I get the connection between Marcus and Winston, but who connects to Julia? You might think it's Ange because she is Marcus's "friend", but Van went through torture with Marcus like Julia did with Winston. Thoughts?
@Kathryn I think that Ange was meant to be the one that connects to Julia but i agree that Van could certainly also be a connection to Julia. Since Van does in a way sort of betray him by not working with him anymore, but Ange is also new and she might be tortured with Marcus in the future.
I don't see an exact connection between Julia and Ange. Ange, to me sounds like one of those characters that ends up being added to the plot of the story, but it the character doesn't seem important till the end.
@ Class Why is it that the government doesn't even take it down a notch? I understand that they are trying to catch the terrorists, but the last thing they should want to do is break the people's trust.
@Brooke- Personally, she's no better than Julia from 1984, but Ange seems to be more recourseful with information and taking down "big brother" than Julia was.
@Elly I agree. I like Ange a lot more than Julia since she seems to actually want to rebel instead of just rebelling through sex. She is a great partner for Marcus it seems so far, but could she maybe make Marcus careless?
That's true. I did get a little nervous when she told him it was an illegal concert. However, I am hoping that event scared her enough that they will be a little more careful now. Maybe they needed that to happen to teach them a lesson.
@ Kathryn The book is far from over. Perhaps we haven't heard the end from Van and maybe Ange has yet to be tortured. Who knows? I think that Ange is more like Julia than Van because Ange has an affair with Marcus.
@Brooke I like Ange way more than Julia. Julia didn't actually seem to want to make a change in the rebellion (she only rebelled through sex). Ange, however, is willing to leave the safety of her home and go out into the world to rebel. I also like her more because you can tell that she really does like Marcus (unlike Julia who didn't act like she truly loved Winston) and there is truly a connection there.
I agree with you. I think that Ange will do more than Julia did in 1984. She likes Marcus and she isn't only rebelling to rebel. I think she actually cares about it and Marcus.
I think that there is just more depth to Ange than Julia. We knew all about her motives and her will to rebel in only one chapter. Wih Ange, we don't know as much and I truly think there is more to her story.
@Class Crazy stuff, huh? On the outside, maybe. I think the craziest part of all of this is that it *isn't* crazy. It's so real. This stuff goes on all the time, every day. Like the police pepper spraying peaceful protesters at UC Davis. This stuff does happen. All the time. What do you think about that?
Ellen I agree! It is crazy how it seems that all of these things in the book are happening now. But then again its not so crazy. When I read this book I think of how terrible it is, and then I realize that those things are happening in our society today.
@Casey The government is just paranoid. They are so worried about catching the terrorists that they jump at every chance or hint that terrorism might be spreading. I think they just have to force the people to trust them; it's not really their top priority right now.
@class- On page 141, Marcus is on Xnet and the people tell him about how they were taken into a truck and questioned, but then the police let them go. He says "I was no better than a terrorist," because those four people almost disappeared because of the things he was putting on Xnet. Do you believe he's no better than a terrorist? What does that say about him if he's willing to say that?
I disagree with his statement. I think that a terrorist is someone who's main goal is to create fear. Although what Marcus is doing is illegal, I don't think he has any intentions of terrorizing the society. The government is doing much more to scare the people than Marcus.
@Brooke--I think she is very much like Julia. She has the same up-front, in-your-face, sort of personality. She is very forward with Marcus and doesn't shy away from much. We'll see if she has more depth than Julia, as a character, as the story goes on.
@ inner circle I think that Marcus's dad represents how people's minds are manipulated. It's just like in 1984. He wants to beleive that the government is right, so whatever they say, goes.
@Brooke- I hated Julia and I hate Ange. They are both so....annoying! They both try to appeal to whatever their guy wants...I feel like Ange won't last just like Julia didn't last. In my opinion, I can't stand either of them.
I understand what your saying but I don't think Ange is as big of a push over for her man as Julia is. I think she had a strong will to resist before Marcus teamed up with her. Also, I don't really see her trying to appeal to what Marcus wants all the time. To me, it seems like she has control in the relationship.
