@Paige I believe that big brother left some churches standing because people don not really remember the past any way. So big brother can use the churches for anything they want to.
@Jianna I don't think they care aout them becasue they are to ignorent and think that nothing is going to happen to them ever, so they don't worry about it
@Jianna The government doesn't care about the proles because they aren't a threat. It said occasionally proles "vanished" and they have someone check in on them every once in a while but other than that they are on their own. I think they can be related to the people who live on the track in "Fahrenheit 451"
I think Winston's and the dark haired girls relationship (before he gets the note from her) is dysfunctional because he said he would like to bash her skull in but on the other hand he likes her?
@Jianna I think he might join them but also inspire them to challenge the government. I think also that the government doesn't care about proles because they're just worried about maintaining their own power and they are worried about people who might change that or question their authority. The proles are people who are poorer and have given up in life.
@Jianna I don't think the government cares about the Proles because they are kind of like the old men in 451. The men aren't causing harm to anyone. I believe Winston will join them eventually but for now he will just continue to go back and buy more artifacts.
@Jianna I think that Big Brother just finds them useless, a hopeless cause. The government knows they will not chaneg their lives and so they are okay with them because they think that nobody else will believe them, or listen to them because Big Brother has said how they don't matter.
@Jack S. The old man is not able to remember the past because he has been living the life of a prole for many years and probably worries more about staying alive then what the past was like.
Jack s I think that the old man can't remember the past because the government has done something to him, perhaps they didn't do anything as extreme as "brain surgery" but brain washing is defiantly part of it. With there slogans and them constantly drinking and only learning about the future and a fake past, it would be very easy to forget the past after awhile.
@Jianna I don't think the government cares much about the proles because they don't threaten the government. People check up on them but when they vanish it doesn't seem like anyone really cares.
@inner circle I think that bombs are ordinary things, but they aren't actually at war. Perhaps it is framed and they are killing off proles, that's why they aren't attacking city centers.
why did all of a sudden a note that said I LOVE YOU change the way he feels about life? All of a sudden he wanted to live life to the fullest and he wanted to see the dark-haired girl again.
@Jianna I think the government does not care about the proles because they are not a threat to the government. I also believe that Winston will eventually join the proles but will for now remain a worker.
@Class What is going on with the dark haired girl? She is so odd. It seemed that she was part of the Junior Anti-Sex League one day and now she is being all secretive with telling Winston that she loves him. Why do they have to be so secretive? Aren't they allowed to have relationships with people?
@Jack S I agree with your thought on how they just think bombs are ordinary things. And they might be just killing them off, but why would they do that? I thought the government didn't care about them? So why would they care if they are alive?
@Rachel I think the note affected him because the people in this time don't really get married and it seems Winston is so alone most of the time it shocked him that someone loved him. This note may have reminded him of his mom or something.
@Drew I just think that he is very cautious and suspicious of her because he is still concerned that she could be trying to get information out of him for Big Brother.
@Natalie B I think that eventually Winston and the dark haired girl are going to find that they are both awake to this mind controlling society. Possibly they will work together to stop Big Brother.
@InnerCircle Nobody cares about the bombs because it is something that they have grown up with. If we grew up with bombs falling from the sky we wouldn't think it was anything out of the ordinary either. For example, if there was rain from 12-3 every day everyone would be ready and prepared for it, but people in other places might find it strange. It is all just part of how their society works.
@ Rachel When Winston gets the note, he suddenly feels like he is wanted by someone, that he actually matters, and that there's one part of his life that the government can't control because they don't know about it.
@Rachel He didn't have anything to believe in before, anything to live for but now that he knows someone cares about him he wants that feeling. If someone you knew and maybe kind of liked and they gave you a note saying "I love you" of course you would want to go talk to them.
@Natalie I think they are allowed to have relationships with people but remember the government was opposed to having sex for desire but only if you are planning on having a child. What do you think is going to happen to the dark-haired girl and Winston when they meet in the country side. I think it will be the beginning to their love affair.
@Natalie I don't think they can have real relationships with people (hence the Anti-Sex League) and I also think she acts so odd because she is almost afraid of her feelings about Winston because of Big Brother.
@Jianna I agree with Natalie that Winston won't join the proles, but he may help them out as much as he can. I think that the government doens't care about the proles because they believe that they can't truly do anything that threatens the government. Kathleen
@Drew I think that Winston wanted to bash her head because he thought that he could never have her and so he wants to just get rid of her so he isn't constantly reminded that he can't have her.
