"I can fix it so you can pick up the money and nobody'll bother you" (146).
Bigger is being dumb by challenging himself to go further with this murder. If he wants to challenge himself and see if he can get away with putting up a ransom for ten thousand dollars, then Bigger should be the one picking up the money; not Bessie. Bigger needs to start using his brain. He is only causing bigger problems for himself in the future. Bigger will get nervous and fearful as soon as he finds himself in a tough situation. Bessie is a sensible girl and unsure about Bigger's plan, but because she loves him, she falls for Bigger's trap. Bessie represents Bigger's conscience by reminding him how big of a risk he is taking by sneaking around with a big amount of money and flashing it around. She keeps questioning him and making Bigger angry more and more. Bigger would rather kill her than listen to her. Bessie is the conscience that Bigger wants to stop from entering his head. He knows she is right, but refuses to accept his wrongdoings. Although Bessie seems like somewhat of a good girl, she is vulnerable when it comes to money and liquor. Bigger knows he is going to get his way with Bessie, but when it comes time for the task, he'll push himself to do it and feel exactly the way he did with Gus. If not, Bigger will ruin himself by acting and thinking he is superior to the whites and blacks.
Will Bessie stay devoted to Bigger or turn on him?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Native Son Post #5 Pg. 140
"Maybe, yes, maybe he could, maybe he could use her" (138).
Bigger Thomas only cares about himself. He is a self-absorbed man who will do anything to protect only himself. Bessie is his girlfriend. His girlfriend, who he is supposed to love and care for; not use. After his revelation of feeling superior to the whites, Bigger has become an ignorant fool. Just because he thinks he can get away with Mary's murder does not give him a reason to feel higher ranked than the people around him. Bigger has a bad attitude and needs to control it the proper way; not by pretending to hide his new identity. To Bigger, everybody has become blind. Bigger has no right to think this because he himself had lived in fear until the night he murdered Mary. This does not mean he can take advantage of people that trust him or have faith in him. Bigger does not even feel the slightest bit guilty that he killed an innocent young lady. He still feels the urge to "blot out" or kill something he doesn't like. Bigger forgets the feelings of other people and simply worries about himself. This is going to hurt him in the long run.
Will Bessie help him?
Bigger Thomas only cares about himself. He is a self-absorbed man who will do anything to protect only himself. Bessie is his girlfriend. His girlfriend, who he is supposed to love and care for; not use. After his revelation of feeling superior to the whites, Bigger has become an ignorant fool. Just because he thinks he can get away with Mary's murder does not give him a reason to feel higher ranked than the people around him. Bigger has a bad attitude and needs to control it the proper way; not by pretending to hide his new identity. To Bigger, everybody has become blind. Bigger has no right to think this because he himself had lived in fear until the night he murdered Mary. This does not mean he can take advantage of people that trust him or have faith in him. Bigger does not even feel the slightest bit guilty that he killed an innocent young lady. He still feels the urge to "blot out" or kill something he doesn't like. Bigger forgets the feelings of other people and simply worries about himself. This is going to hurt him in the long run.
Will Bessie help him?
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Native Son Post #4 Pg. 93
"He looked at the shadowy bed and remembered Mary as some person he had not seen in a long time. She was still there. Had he hurt her?" (87).
Bigger was too busy worrying about himself that he completely forgot about Mary. This statement also connects back to how Bigger does not listen to his mother. He seems to be too concerned about how he has so many problems, which he does not plan on doing anything about rather than worrying about the people around him that actually care about his well-being and listening to them. Bigger always gets fed up and never makes the effort of fixing a situation. When he gets into a situation, he tries to find the easiest way out whether he thinks it's the right or wrong thing to do. He also doesn't bother thinking twice before acting or speaking. For example, he did not want to rob Blum, but since he put himself into a tough situation by challenging the gang to do it, he needed to go forth with the plan. Bigger did not bother thinking twice about shoving the pillow in Mary's face. He was too concerned about himself to realize he was suffocating her. Bigger needs to open his eyes. They have been closed for too long and it is only causing him problems.