@Casey I think that they only care about catching the terrorists. They don't care about what they are doing to the people because their job is to find the terrorists and punish them, and to make the people "safe". The people already trust the government so when the government changes the system, I think that the people are trying to come up with excuses as to why it's ok.
@Ellen- I think it is so scary!! It is real!! We are talking about how the government had the right to shut the concert down because it was illegal but they went too far with the pepper spray...wasn't that deal with the UC Davis thing? It is so insane how we react to things in literature so differently than the exact same things that happen in the real world.
@Hailey--I disagree with him that he is no better than a terrorist. I think the government causes the terror because they are the ones who take away people and torture them. Yes, the whole Xnet thing is illegal, but they aren't harming anyone by playing a game. The government is harming them for playing a game.
@Hailey I think it depends on the perspective. To the innocent people that aren't wanting to be involved in the rebellion, Marcus is just like a terrorist. He is making the cops pul them over or arrest them for no reason and is causing havoc in all their lives. However, to the Xnet members, Marcus is a hero, not a terrorist. He is helping take down the people that are making all their lives miserable.
@Brooke Both of them drive me insane... So yeah, they have that in common. :) And I feel like neither of them are that important to their respective plots. They both just seem like arm charms who are put in the stories to be "catalysts" or whatever, but who don't actually do anything.
Good point. Actually, when we talked with Corey Doctorow last time, he said the purpose of Ange was to move the story along. That she is just the natural course that an adolescent boy would take when getting a girlfriend.
@Casey I agree, it doesn't make sense why the goverment is so over the top. The last thing that a goverment would want to do is make more terrorists, and that is what they are doing by makeing people so angry.
@Katie- I don't think Van is representing Julia. Van realizes how much trouble she could get in by going along with Marcus' ideas. But, she also doesn't seem like she's interested in rebelling against the DHS and stuff. To me, it seems like she's just gonna go along with whatever they order.
@ Brooke Ange is far more likeable than Julia. Cory Doctorow has done a much better job at putting his point across without making his readers hate all of the characters.
@Class What do you think of Ms. Galvez (Marcus' teacher) being removed as a teacher? Do you think that it was right to do so? On page 198 it stated, "It's Board policy not to discuss employee matters with anyone except the employee and the disciplinary committee." Do you think that Ms. Galvez violated what he had stated?
I liked Ms. Galvez. I think she was just using her rights and she just taught the students history. You can't expect other teachers to do any better, considering the time and terrorist attck. The school board should not have dropped her. The more you hide from teens, the more they want to know what it is you're hiding. I really don't like Charles right now.
@Brooke-I think that Julia and Ange are very similar and it is easy to hate Ange because they are so similar; however, I think that Ange can do more for Marcus than Julia could do for Winston
@Colleen- I can see both ways. I agree with you, but I also think if Marcus is spreading ideas and people are taking them to heart and going too far in some people's opinions, then what's the difference? He is spreading ideas to rebel against the DHS and government...that is terrorism to THE GOVERNMENT. I think the government has a different definition of terrorism than the people do.
I think that Marcus is not like a terrorist because he has no control over what these people do. If he were to put something on the Xnet he has no control over what people go and do. If these teens decide to go out jamming then that is their choice. Marcus can do nothing about it.
In 1984, Winston and Julia thought they were rebelling by haveing an affair. I don't see how this is so in Little Brother. I don't think that's their intention. Perhaps Marcus and Ange are just so overwellmed with what's happening that they reacted on instinct?
@Hailey and Baergen: Both of you are so right. Literature often forces us to look at things in a different way. This *is* our world. We have just been oblivious to it.
@ Hailey I completely agree. Jlulia has rebellion on her mind and doesn't go along with the crowd. Ange, however, does beleive in what Marcus is doing and is having an affair with him.
@Klarissa--It is hard to answer that. I think we won't know for sure until we know the end result of his rebellion. Right now it may not seem to work much, but maybe in the end they will be victorious. Maybe not. Like I said, it is hard to tell.
@Eliza I do agree with this because this town is in terror. They are in complete chaos which, according to Marcus, and I agree, is the purpose of a terrorist attack. To strike terror into people.