@Natalie B I was also confused by the dark hair girl situation. I think that they are being secretive because Winston is about twice as old as the dark haired girl, and maybe that is looked down on, also Winston is still "married" so I don't think that he would be allowed to see other people even though he doesn't know where his wife is.
@OuterCircle Why do you think Orwell is choosing not to give us Big Brothers name or anything? Do you think the citizens know his name or is he just some dictator that no one has ever wondered about?
@Rachel I believe that this note, saying I LOVE YOU changed his perspective on life. He was just living a dull life and did not even have anyone to share his life with. He feels he is finally wanted by someone and he really enjoys it.
@Melissa That's true. Though i still don't know if it would change my whole perspective to life and living. It almost as if he want to be caught because first he wrote in his diary and he still is and not he wants to have a love affair with a prostitute when the action of sex is basically banned under Big Brother.
@Tram I don't think that the Proles like or trust Big Brother, why would they? The government treats them very badly and barely gives them enough food rations. They are already in a whole new group, and there group doesn't like the government at all so they wouldn't like or follow Big Brother.
@Jack B I dont think that Big Brother is just one person, but a group of people. Maybe they keep their identities secret so that nobody could assassinate them? Like the proles?
@Natalie B I think they are being so secretive because it wouldn't be normal for them to be together, like they are not the people that other people and immediately go, 'they are meant for each other!' Also because she is part of the anti-sex league it would not be good on her part to go have a relationship.
@ Racheal I think he wants to live because he feels like their is someone like him and wants to meet with him may bring something interresting in his life.
@Tram I think this quote says that the only ones that are free from Thought Crime and persecution are animals and the proles. Everyone else is held to the Party's standards.
@Tram This quote just sums up the government, it's like the proles and the animals are the only ones who can think for themselves, the only ones who can actually live their lives.
@Jack B. If there is some mystery to an issue, people tend to be more drawn to it because it isn't just layed out in front of them. I do not think that Big Brother exists, I think he is more a conspiracy that the government formed and they just put a face to the name.
@Tram Proles are living free of the government under their control without telescreens and animals are also free to wonder around during the day and night, not be forced to go to school, and sleep whenever they want. I think Winston and the rest of Party are compared to pets, where as they are still animals but they are controlled by owners.
@Jack B I think that the people know the man as Big Brother, that is his name and his identifier. I think that the people haven't ever even wondered about if he has another name because they had no need to.
@Tram I think this quote is relating animals and Proles in the sense that animals are free to a point as well as the Proles. The Proles are free to do what they want but they still live in one area and can't really escape.
@Jack S It's not like people act like they know or talk about it, I think that a lot of people know they are just too terrified of Big Brother to do anything about it.
@Jack S I think other people realize they are being controlled but Winston is the only one realizing how bad it actually is and he starts to want to do something about it.
@InnerCircle Just like other point, the proles don't understand that their society is messed up. They feel like everything is normal, and they are happy satisfied with that for the most part.
@Jianna I agree with Jack S that the government doesn't care about the proles because they are looked upon as animals. The government doesn't think that the proles could do anything to hurt the nation or government.
@Jack S I don't think that Winston thinks that he is the only one who realized they are being controlled. I think he knows that other people may have realized it, but he couldn't possibly know who it is. It's not a subject that is ever talked about because it is a thought crime and no one wants to be vaporized. He also must know that some has thought about it before because the thought police has come and took others in the night, so someone had to think of it before. Take Goldstein for example.
@ Jack S. Winston sees all the people around him doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing, and taking in what the overnment says like they need it. He doesn't see anyone who hesitates to participate.
@Bloggers Maybe Big Brother is not a real person but there has to be some sort of leader of "The Government". The government can't be just a group of people running everything, ultimately there has to be one commander in chief.
@Jack B I do not think that their society is "messed up." They are not being controlled or their thoughts are not being monitored. And Winston believes that their lives are not so bad because they are not under constant surveillance like himself.
@Jack S. I think that there are other people in the society who think that they are being controlled by the Government but are to scared of Big Brother to do something about it. I also believe that Winston has discovered that the Government is controlling them because of his job and he actually knows that Big Brother has the power to change history.