Will Bigger get caught? & What will happen to him if he does?
Bigger was too busy worrying about himself that he completely forgot about Mary. This statement also connects back to how Bigger does not listen to his mother. He seems to be too concerned about how he has so many problems, which he does not plan on doing anything about rather than worrying about the people around him that actually care about his well-being and listening to them. Bigger always gets fed up and never makes the effort of fixing a situation. When he gets into a situation, he tries to find the easiest way out whether he thinks it's the right or wrong thing to do. He also doesn't bother thinking twice before acting or speaking. For example, he did not want to rob Blum, but since he put himself into a tough situation by challenging the gang to do it, he needed to go forth with the plan. Bigger did not bother thinking twice about shoving the pillow in Mary's face. He was too concerned about himself to realize he was suffocating her. Bigger needs to open his eyes. They have been closed for too long and it is only causing him problems.
Will Bigger get caught? & What will happen to him if he does?
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Native Son Post #3 Pg. 77
"He knew that they would not have cared if he had made himself more comfortable, but his moving would have called attention to himself and his black body" (68).
Jan and Mary want to make Bigger feel comfortable and show him he is just as equal as they are. Jan and Mary want to put an end to the segregation between whites and blacks. Because the whites have made black people feel so inferior, Bigger is embarrassed by his skin color. He can not walk into a room full of white people or laugh at a joke Mary tells him without feeling out of place because he is black. Although Mary and Jan both want to fix society's segregation and show Bigger everybody is equal, they still use Bigger as their driver. It is almost the same as Mr. Dalton being nice to Bigger partly because the rent Bigger pays goes to Mr. Dalton's real estate company. Even though majority of the white people feel much more superior to the Black people and do not want to be seen with or around them, Black people feel the same way. Bigger did not want to be seen at Ernie's Kitchen Shack with two white people. He felt embarrassed being with them. Bigger became so self-conscious and afraid of what the other people at the restaurant thought. I think that is Bigger's down fall. He is too busy worrying about what others think that, at times, he forgets what he is supposed to be doing. He analyzes things that should be left unanalyzed.
Will Mary get Bigger into trouble?
Jan and Mary want to make Bigger feel comfortable and show him he is just as equal as they are. Jan and Mary want to put an end to the segregation between whites and blacks. Because the whites have made black people feel so inferior, Bigger is embarrassed by his skin color. He can not walk into a room full of white people or laugh at a joke Mary tells him without feeling out of place because he is black. Although Mary and Jan both want to fix society's segregation and show Bigger everybody is equal, they still use Bigger as their driver. It is almost the same as Mr. Dalton being nice to Bigger partly because the rent Bigger pays goes to Mr. Dalton's real estate company. Even though majority of the white people feel much more superior to the Black people and do not want to be seen with or around them, Black people feel the same way. Bigger did not want to be seen at Ernie's Kitchen Shack with two white people. He felt embarrassed being with them. Bigger became so self-conscious and afraid of what the other people at the restaurant thought. I think that is Bigger's down fall. He is too busy worrying about what others think that, at times, he forgets what he is supposed to be doing. He analyzes things that should be left unanalyzed.
Will Mary get Bigger into trouble?
Monday, March 23, 2009
Native Son Post #2 Pg. 53
"The pay calls for $20 a week, but I'm going to give you $25. The extra $5 is for yourself, for you to spend as you like. [...] You can give the $20 to your mother to keep your brother and sister in school" (50).