@Blake- Well, I think that she probably got replaced because of that conversation they had in class when Marcus quoted the Declaration of Independence. Why would the government-controlled school want a teacher that is okay with her class talking about such things? I think they just replaced her because they were afraid their discussions might start a rebellion that sparked from one of their own government-controlled buildings...how would that make them look? Probably weak, something they DEFINITELY don't want.
@Hailey But then wouldn't they want to arrest the people (Marcus) that had initiated the conversation and had led the conversation to controversial topics that the government obviously didn't agree with. They are arresting everyone so why not people for their thoughts too?
@ Arman It is not a government conspiracy! There is no way! Why would they kill all of those people and have everyone turn against them? If it's cooperation that they want, this is not the way to do it.
@Katie- I'm not sure. I do think that if we didn't see her again, her role would be pointless so far. But at the same time, maybe her role ends, but something she said will carry on....we'll see.
@Blake Marcus' teacher was sharing more information with her class than she should have. I think that the government caught on and took her into questioning. Trivial situations tend to end up suspicious to the government no matter what the circumstances are.
@Blake The government probably got rid of her just because in her class, people might be able to think about their rights. They don't want that to happen. They wouldn't want students to realize that the school might be wrong.
@ Taylor: You didn't give me a chance to speak, but my comment was that when this country was founded, there was no internet. No facebook. None of the stuff that can be used to track us.
@Ellen- Exactly. It is really scary to me to think that these things are going on, yet we just blow them off because it's happened before, or it's not a big deal, or anything like that. Looking at it through literature, it IS a big deal, and it's really interesting to look at it through this angle.
@Class Taylor had an interesting point about how she doesn't want to think that the government is the enemy. It seems that a lot of us don't want to think that what happens in this book can actually happen, but it can. What do you think about us denying that our government can actually be like this?
I think we deny that the government is the enemy becuase we don't have anyone else to govern us if the current government is gone. We've worked so long and hard to get the country as it is today, we don't want to give up on them so easily.
@ class What do you guys think about Marcus's brain power? When he was explaining all of the code stuff, I found myself re-reading everything in order to understand.
@Casey I think that Marcus is a very smart person, especially when it comes to code and ideas doing with a computer. That is also the society that he has grown up in though, he almost needs to have this knowledge. It is a lot like how we have adapted to using computers and our phones, if we need a way around something, our minds can certainly find a way to get around it even if that means using Google or something else.
What do you guys think of Marcus's parents? Do you think they realize how smart their son is? Even if they don't know what he's doing with the Xnet, would they know he's smart?
@Kathryn I think that they might know that their son is really smart. However, they don't want to face it. Think about when Marcus' traffic patters were questioned. His dad asked what he was doing, but didn't keep pressing when Marcus didn't answer. If that was my kid, I would give him a hard time and figure out what he's been up to.
@Eliza I think that this is true. I think that the terrorist do want us to feel terror (hence the name terroist) and by reacting like that they are satisfying their goal.
@ Klarissa At the moment, there is no way to really tell how things will work out. Marcus may be doing the right thing and helping people more than he is hurting them, but at the same time he might be hurting more than helping things. Eiter way we don't know what happens yet, so we'll have to see what goes on later to make a choice on if it's a good thing or not.
@Drew- I think it's absolutely terrifying, because stuff in this book really IS happening. It's waaay different to look at it through literature. I think it opens a lot of different opinions and stuff...I mean, when the UC Davis thing happened, I had an opinion. But it was either a "Yes, I think the police did the right thing," or "No, they did not the right thing." Now, looking at issues like that through the literature, I have more of a detailed opinion and I ask questions.
@Hailey I agree. When you I that this stuff is happening in our world, its easy to not think much about it because its not happening to me, exactly. But when I see it happening in the book, I am amazed that this is happening.
@Eliza- I think that in some ways, what Marcus is saying is true. The terrorists are trying to create terror, and people are terrified, but it is the DHS that is terrifying them. I don't think the terrorists wanted the government to crack down and make all the citizens scared; I think they wanted the people to be terrified of THEM, the terrorists.