On page 74, Orwell wrote, "The ideal set up by the Pary was something huge, terribe, and glittering- a world of steel and concrete, of monstrous machines and terrifying weapons- a nation of warriors and fanatics, marching forward in perfect unity, thinking the same thoughts and shouting the same slogans..." Do you think that we are headed this way with all of the robot and computer technology? Even if it didn't happen in 1984, do you think it will happen in the future?
@Angelo Like what Mitchell just said, I think that he is saying that in the book, people don't know or think enough to counter what the government says. He is calling out the government on the idea that they can say or do whatever they want because the population doesn't know anything better.
@Natalie There isn't a law stating that relationships and love are illegal but they are not recommended. It was mentioned earlier that if two Party members want to marry each other, they are required to present their case in front of a specially appointed committee and are only given permission if their goal is to provide Big Brother with children, supporting his cause. Given that both Winston and the dark haired girl work for the Party, this may be a reason for their attempts at secrecy. Natali B.
@Angelo I think WInston is saying that once the people can say that 2+2=4, a true fact, not changed by the government, then a tidal wave of thoughts could erupt and people could actually start to change the ways of Oceania.
@Tram It reminds me of the way that we used to have signs saying things like "No black or dogs allowed". Although in words saying they are both free is quite the opposite, its essentially saying the same thing - proles are equal to animals to them. Kathleen
@Jack B I agree, there has to be something, someone. I mean who created the idea of big brother. I mean is there just a group of government people who just wanted to make someone up randomly for a better way to control the people?
@Jack S Earlier in the book it said that Winston believed O'Brien had the same thinking he did because of the eye-contact they shared at a Hate Assembly. Also on page 103 it says, " He tried to think of O'Brien, for whom, or to whom, the diary was written".
@Natalie B Name one time a group has flourished without one leader. Every scheme has one person in charge. i predict later in the book we will realize who is behind all this.
@Jack B I completely agree. With every powerful group or every political party, there is ONE , ONE mastermind. A party finds it difficult to organize without a leader.
@Angelo I think Winston is meaning if rules make sense, such as 2+2=4, then we are truly free and everything will go along fine. However, if things don't make sense, the society might not go along as well. How do the people know they are free if the government is spoon feeding them everything they are "supposed" to hear?
@Tram I just think that a group of people became seriously power-hungry and took over the entire government. Maybe the people at the time thought it would be a good idea, and supported him. They were probably just scared of the way their government was going adn very vulnerable, so Big Brother took advantage of that.
@Angelo I think that it means that if we have the freedom to say the truth and what is right, then every other type of freedom will be somehow given to us.
@Tram Its not neccisarilly true that just because people noticed that they were being controlled that they would take action. Not everyone is able to just go and challenge everything that upsets them because they're too scared of what will happen. I wouldn't say that they don't care. Kathleen
@Jack S Maybe Winston can't drink beer because Big Brother knows if he gets the slightest out of control, he could share all the secrets he is keeping about the government and his job.
I don't think religion is a huge part of society because people have things to worry about beyond what they believe will happen to them in the afterlife.
@Class Do you think that while the POW were paraded in the trucks, the people just booed and what not because the government told them they were bad, or did they actually feel disdain towards them?
@Jack S I don't think that they aren't allowed but they just aren't given it. Maybe alcohol is cheap and Gin is not so they give they higher class the gin and the lower class, alcohol.
@Jack S I think that since the proles are not allowed to drink gin, it shows that they are lesser beings than the party members. And drinking beer is probably considered drinking low end stuff. It is probably considered drinking boxed wine instead of a high end bottle of wine in today's society.
@Angelo I think the people think that they have control in their own life, when in fact they don't. They are so brainwashed since they think they are in control
@class Is it strange for a person to revisit a store often? I don't understand why Winiston was so worried about going back into the store where he bought his diary. I get that buying a diary is illegal when you write in it, but why is it so weird to go back to a store?
@Jack B I don't even think it's apart of society at all, I mean being religious requires thinking, Believing, praying to him, thanking him, I don't know but I think that the Government got rid of it somehow.
@Angelo That's an interesting point. Maybe the people try not to think about the past and feel sorry because they know they can't go back in time and change what happened.
@Drew F I agree because gin today is somewhat of a high class drink, as beer is something you usually drink in a casual situation with your friends. Maybe proles lead a more casual life.