Mr. Dalton is a decent, white man. He is making a great effort to make Bigger feel comfortable in his home. Mr. Dalton wants to help Bigger and Bigger needs to understand Mr. Dalton is a good man. Not all white people want to put down black people. Bigger should take Mr. Dalton's kind gesture and trust him. Mr. Dalton is not only looking to benefit himself with a new chauffeur, but he is also trying to benefit Bigger and his family. Mr. Dalton knows it is not easy being a colored boy living in poverty with a family to take care of. Bigger needs to take this opportunity to reform himself. He needs to let out any feelings and talk to Mr. Dalton about it. It would relieve him of any violence or temper and it would help Mr. Dalton understand him better. I hope Bigger does not become influenced by his friends to do anything dumb or lose his temper and become violent for any reason. Bigger needs to make the right decisions for himself and his family. He has an opportunity that many black people do not get and he should make the most of it in a positive way.
Will Bigger make amends with his friends? & Are they still going to rob Blum? I hope not.
Mr. Dalton is a decent, white man. He is making a great effort to make Bigger feel comfortable in his home. Mr. Dalton wants to help Bigger and Bigger needs to understand Mr. Dalton is a good man. Not all white people want to put down black people. Bigger should take Mr. Dalton's kind gesture and trust him. Mr. Dalton is not only looking to benefit himself with a new chauffeur, but he is also trying to benefit Bigger and his family. Mr. Dalton knows it is not easy being a colored boy living in poverty with a family to take care of. Bigger needs to take this opportunity to reform himself. He needs to let out any feelings and talk to Mr. Dalton about it. It would relieve him of any violence or temper and it would help Mr. Dalton understand him better. I hope Bigger does not become influenced by his friends to do anything dumb or lose his temper and become violent for any reason. Bigger needs to make the right decisions for himself and his family. He has an opportunity that many black people do not get and he should make the most of it in a positive way.
Will Bigger make amends with his friends? & Are they still going to rob Blum? I hope not.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Native Son Post #1 Pg. 30
"It's you who's scared. You scared I'm going to say yes and you'll have to go through with the job...." (27).
Bigger is trying to rise above his fear of white people by following through with the gang's plan to rob Blum. Bigger's friends all know he is just as scared as they are to do this robbery. Bigger acts like the tough guy and has a really bad temper. Bigger knows he should be getting a job and helping his family, but something is holding him back from it. It is almost as though he doesn't want to find a job because he is being asked to do it. Bigger has no problem giving orders, but he won't take a simple request from his own mother. He gets put down by his mother and even his friend, Gus, but he shouldn't take it to heart. Instead, he should do something about the problems in his life. He can not mope around robbing people. If he gets caught, then his mother and siblings will end up starving to death. Bigger acts like a rebel to hide his fear of the white people. Bigger and his friends all stereotype the white people as the ones with the good life. Bigger clearly does not want to do this robbery. He should stick with his gut. He shouldn't be relying on other people to decide what he should be doing for himself. If he knows something is wrong, then he should not do it. It's quite simple.
Is Bigger going to bother getting the job at Mr. Dalton's place? & Will the robbery work out?
Bigger is trying to rise above his fear of white people by following through with the gang's plan to rob Blum. Bigger's friends all know he is just as scared as they are to do this robbery. Bigger acts like the tough guy and has a really bad temper. Bigger knows he should be getting a job and helping his family, but something is holding him back from it. It is almost as though he doesn't want to find a job because he is being asked to do it. Bigger has no problem giving orders, but he won't take a simple request from his own mother. He gets put down by his mother and even his friend, Gus, but he shouldn't take it to heart. Instead, he should do something about the problems in his life. He can not mope around robbing people. If he gets caught, then his mother and siblings will end up starving to death. Bigger acts like a rebel to hide his fear of the white people. Bigger and his friends all stereotype the white people as the ones with the good life. Bigger clearly does not want to do this robbery. He should stick with his gut. He shouldn't be relying on other people to decide what he should be doing for himself. If he knows something is wrong, then he should not do it. It's quite simple.
Is Bigger going to bother getting the job at Mr. Dalton's place? & Will the robbery work out?