@Casey- Well, Marcus obviously is smart. Very smart. I didn't understand any of it. I kind of think that maybe him being so smart symbolizes that he still had to get a group together...he couldn't have done it by himself, no matter how smart he was.
@Drew If we deny that the government can be this way, then we are just like Marcus' dad. He doesn't want to think that the government is doing anything wrong. He is realizing that there is something not right, but he's not willing to admit it because he completely trusts in the government.
Nia, I completely agree. I think this piece of literature has showed us that even we are controlled and in a sense, "brainwashed" by the government. We aren't as extreme as citizens in 1984, but I tink it shows that we can be like that.
@Hailey This book has definitely opened my eyes. I knew things were going on like this, but I never really processed them or had an opinion. I just think it's ironic that a lot of us are denying that our government can be the enemy but... it CAN... that's scary to think about.
This reminds me of Harry Potter 5 when the Ministry of magic is taking over Hogwarts. They try to hide the truth from the students and make them think that everything is perfect, box of sunshine, when it's really not and only a few students truly know that the ministry is wrong.
@Drew I think that a lot of people just blindly trust the government. It is hard to think about our government being wrong, they are supposed to be there for us. So people may think its easier to believe that the government is doing the right thing.
@Baergen I agree with you. There is something in us that wants to believe that our government always has our best interests in mind. It's a scary thought that people place so much trust in the government, just because it's theirs.
@ class I heard about a school system across Indiana that requires all teachers to be observed twice a week, and if ANY student isn't engaged and working constantly, then the teacher gets "dinged". If they get "dinged" a certain amount of time, they fire the teacher. This is a perfect example of the "government" trying to control everything including how students learn and how teachers teach. Thoughts?
This gives the students power. If the students like the teacher that's being observed, they behave. If they don't like that teacher, they misbehave and get that teacher fired. Simple.
@Emma- I agree with you, but I also kind of think that maybe the terrorist did want the people to turn against he government so that when there was mass chaos, they could sweep in and establish a new government. Maybe that's a little far-fetched, but I think that maybe they did want the people to turn against the thing they had always believed in and trusted.
Probably, but sometimes as a teacher, you let discussions go because they are going to interesting, thoughtful places and you don't want to shut them down. When a teacher sees students thoughtfully engaged in discussion, it is somewhat of a rush. :)
@Drew I think the idea that our government "wouldn't hurt us" is a very very naïve and narrow point of view. Politicians are some of the scummiest scumbags in the history of scumbags. They *would* hurt us. They hurt people every day. Yes, the government *would* hurt us. Maybe not to the scale of 9/11 (conspiracy theorists, don't comment, but I'm not just going to sit around and pretend like I don't have to worry about my government! And the people who *do* think that make me very very very angry. I don't trust half the people I actually know. Why would I trust a thousand tyrants who I don't know? I'm annoyed. Very annoyed.
Same. A lot of things about this book have made me annoyed. It makes me think about how we vote for people, yet we don't know them. They have more control over us than we like to think and it makes me mad.
Although I am annoyed, I am not annoyed at the book. I think the book just makes me annoyed at our society. I think the book is a really great tool and can help us realize what is going on in our world.
I agree with you Baergan. I think Doctorow wanted to make this book set in a realistic setting because it would open our eyes to how annoying our society can be.
I completely agree, I'm annoyed as well. It's obnoxious to think about how our government has so much control over us, and we let them have it willingly. We don't know what the people that we elect will actually do once they have the power, maybe their actual ideals are to completely destroy the country but during his or her campaign they say that they want to make the country better. How would we know until something happens? It seems that's what's happening in "Little Brother" as well because when the police were initiated into the society in such a large mass, but once they were actually there, did they actually make anything better?
Brooke, that is EXACTLY how I feel. Like there were tons of police unleashed into the crowd, but (long term) what did they actually accomplish? Nothing. Nothing at all.
@Class~ On a very, very different note, I want to bring up current events. Do you guys think there are parallels to Anonymous? I feel like the xnet and Anonymous are very similar because they are both a large group of angry citizens who have technological power over the government.