@class Do you think that the girl with the dark hair is actually a spy? Or do you think she actually fell in love with a man twice her age who she never talked to before?
@Jianna I think he was worried because he felt like he was going agaisnt the governement and didn't want to deal with the consequences that came along with it.
@ Trevor I think the reason people booed the prisoners was mixed. They have the Two Minutes Hate each day, so they feel hatred toward the prisoners for no reason, and also those who are smart enough to realize there is no reason, they do what the government tells them to do.
@Jianna I think the basis of Winston's fear was that it was weird for party members to be walking around in the "slums" where the proles lived. I also think he was worried because if another party member saw him, they would be suspicious of why he was in a shop and might suspect that he was there for a reason, which would lead to interrogation.
@ Jianna I don't think that it's weird to visit a store again but to visit THAT store again. I mean, he's part of the government, maybe he thinks that he shouldn't be allowed to go to that shop because it's part of the prole's territory.
@Jianna I think that going back to a store frequently would cause much suspicion among others. Because they do not go out much, I think that if they frequented a store, other people would start to become weird-ed out.
@Angelo I think that the old man can't remember everything from his earlier years because it wasn't different than his everyday life back then. It can be hard to remember somehting if it isn't out of the ordinary.
Why doesn't the government care about the Proles? Will Winston join them?
ReplyDeleteWhat do you guys think about the old man that Winston inquired about the past? Why doesn't he seem to care about what is going on?
ReplyDeleteWhy is the old man unable to think of the past?
ReplyDelete@ class
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think the government doesn't care about the proles?
@Paige
ReplyDeleteI believe that big brother left some churches standing because people don not really remember the past any way. So big brother can use the churches for anything they want to.
@Jianna
ReplyDeleteThe government doesn't care because they are too separated to cause any damage that they can't handle
@Jianna
ReplyDeleteI don't think they care aout them becasue they are to ignorent and think that nothing is going to happen to them ever, so they don't worry about it
@Jianna
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Winston will become one but I think that he will work with them to bring about change.
@Jianna
ReplyDeleteThe government doesn't care about the proles because they aren't a threat. It said occasionally proles "vanished" and they have someone check in on them every once in a while but other than that they are on their own. I think they can be related to the people who live on the track in "Fahrenheit 451"
Will Winston rent the house above the old antiques shop?
ReplyDeleteI think Winston's and the dark haired girls relationship (before he gets the note from her) is dysfunctional because he said he would like to bash her skull in but on the other hand he likes her?
ReplyDelete@Jianna
ReplyDeleteI think he might join them but also inspire them to challenge the government. I think also that the government doesn't care about proles because they're just worried about maintaining their own power and they are worried about people who might change that or question their authority. The proles are people who are poorer and have given up in life.
@Jianna
ReplyDeleteI don't think the government cares about the Proles because they are kind of like the old men in 451. The men aren't causing harm to anyone. I believe Winston will join them eventually but for now he will just continue to go back and buy more artifacts.
@Jianna
ReplyDeleteI think that Big Brother just finds them useless, a hopeless cause. The government knows they will not chaneg their lives and so they are okay with them because they think that nobody else will believe them, or listen to them because Big Brother has said how they don't matter.
@Jack S.
ReplyDeleteThe old man is not able to remember the past because he has been living the life of a prole for many years and probably worries more about staying alive then what the past was like.
Jack s
ReplyDeleteI think that the old man can't remember the past because the government has done something to him, perhaps they didn't do anything as extreme as "brain surgery" but brain washing is defiantly part of it. With there slogans and them constantly drinking and only learning about the future and a fake past, it would be very easy to forget the past after awhile.
@Jack, maybe because the time has changed so much and since the past had been rewritten, it's kind of like mindblock
ReplyDelete@Jianna
ReplyDeleteI don't think the government cares much about the proles because they don't threaten the government. People check up on them but when they vanish it doesn't seem like anyone really cares.
@inner circle
ReplyDeleteI think that bombs are ordinary things, but they aren't actually at war. Perhaps it is framed and they are killing off proles, that's why they aren't attacking city centers.
why did all of a sudden a note that said I LOVE YOU change the way he feels about life? All of a sudden he wanted to live life to the fullest and he wanted to see the dark-haired girl again.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@Jianna
ReplyDeleteI think the government does not care about the proles because they are not a threat to the government. I also believe that Winston will eventually join the proles but will for now remain a worker.