Saturday, March 21, 2009
1984: War is Peace Essay
War is Peace
In Oceania, Eastasia, and Eurasia, the fighting does not occur because of a shortage in resources or economic gain. The three superstates are self-sufficient. The triumvirs are also equally strong and equally potent. Therefore, no matter what countries may be fighting, it is still the same war: “None of the three superstates could be definitely conquered even by the other two in combination. They are too evenly matched, and their natural defenses are too formidable” (186). Clearly, this ongoing war has no meaning to it. There are no economic issues or competition for raw materials. In the realm of modern warfare, countries bear arms in a fight for freedom, power, and economic growth, yet the superstates of Oceania, Eastasia and Eurasia fight for loyalty among their citizens, the destruction of intelligence, and the maintenance of a hierarchical society.
In order to stay in control of Oceania, the Party needs to make sure they have everybody’s loyalty. The Party uses the war to direct any hatred the citizens may feel away from Big Brother and towards things such as Hate Week and opposing countries. One of the Party’s goals is to: “cut [the citizens of Oceania] off from contact with the outer world” (198). By preventing Oceania’s people from seeing foreigners, the Party becomes stronger. If the citizens of Oceania met with citizens from other countries, then they would all realize everybody is the same and rebel against the Party to stop the war. Therefore, the Party makes the other countries’ citizens look inhumane causing racism amongst the comrades. This ensures the Party that there will always be an interminable hatred of the opposing countries and their citizens. War is peace for the Party when all the citizens rely on Big Brother to save them. If war is peace for the Party, then war is peace to the citizen’s of Oceania, because the Party is always right and there is no proof of them ever being wrong.
An important aim of the Party is to dissipate any thought or intelligence in Oceania. By doing so, the Party will be able to control every possible thought in a human’s brain without much effort. If the citizens begin to realize the Party’s teachings do not have any purpose, then the Party will lose their power; so, “It is a deliberate policy to keep even the favored groups somewhere near the brink of hardship” (191). With hardship, it will be instinctive for citizens to look upon the Party for support. People will stop thinking for themselves and follow every word Big Brother utters. Their minds will slowly empty out and be replaced with the Party’s teachings. Once the Party starts controlling everybody’s thoughts, nobody will know right from wrong. Little things offered by the Party will become extravagant gifts to the citizens of Oceania. The citizens will think they are being helped with such care and concern. The Party’s control will only grow stronger as they oppress the people with hardships. The war allows the Party to show the citizens that Big Brother is taking control of the situation. It also helps the Party gain more power and reverence from the people. In order to stay at peace, the war must go on and the Party must keep brainwashing the citizens’ minds to follow Big Brother.
War gives the Party the power to sustain a hierarchical society: “The war is waged by each ruling group against its own subjects, and the object of war is not to make or prevent conquests of territory, but to keep the structure of society intact” (199). If the citizens all enjoyed the same leisure and security, then they would realize that the privileged minorities such as the Inner and Outer Party really have no purpose. This realization would only cause the people of Oceania to rebel against the Party; or, if they created a society where everybody is equal, it would allow a great mass of the proles to become literate and learn to think for themselves. Once the citizens start thinking for themselves, all the power the Party took years to gain would cease to exist for good; therefore, the Party cannot afford to end the war: “It would probably be accurate to say that by becoming continuous war has ceased to exist” (199). Usually a war ends in victory or defeat, but because the Party’s goals are different, this war is perpetual. By being everlasting, the word “war” has lost its meaning. As long as the citizens do not feel that they should be given equality or question the Party’s teachings, then war is peace.
The Party ensures that Big Brother is omnipotent and infallible by demonstrating that Big Brother has the most power in the world. Nobody would then feel the need to move up in society or attempt to take control, but instead, they would simply accept their position. The Party makes sure all the classes in Oceania’s society are distinguished by the citizens’ attire. Therefore, a person will be able to differentiate who is better and who is inferior to themselves. Clearly, the Party’s dissemination of ignorance and brainwashing has made people feel no desire to become better or higher in Oceania’s society. War is peace when the Party retains their position at the top of society with no revolt from the citizens, when they control every aspect of people’s lives, and when the citizens devote themselves to Big Brother and the Party.