@Elli (Elliana :D) I, for one, support Anonymous. They stand up for what they believe in, and, let's face it, they're pretty dang awesome about doing it. However, I feel like they could very easily take it too far (The video I showed you, for example). And yes, I do see parallels. However, the Xnet, to me, isn't half as powerful as Anonymous. Then again, Anonymous started small too. And look what they have become. I feel like Anonymous has a more defined version of what exactly they want to accomplish. Xnet, on the other hand, just seems like a rebellion for the sake of a rebellion.
@Ellen~ Oh, don't get me wrong, I support Anonymous too. They have every right (I don't mean Constitutionally, I don't want to get in that argument) to do what they are doing. But I don't think that just because Xnet isn't as serious as Anonymous doesn't mean they don't have the same principles. (Sound familiar?)
@Alexis: I think they probably know that he is good at electronics, but I would bet they don't know how amazing he is. There is also no way that they know about the rebellion.
@Casey- I think that's insane. "Dinged"?? That's just...stupid. I think that there are MUCH better ways to monitor a teachers progress and teaching abilities. I agree with you, though...it is a perfect example.
Yes, but I don't think that's effective. Maness would have been out in a second. I personally think that students usually don't know what's best for their education...teachers and parents usually do.
I know. I'm not saying that it's a good thing. I'm saying that it is a bad choice for the system because the students won't know whats best for their education. Referencing Maness, he was an amazing teacher if we got used to him. However, in the first weeks of school, the students who didn't like him would have him out in a second. This kind of thing would jeopardize so many students' good educations.
I hadn't even thought about that! You are so right, and to take that even further, Dumbledore's Army is kind of like the Xneters. I love that comparison!
@Alexis~ I think that his parents don't know a lot about him besides the fact that he is smart. I don't think they know how good at electronics he is or how much he is doing.
@Kathryn- I think that Marcus's parents are not aware of how smart he is and how much of a role he's playing in the Xnet revolution. There are never really any deep conversations between Marcus and his parents. I think that, while his parents love him and know that he is reliable and a good person, but they don't know how powerful it is.
I think that Marcus's parents were in this story to show that most people are reasonable. Just because the DHS and the rest of the government is going insane doesn't mean that they literally shouldn't trust anyone over 25...
@Kathryn I think that she probably had realized that she would be arrested, maybe not as quickly as she was, but I think that if she had realized what was going on in society, she knew that something would happen to her. I also think that she wanted the students to start thinking about what is happening, it was like a last effort to make the young generation realize what is going on and maybe even lead them to change society and make it a better place.
@Kathryn That is the perfect example! They even formed a secret organization to rebel. I wonder if J.K. Rowling had something like that in mind when she wrote the book.
@Elliana I think that there are a lot of parallels to Anonymous because Anonymous because Anonymous even posted on Twitter that you should read "Little Brother" because that was ultimately what they were trying to accomplpish.
@Inner Circle~ keep in mind that in 1984, talking about taking down the government was a crime in and of itself. In this book, it is not illegal to talk or think about it so we can relate to it more, but just because Winston and Julia didn't act doesn't mean they were doing things that were just as illegal as in Little Brother.
Perhaps it's not illegal to talk about it, but you will get taken in for questioning if someone hears you talking about that because you will be treated like a terroist.
@Casey That seems like a ridiculous system. If some of the students aren't active it shouldn't be blamed on the teacher all the time. I mean, sometimes it is their fault, but if it's always the same few people, it's probably their fault and not the teacher's. Teachers are supposed to expand their students' knowledge. That's all that Ms. Galvez was doing, and yet she got in trouble. What is the point of teaching if you have to teach by the same rubric? It limits the students' ability to learn and to think for themselves. Maybe that's what the government wants.
@Casey I think that the intentions behind that are probably good, but it's definitely a little much. They're trying to build a better classroom environment, however creating a state of fear among teachers and students isn't really the way to go about that.
Have you ever noticed how many of the well known stories have relationships that happen within a week or so? Marcus and Ange knew each other for a day before going on a date, Romeo and Juliet knew each other for a few days and they were married, etc.
