of war, people are vulnerable. The goal of the Party is to keep the people under their control to maintain the kind of peace they want to have. The vulnerability created by war sustains the peace the Party desires. The Party has trained people to believe that freedom makes them slaves to choice. They are free to make errors, and they are slaves to the consequences of those decisions. By making decisions for the people, the Party takes away the freedom of choices and gives the freedom from consequences. Ignorance in the people results in strength for the Party. If the people do not question what the Party does or says, the Party has no opposition. It also goes the other way. Those who remain ignorant and show no desire for true knowledge are not in danger of being "vaporized" or arrested, and they do not have to deal with the truth. The truth causes doubt. With no knowledge of the true occurrences, the people can stay strong in their beliefs and avoid doubt.
This quote represents the paradox upon which the Party is built. In times of war, people are vulnerable. The goal of the Party is to keep the people under their control to maintain the kind of peace they want to have. The vulnerability created by war sustains the peace the Party desires. The Party has trained people to believe that freedom makes them slaves to choice. They are free to make errors, and they are slaves to the consequences of those decisions. By making decisions for the people, the Party takes away the freedom of choices and gives the freedom from consequences. Ignorance in the people results in strength for the Party. If the people do not question what the Party does or says, the Party has no opposition. It also goes the other way. Those who remain ignorant and show no desire for true knowledge are not in danger of being "vaporized" or arrested, and they do not have to deal with the truth. The truth causes doubt. With no knowledge of the true occurrences, the people can stay strong in their beliefs and avoid doubt.
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