In 1984, the Party alters the purpose of war. It is only used to gain loyalty among citizens, destroy any kind of intelligence, and maintain a hierarchical society. War is only there to benefit the Party and help them overpower the innocent masses of people in Oceania. The Party succeeds in brainwashing their citizens, causing unnecessary hardship, and reliance on a fictional leader. The Party is made up of a group of selfish people. Their heartless minds thirst for power and nothing more. War is peace to the Party because they accomplish their goal of controlling the citizens of Oceania. The Party finds satisfaction in knowing they are on the top of Oceania’s hierarchical society and hold power over the citizens’ minds. As long as the Party’s beliefs and teachings are compulsory, war is peace.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
1984 Part Three Ch. 4-6
"Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don't care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia! Not me!" (286).
"Under the spreading chestnut tree/I sold you and you sold me-" (293).
Julia, as we all know, was Winston's weakness. Once O'Brien figured that out, he thought Winston would break under the pressure of the rats. Instead, Winston was clever when he frantically screamed for Julia to be tortured instead of himself. Winston, as hard as he tried to deny it to himself, did not mean any of that. Fortunately, O'Brien was too self-centered to realize Winston was tricking him. Winston was lucky he got a way with it. He defeated O'Brien. O'Brien never reached the goal of making Winston sane. The human being took over O'Brien's childish pride he had for himself and the Party. Nobody watches Winston or cares what he does anymore. He is still the same man he was before he got arrested. Julia, on the other hand, used the Party's torture as an excuse to why she doesn't love him anymore. Julia betrayed Winston and ironically, she had been the one to promise Winston that she would never stop loving him. Winston still showed his affection to her until he realized there was no point to it. Julia was a shell the Party filled up. She was just like the rest of the brainwashed citizens of Oceania and once again Winston was alone. O'Brien was able to get into Winston's head by pushing out the sweet memories of his mother and sister, but not to the point where Winston truly loved Big Brother. At the Chestnut Tree Cafe, Winston began to tear up at the words "I sold you and you sold me-" just like Rutherford did. Clearly, Rutherford, Jones and Aaronson were not made up people. This connects back to Julia's betrayal. Winston will simply live a meaningless life. If he dies, it won't matter. Nobody will notice. The cycle of Big Brother and the Party will keep turning.
Servitude (280): n. slavery or bondage of any kind.
Baize (283): n. a soft, usually green, woolen or cotton fabric resembling felt, used chiefly for the tops of billiard tables.
"Under the spreading chestnut tree/I sold you and you sold me-" (293).
Julia, as we all know, was Winston's weakness. Once O'Brien figured that out, he thought Winston would break under the pressure of the rats. Instead, Winston was clever when he frantically screamed for Julia to be tortured instead of himself. Winston, as hard as he tried to deny it to himself, did not mean any of that. Fortunately, O'Brien was too self-centered to realize Winston was tricking him. Winston was lucky he got a way with it. He defeated O'Brien. O'Brien never reached the goal of making Winston sane. The human being took over O'Brien's childish pride he had for himself and the Party. Nobody watches Winston or cares what he does anymore. He is still the same man he was before he got arrested. Julia, on the other hand, used the Party's torture as an excuse to why she doesn't love him anymore. Julia betrayed Winston and ironically, she had been the one to promise Winston that she would never stop loving him. Winston still showed his affection to her until he realized there was no point to it. Julia was a shell the Party filled up. She was just like the rest of the brainwashed citizens of Oceania and once again Winston was alone. O'Brien was able to get into Winston's head by pushing out the sweet memories of his mother and sister, but not to the point where Winston truly loved Big Brother. At the Chestnut Tree Cafe, Winston began to tear up at the words "I sold you and you sold me-" just like Rutherford did. Clearly, Rutherford, Jones and Aaronson were not made up people. This connects back to Julia's betrayal. Winston will simply live a meaningless life. If he dies, it won't matter. Nobody will notice. The cycle of Big Brother and the Party will keep turning.