@Class
ReplyDeleteWhat is going on with the dark haired girl? She is so odd. It seemed that she was part of the Junior Anti-Sex League one day and now she is being all secretive with telling Winston that she loves him. Why do they have to be so secretive? Aren't they allowed to have relationships with people?
@Jack S
ReplyDeleteI agree with your thought on how they just think bombs are ordinary things. And they might be just killing them off, but why would they do that? I thought the government didn't care about them? So why would they care if they are alive?
@Rachel
ReplyDeleteI think the note affected him because the people in this time don't really get married and it seems Winston is so alone most of the time it shocked him that someone loved him. This note may have reminded him of his mom or something.
@Drew
ReplyDeleteI just think that he is very cautious and suspicious of her because he is still concerned that she could be trying to get information out of him for Big Brother.
@Natalie B
ReplyDeleteI think that eventually Winston and the dark haired girl are going to find that they are both awake to this mind controlling society. Possibly they will work together to stop Big Brother.
@InnerCircle
ReplyDeleteNobody cares about the bombs because it is something that they have grown up with. If we grew up with bombs falling from the sky we wouldn't think it was anything out of the ordinary either. For example, if there was rain from 12-3 every day everyone would be ready and prepared for it, but people in other places might find it strange. It is all just part of how their society works.
@ Rachel
ReplyDeleteWhen Winston gets the note, he suddenly feels like he is wanted by someone, that he actually matters, and that there's one part of his life that the government can't control because they don't know about it.
What do you think the dark haired girl will do? what and how much significance will she have to the plot?
ReplyDelete@jack S
ReplyDeleteI think the old man doesn't remember the past because he is worried he may get killed or taken away by Big Brother
@Bloggers
ReplyDeleteDo you think Julia will discover Winston's thoughts about the Government?
@Rachel
ReplyDeleteHe didn't have anything to believe in before, anything to live for but now that he knows someone cares about him he wants that feeling. If someone you knew and maybe kind of liked and they gave you a note saying "I love you" of course you would want to go talk to them.
@Natalie
ReplyDeleteI think they are allowed to have relationships with people but remember the government was opposed to having sex for desire but only if you are planning on having a child. What do you think is going to happen to the dark-haired girl and Winston when they meet in the country side. I think it will be the beginning to their love affair.
@Natalie
ReplyDeleteI don't think they can have real relationships with people (hence the Anti-Sex League) and I also think she acts so odd because she is almost afraid of her feelings about Winston because of Big Brother.
@Jianna
ReplyDeleteI agree with Natalie that Winston won't join the proles, but he may help them out as much as he can. I think that the government doens't care about the proles because they believe that they can't truly do anything that threatens the government.
Kathleen
@Drew
ReplyDeleteI think that Winston wanted to bash her head because he thought that he could never have her and so he wants to just get rid of her so he isn't constantly reminded that he can't have her.
@Tram
ReplyDeleteI think the dark-haired girl may help Winston change the system and make everyone aware of the past before Big Brother came into power.
Does the proles trust big brother and worship big brother?
ReplyDelete@Natalie B
ReplyDeleteI was also confused by the dark hair girl situation. I think that they are being secretive because Winston is about twice as old as the dark haired girl, and maybe that is looked down on, also Winston is still "married" so I don't think that he would be allowed to see other people even though he doesn't know where his wife is.
@OuterCircle
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think Orwell is choosing not to give us Big Brothers name or anything? Do you think the citizens know his name or is he just some dictator that no one has ever wondered about?
@Angelo
ReplyDeleteI definitely believe so, but she will accept it and/or agree. Maybe she is a spy!
@Tram
ReplyDeleteI think that Julia will be a major character in the story. I also believe that the Dark Haired girl is not who she says she is.
@Angelo
ReplyDeleteYes. And I think she will help him destroy Big Brother because she feels the same.
@Rachel
ReplyDeleteI believe that this note, saying I LOVE YOU changed his perspective on life. He was just living a dull life and did not even have anyone to share his life with. He feels he is finally wanted by someone and he really enjoys it.
@Melissa
ReplyDeleteThat's true. Though i still don't know if it would change my whole perspective to life and living. It almost as if he want to be caught because first he wrote in his diary and he still is and not he wants to have a love affair with a prostitute when the action of sex is basically banned under Big Brother.
"Proles and animals are free" What do you guys think of this quote?