Servitude (280): n. slavery or bondage of any kind.
Baize (283): n. a soft, usually green, woolen or cotton fabric resembling felt, used chiefly for the tops of billiard tables.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
1984 Part Three Ch.3
"The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power. Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness; only power, pure power" (263).
The Party is acting like spoiled little children only thinking of themselves. They are the puppeteers and the rest of society are the puppets. None of the people in Oceania are really alive. They are all dead. Power, according to O'Brien can only be handled collectively, not individually. When a person dies, the power of the Party remains the same. People are coming in and out of the Party keeping it alive. The Party members are heartless, cruel people who have gone to a great extent to do more than simply brainwash the citizens of Oceania. The power is making the Party members insane. Winston is really the only human being among them all. The people of Oceania have no thought or feeling and the Party has control over everything just by simply inflicting pain on an innocent human being. There is not one person in this world who would find pleasure in watching somebody screaming in pain as the joints in their body pull apart. O'Brien and the other Inner Party members like him are not human. They are a bunch of lunatics trying to take over the world. The Party is really not intelligent. They make things up when they feel like it and get everybody else to believe in it too. If some do not believe in it, then all the Party needs to do is make them believe in it with pain.
Despotism (268): n. absolute power or control; tyranny.
Contemptible (268): adj. deserving of or held in disdain; despicable.
The Party is acting like spoiled little children only thinking of themselves. They are the puppeteers and the rest of society are the puppets. None of the people in Oceania are really alive. They are all dead. Power, according to O'Brien can only be handled collectively, not individually. When a person dies, the power of the Party remains the same. People are coming in and out of the Party keeping it alive. The Party members are heartless, cruel people who have gone to a great extent to do more than simply brainwash the citizens of Oceania. The power is making the Party members insane. Winston is really the only human being among them all. The people of Oceania have no thought or feeling and the Party has control over everything just by simply inflicting pain on an innocent human being. There is not one person in this world who would find pleasure in watching somebody screaming in pain as the joints in their body pull apart. O'Brien and the other Inner Party members like him are not human. They are a bunch of lunatics trying to take over the world. The Party is really not intelligent. They make things up when they feel like it and get everybody else to believe in it too. If some do not believe in it, then all the Party needs to do is make them believe in it with pain.
Despotism (268): n. absolute power or control; tyranny.
Contemptible (268): adj. deserving of or held in disdain; despicable.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
1984 Part Three Ch. 2
"He had the feeling that O'Brien was his protector, that pain was something from some other source, and that it was O'Brien who would save him from it" (250).
O'Brien is a very dangerous and manipulative man. He is no ordinary Party member. O'Brien is a clever person who knows how to use the Party's two objectives skillfully. He knows exactly what Winston is thinking, recalls almost every detail of Winston's personal thoughts and emotions, and acts as though he is a trustworthy friend. With O'Brien, a person doesn't know what they should believe. Winston tells O'Brien that O'Brien has no control over him, but Winston doesn't realize that O'Brien has obtained a lot more than control over him. It is positive O'Brien knows Winston is right, but O'Brien manages to convince Winston that he is insane. O'Brien manipulates Winston into thinking that he is a friend and is simply trying to help Winston. O'Brien convinces Winston into believing O'Brien uses doublethink when he is simply playing around with the power of the Party. O'Brien shows great authority and is definitely a more powerful person than a regular Inner Party member. O'Brien is the man behind all the torture, decisions, and the Party. O'Brien gives Winston reasons to believe the Party only means well for its comrades in a kind, persuasive manner. Winston is really not insane. O'Brien is clever when he mentions that martyrdom is not allowed. If there were martyrs, then people would have a reason to revolt. The Party was smart when they chose to convert people into sanity instead of leaving them as they were with the supposedly wrong ideas in mind before letting them out. Poor Winston really thinks O'Brien is a fine and gentle man. He doesn't realize what O'Brien is doing to him and it is almost inevitable that Winston will become a follower of Big Brother.
Prevaricate (245): v. to speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie.
Vindicate (254): v. to uphold or justify by argument or evidence.
O'Brien is a very dangerous and manipulative man. He is no ordinary Party member. O'Brien is a clever person who knows how to use the Party's two objectives skillfully. He knows exactly what Winston is thinking, recalls almost every detail of Winston's personal thoughts and emotions, and acts as though he is a trustworthy friend. With O'Brien, a person doesn't know what they should believe. Winston tells O'Brien that O'Brien has no control over him, but Winston doesn't realize that O'Brien has obtained a lot more than control over him. It is positive O'Brien knows Winston is right, but O'Brien manages to convince Winston that he is insane. O'Brien manipulates Winston into thinking that he is a friend and is simply trying to help Winston. O'Brien convinces Winston into believing O'Brien uses doublethink when he is simply playing around with the power of the Party. O'Brien shows great authority and is definitely a more powerful person than a regular Inner Party member. O'Brien is the man behind all the torture, decisions, and the Party. O'Brien gives Winston reasons to believe the Party only means well for its comrades in a kind, persuasive manner. Winston is really not insane. O'Brien is clever when he mentions that martyrdom is not allowed. If there were martyrs, then people would have a reason to revolt. The Party was smart when they chose to convert people into sanity instead of leaving them as they were with the supposedly wrong ideas in mind before letting them out. Poor Winston really thinks O'Brien is a fine and gentle man. He doesn't realize what O'Brien is doing to him and it is almost inevitable that Winston will become a follower of Big Brother.
Prevaricate (245): v. to speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie.
Vindicate (254): v. to uphold or justify by argument or evidence.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
1984 Part Two Ch. 10 & Part Three Ch. 1
"But that was merely an intellectual decision, taken because he knew that he ought to take it. He did not feel it" (238).
Winston promised Julia he would never betray her and stop loving her, but the fact of the matter is he really does not seem to care very much for her. He says he loves her, but he does not feel the love for her. The love he spoke of before seemed to dissappear once he was placed into the hands of the Thought Police. Like Winston, none of the citizens in Oceania have feelings. The skull-faced man in Winston's cell tried to get the chinless man in trouble with the guards just beacuse he did not want to go to Room 101. The skull- faced man did not care about the chinless man even though the chinless man got punched in the face for kindly offering a piece of bread to him. The skull- faced man even told the guard he would rather watch his wife and little children's throats get cut than go to Room 101. Everybody only worries about themselves. Self-interest always comes first, but it is really shown in this book. The Party strongly enforces poeple to not love or show any emotion towards a person. Even little children are handing their parents into the Thought Police. This is only going to cause people to betray one another more and more, but due to the fact nobody cares about each other, it clearly won't matter until it really starts to affect more than one person at a time. The more people that realize they have been hurt, the harder it will be for the Party to control its people.
Sanctimonious (233): adj. making a hypocritical show of religious devotion, piety.
Sententiously (233): adv. self-righteous.
Winston promised Julia he would never betray her and stop loving her, but the fact of the matter is he really does not seem to care very much for her. He says he loves her, but he does not feel the love for her. The love he spoke of before seemed to dissappear once he was placed into the hands of the Thought Police. Like Winston, none of the citizens in Oceania have feelings. The skull-faced man in Winston's cell tried to get the chinless man in trouble with the guards just beacuse he did not want to go to Room 101. The skull- faced man did not care about the chinless man even though the chinless man got punched in the face for kindly offering a piece of bread to him. The skull- faced man even told the guard he would rather watch his wife and little children's throats get cut than go to Room 101. Everybody only worries about themselves. Self-interest always comes first, but it is really shown in this book. The Party strongly enforces poeple to not love or show any emotion towards a person. Even little children are handing their parents into the Thought Police. This is only going to cause people to betray one another more and more, but due to the fact nobody cares about each other, it clearly won't matter until it really starts to affect more than one person at a time. The more people that realize they have been hurt, the harder it will be for the Party to control its people.