ReplyDelete@Tram
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the Proles like or trust Big Brother, why would they? The government treats them very badly and barely gives them enough food rations. They are already in a whole new group, and there group doesn't like the government at all so they wouldn't like or follow Big Brother.
@Jack B
ReplyDeleteI dont think that Big Brother is just one person, but a group of people. Maybe they keep their identities secret so that nobody could assassinate them? Like the proles?
@Natalie B
ReplyDeleteI think they are being so secretive because it wouldn't be normal for them to be together, like they are not the people that other people and immediately go, 'they are meant for each other!' Also because she is part of the anti-sex league it would not be good on her part to go have a relationship.
@ Racheal
ReplyDeleteI think he wants to live because he feels like their is someone like him and wants to meet with him may bring something interresting in his life.
@Jack B.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Big Brother is not a person at all and is just something the Government uses to put fear into the society.
@Tram
ReplyDeleteI think this quote says that the only ones that are free from Thought Crime and persecution are animals and the proles. Everyone else is held to the Party's standards.
@Tram
ReplyDeleteThis quote just sums up the government, it's like the proles and the animals are the only ones who can think for themselves, the only ones who can actually live their lives.
@Jack B.
ReplyDeleteIf there is some mystery to an issue, people tend to be more drawn to it because it isn't just layed out in front of them. I do not think that Big Brother exists, I think he is more a conspiracy that the government formed and they just put a face to the name.
@Angelo, I think Julia will and that maybe she might even help him or she might be the one to lead him to his death.
ReplyDelete@Tram
ReplyDeleteI believe the quote is showing that the government has control over everything and only a small minority is free.
@Class
ReplyDeleteWhy does Winston think that he is the only person who has realized that they are being controlled?
@Tram
ReplyDeleteProles are living free of the government under their control without telescreens and animals are also free to wonder around during the day and night, not be forced to go to school, and sleep whenever they want. I think Winston and the rest of Party are compared to pets, where as they are still animals but they are controlled by owners.
@Jack B
ReplyDeleteI think that the people know the man as Big Brother, that is his name and his identifier. I think that the people haven't ever even wondered about if he has another name because they had no need to.
@Tram
ReplyDeleteI think this quote is relating animals and Proles in the sense that animals are free to a point as well as the Proles. The Proles are free to do what they want but they still live in one area and can't really escape.
@Angelo
ReplyDeleteI think if they get into a deep realationship she will find out but I don't think she will report him
@Jack S
ReplyDeleteIt's not like people act like they know or talk about it, I think that a lot of people know they are just too terrified of Big Brother to do anything about it.
@Outer circle
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think Winston says that "Freedom is Freedom to say two plus two equals four. If that is guaranteed all else follows."
@Jack S
ReplyDeleteI think other people realize they are being controlled but Winston is the only one realizing how bad it actually is and he starts to want to do something about it.
@Jack B
ReplyDeleteBig Brother represents the government, he is not just one person. Although they have put a face to him to make society believe he is real.
@InnerCircle
ReplyDeleteJust like other point, the proles don't understand that their society is messed up. They feel like everything is normal, and they are happy satisfied with that for the most part.
@Jianna
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jack S that the government doesn't care about the proles because they are looked upon as animals. The government doesn't think that the proles could do anything to hurt the nation or government.
@Jack S
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Winston thinks that he is the only one who realized they are being controlled. I think he knows that other people may have realized it, but he couldn't possibly know who it is. It's not a subject that is ever talked about because it is a thought crime and no one wants to be vaporized. He also must know that some has thought about it before because the thought police has come and took others in the night, so someone had to think of it before. Take Goldstein for example.
@ Jack S.
ReplyDeleteWinston sees all the people around him doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing, and taking in what the overnment says like they need it. He doesn't see anyone who hesitates to participate.
@inner circle
ReplyDeleteI think Winston believes that the government is in control, but he can't do anything about it because they will stop him.
@Bloggers
ReplyDeleteMaybe Big Brother is not a real person but there has to be some sort of leader of "The Government". The government can't be just a group of people running everything, ultimately there has to be one commander in chief.
@Jack S
ReplyDeleteI think winston thinks he is the only one because he is too scared to aske anyone else if they agree with him so he assumes that he is alone.
@Jack B
ReplyDeleteI do not think that their society is "messed up." They are not being controlled or their thoughts are not being monitored. And Winston believes that their lives are not so bad because they are not under constant surveillance like himself.
@Jianna
ReplyDeleteBut don't you think that they don't care, otherwise they would take action, wouldn't they?
@Jack S.
ReplyDeleteI think that there are other people in the society who think that they are being controlled by the Government but are to scared of Big Brother to do something about it. I also believe that Winston has discovered that the Government is controlling them because of his job and he actually knows that Big Brother has the power to change history.
On page 74, Orwell wrote, "The ideal set up by the Pary was something huge, terribe, and glittering- a world of steel and concrete, of monstrous machines and terrifying weapons- a nation of warriors and fanatics, marching forward in perfect unity, thinking the same thoughts and shouting the same slogans..." Do you think that we are headed this way with all of the robot and computer technology? Even if it didn't happen in 1984, do you think it will happen in the future?
ReplyDelete@Angelo
ReplyDeleteLike what Mitchell just said, I think that he is saying that in the book, people don't know or think enough to counter what the government says. He is calling out the government on the idea that they can say or do whatever they want because the population doesn't know anything better.
@Natalie
ReplyDeleteThere isn't a law stating that relationships and love are illegal but they are not recommended. It was mentioned earlier that if two Party members want to marry each other, they are required to present their case in front of a specially appointed committee and are only given permission if their goal is to provide Big Brother with children, supporting his cause. Given that both Winston and the dark haired girl work for the Party, this may be a reason for their attempts at secrecy.
Natali B.
@Angelo
ReplyDeleteI think WInston is saying that once the people can say that 2+2=4, a true fact, not changed by the government, then a tidal wave of thoughts could erupt and people could actually start to change the ways of Oceania.
@Tram
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of the way that we used to have signs saying things like "No black or dogs allowed". Although in words saying they are both free is quite the opposite, its essentially saying the same thing - proles are equal to animals to them.
Kathleen
@Jack B.
ReplyDeleteNot necessarily, there could be a small group of evil minds that make up the top level but it does not have to be just one mastermind.
@Jack B
ReplyDeleteI agree, there has to be something, someone. I mean who created the idea of big brother. I mean is there just a group of government people who just wanted to make someone up randomly for a better way to control the people?
@Jack S
ReplyDeleteEarlier in the book it said that Winston believed O'Brien had the same thinking he did because of the eye-contact they shared at a Hate Assembly. Also on page 103 it says, " He tried to think of O'Brien, for whom, or to whom, the diary was written".
They have artificial insemination, so why don't they make sexuality more alienated?
ReplyDelete@Outer Circle
ReplyDeleteParalleling what Sam asked, what does "love" mean in 1984?
@Natalie B
ReplyDeleteName one time a group has flourished without one leader. Every scheme has one person in charge. i predict later in the book we will realize who is behind all this.
@Jack B
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. With every powerful group or every political party, there is ONE , ONE mastermind. A party finds it difficult to organize without a leader.
@Inner Circle
ReplyDeleteIt is for certain that this day and age we use the word LOVE too much. Now a days we say that to our friends when we are saying bye.
@Angelo
ReplyDeleteI think Winston is meaning if rules make sense, such as 2+2=4, then we are truly free and everything will go along fine. However, if things don't make sense, the society might not go along as well. How do the people know they are free if the government is spoon feeding them everything they are "supposed" to hear?
@Trevor
ReplyDeleteI thik that it might mean that they want to "do their duty to the government" but I do not know what Julia defines as "love".
@Outer Circle
ReplyDeleteDo you think that everyone in society realize their "ownlife"?
@Tram
ReplyDeleteI just think that a group of people became seriously power-hungry and took over the entire government. Maybe the people at the time thought it would be a good idea, and supported him. They were probably just scared of the way their government was going adn very vulnerable, so Big Brother took advantage of that.
What was happening when the line of trucks was passing through Victory Square?
ReplyDeleteWhy aren't proles allowed to drink gin and Winston isn't allowed to drink beer?
ReplyDelete@Trevor
ReplyDeleteI don't think the people know what love means since msot of them probably have never expeirenced it
@Angelo
ReplyDeleteI think that it means that if we have the freedom to say the truth and what is right, then every other type of freedom will be somehow given to us.
@Melissa
ReplyDeleteThey were "parading" around the soldiers of Eurasia that they had captured in the war.