Sanctimonious (233): adj. making a hypocritical show of religious devotion, piety.
Sententiously (233): adv. self-righteous.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
1984 Part Two: Ignorance is Strength.
"Individually, no member of the Party owns anything, except petty personal belongings. Collectively, the Party owns everything in Oceania, because it controls everything and disposes of the products as it thinks fit" (206).
The Proles do not notice the effect they could have on the government if they joined together to create one indestructible mass. The Party shows exactly what the Proles need to see among themselves. A Party member knows that he or she is not as important as all the Party members combined. A Prole should be able to see the same thing through the use of common sense. The fault in the Proles realizing their power over the government is due to the Party's manipulation it has on almost everything in Oceania. The Proles are in a trance by the Party. Although there is a big gap between the Party and the Proles in hierarchical society, the Proles make up a good eighty-five percent of Oceania. They can cause some serious damage to Big Brother and the Parties. It is only a matter of time before the Proles realize their capability. The cause of their stupidity is the Party. There will come a time where the Proles will realize and then retaliate.
Avaricious (205): adj. greedy.
Expropriated (206): v. to take something from another's possession for one's own use.
The Proles do not notice the effect they could have on the government if they joined together to create one indestructible mass. The Party shows exactly what the Proles need to see among themselves. A Party member knows that he or she is not as important as all the Party members combined. A Prole should be able to see the same thing through the use of common sense. The fault in the Proles realizing their power over the government is due to the Party's manipulation it has on almost everything in Oceania. The Proles are in a trance by the Party. Although there is a big gap between the Party and the Proles in hierarchical society, the Proles make up a good eighty-five percent of Oceania. They can cause some serious damage to Big Brother and the Parties. It is only a matter of time before the Proles realize their capability. The cause of their stupidity is the Party. There will come a time where the Proles will realize and then retaliate.
Avaricious (205): adj. greedy.
Expropriated (206): v. to take something from another's possession for one's own use.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
1984 Part Two: War is Peace.
"In philosophy, or religion, or ethics, or politics, two and two might make five, but when one was designing a gun or an airplane they had to make four" (197).
When a person has the job of creating something for their country, it takes more than simply believing the Party's words. No matter how much a person might try to believe it, the Party does not know everything. Therefore, the person needs to take the matter into their own hands and make sense of how he or she plans on making the gun or airplane in order to benefit their country. The matter of two plus two equaling five will only cause the gun and airplane to backfire, so the person needs to think logically and put two and two together to make four in order for the gun and airplane to function properly. We need to think logically and realistically when we are making a decision or creating something. As much as we may want to believe something to being the only right answer, we have to face the truth and reality by actually using our brains to solve the problem. The comrades are too enveloped in the Party's words that they do not know what is true and what is false.
Expended (187): v. to use up; consume.
Armaments (187): n. the arms and equipment with which a military unit or military apparatus is supplied.
When a person has the job of creating something for their country, it takes more than simply believing the Party's words. No matter how much a person might try to believe it, the Party does not know everything. Therefore, the person needs to take the matter into their own hands and make sense of how he or she plans on making the gun or airplane in order to benefit their country. The matter of two plus two equaling five will only cause the gun and airplane to backfire, so the person needs to think logically and put two and two together to make four in order for the gun and airplane to function properly. We need to think logically and realistically when we are making a decision or creating something. As much as we may want to believe something to being the only right answer, we have to face the truth and reality by actually using our brains to solve the problem. The comrades are too enveloped in the Party's words that they do not know what is true and what is false.
Expended (187): v. to use up; consume.
Armaments (187): n. the arms and equipment with which a military unit or military apparatus is supplied.
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