@Tram
ReplyDeleteIts not neccisarilly true that just because people noticed that they were being controlled that they would take action. Not everyone is able to just go and challenge everything that upsets them because they're too scared of what will happen. I wouldn't say that they don't care.
Kathleen
@Jack S
ReplyDeleteMaybe Winston can't drink beer because Big Brother knows if he gets the slightest out of control, he could share all the secrets he is keeping about the government and his job.
I don't think religion is a huge part of society because people have things to worry about beyond what they believe will happen to them in the afterlife.
ReplyDelete@Jack S.
ReplyDeleteProles are allowed to drink gin it is just more expensive.
@Class
ReplyDeleteDo you think that while the POW were paraded in the trucks, the people just booed and what not because the government told them they were bad, or did they actually feel disdain towards them?
@Jack S
ReplyDeleteI don't think that they aren't allowed but they just aren't given it. Maybe alcohol is cheap and Gin is not so they give they higher class the gin and the lower class, alcohol.
@Jack S
ReplyDeleteI think that since the proles are not allowed to drink gin, it shows that they are lesser beings than the party members. And drinking beer is probably considered drinking low end stuff. It is probably considered drinking boxed wine instead of a high end bottle of wine in today's society.
@Angelo
ReplyDeleteI think the people think that they have control in their own life, when in fact they don't. They are so brainwashed since they think they are in control
Why can't the old man remember the past but is able to remember about ordering a certain amount of beer back in his time?
ReplyDelete@class
ReplyDeleteIs it strange for a person to revisit a store often? I don't understand why Winiston was so worried about going back into the store where he bought his diary. I get that buying a diary is illegal when you write in it, but why is it so weird to go back to a store?
@Jack S
ReplyDeleteI think that the proles are allowed to drink gin, but it is too expensive for the proles to buy.
@Angelo
ReplyDeleteHe is older, his memory isn't what it used to be.
@Jack B
ReplyDeleteI don't even think it's apart of society at all, I mean being religious requires thinking, Believing, praying to him, thanking him, I don't know but I think that the Government got rid of it somehow.
@Angelo
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting point. Maybe the people try not to think about the past and feel sorry because they know they can't go back in time and change what happened.
@Jack B.
ReplyDeleteAn aristocracy is a government that is controlled by a few "elite" citizens. At one point, Japan had an aristocracy form of government.
@Drew F
ReplyDeleteI agree because gin today is somewhat of a high class drink, as beer is something you usually drink in a casual situation with your friends. Maybe proles lead a more casual life.
@class
ReplyDeleteDo you think that the girl with the dark hair is actually a spy? Or do you think she actually fell in love with a man twice her age who she never talked to before?
@Jianna
ReplyDeleteI think he was worried because he felt like he was going agaisnt the governement and didn't want to deal with the consequences that came along with it.
If Julia discovered that Winston was against Big Brother do you think that she would turn him in?
ReplyDelete@ Trevor
ReplyDeleteI think the reason people booed the prisoners was mixed. They have the Two Minutes Hate each day, so they feel hatred toward the prisoners for no reason, and also those who are smart enough to realize there is no reason, they do what the government tells them to do.
Final thoughts???
ReplyDelete@Jianna
ReplyDeleteI think the basis of Winston's fear was that it was weird for party members to be walking around in the "slums" where the proles lived. I also think he was worried because if another party member saw him, they would be suspicious of why he was in a shop and might suspect that he was there for a reason, which would lead to interrogation.
@ Jianna
ReplyDeleteI don't think that it's weird to visit a store again but to visit THAT store again. I mean, he's part of the government, maybe he thinks that he shouldn't be allowed to go to that shop because it's part of the prole's territory.
@Jianna
ReplyDeleteI believe she actually loves him!
@Jianna
ReplyDeleteI think that going back to a store frequently would cause much suspicion among others. Because they do not go out much, I think that if they frequented a store, other people would start to become weird-ed out.
@Bloggers
ReplyDeleteHe purchased the coral and diary in the antiques shop. Will he come back or is he to scarred to risk it?
@Jianna
ReplyDeleteAlso maybe that type of store is illegal of government people.
@Angelo
ReplyDeleteI think that the old man can't remember everything from his earlier years because it wasn't different than his everyday life back then. It can be hard to remember somehting if it isn't out of the ordinary.
@ Annie G
ReplyDeleteHow can you love someone who you have never spoken to?