@Elli- I agree with you in the sense that they don't know about Marcus very much...I feel like they are the type of parents who show up once a year for parent-teacher conferences, and ask about school long enough to see if Marcus is not in trouble. I found it REALLY weird how when he came back from being tortured and told them that lie, they took it without blinking an eye...my parents would have flipped out and called all my friends' parents and everything. They just took it.
@Class How do you think this keyring/ ring of trust thing is going to go. Jolu and Marcus just started it and Jolu already quit on it on the night they brought the group together. Do you think they can really trust all of them?
@Elly- I don't think they're going to trust each other, that someone is going to give in to the government, and give over information that was held over the Xnet.
@Elli- I agree, there are a lot of similarities. I think the difference is that Anonymous is more trying to threaten people, while the Xnet was just a way to communicate all the tings that were going on without being tracked.
@Class~ What I think is interesting is all the things mentioned in this book that are real. Everything from the arphids to the cameras, as well as little things. For example, Harajuku is a real thing, although not currently a real world game. It's an Asian brand of dolls and other little trinkets. Also, when Marcus takes the picture of the van and edits it with GIMP, I have a GIMP account. It stands for the GNU Image Manipulation Program.
I don't think that Jolu is going to be completely out. I think that his friendship with Marcus is to great for him to just drop everything and leave. I think that he is going to come back, along with Van, and help Marcus with the rebellion.
@class- I like what Taylor just said. She said that people forget what they were feeling after 9/11. I know that everyone was affected...everyone. Even if you had no connections to the attack, it was emotional. I feel like in this book, it's the same way or going to end up being the same way. I feel like they are going to forget what they felt after the attack, and blame people who still remember those emotions for things. I also feel like the government has no emotion in this book.
I agree. I don't think our government does. I think that we live in a society that there CAN'T be emotion in government. It would affect the decisions the government makes.
I think that it's important to forget the feeling after 9/11. I don't mean forget it altogether. We should remember the victims and the tragedy, but we can't live in a constant state of fear. And there will be those who can't let go, and yeah, those who have such strong emotions will go into a downward spiral. Also, I think that the government is ONLY acting with emotion and nothing else. They've completely forsaken reason.
@Elli- i have also been noticing a lot of things that are real in this book that are real in reality because it kind of seems like this author seems to have predicted a lot of things that are happenign right now..that;s just my thought.
@Class What significance do you think Van and Jolu play in this story? They are Marcus' best friends but they don't seem to have his back anymore. Are they gone forever?
@Elly I think that the keyring of trust is the one of the only things that they can control. There are definitely possibilities that some of the people are not as trustworthy as others, but I think that overall it is one thing that they feel comfortable with. The keyring is something that only they have and that the government does not control for them.
@Hailey- I agree with what you say about the government having no emotion. I feel like they were reacting more out of duty- they didn't really care but they knew that the citizens did, so they did something. I also think this was an excuse for the government to increase their surveillance of the people.
@Class
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think of the new character Ange? Do you like her any better than Julia from 1984?
@Brooke
DeleteI like her way more then Julia. I feel that Ange is actually willing to do something to rebel.
I get the connection between Marcus and Winston, but who connects to Julia? You might think it's Ange because she is Marcus's "friend", but Van went through torture with Marcus like Julia did with Winston. Thoughts?
ReplyDelete@Kathryn
DeleteI think that Ange was meant to be the one that connects to Julia but i agree that Van could certainly also be a connection to Julia. Since Van does in a way sort of betray him by not working with him anymore, but Ange is also new and she might be tortured with Marcus in the future.
I don't see an exact connection between Julia and Ange. Ange, to me sounds like one of those characters that ends up being added to the plot of the story, but it the character doesn't seem important till the end.
Delete@ Class
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that the government doesn't even take it down a notch? I understand that they are trying to catch the terrorists, but the last thing they should want to do is break the people's trust.
I think they're paranoid and so afraid of another bombing attack on the city. They would rather be overly cautious than not correctly doing their job.
DeleteAgreed. Julia was very frustrating and Ange didn't bother me as much.
Delete@Brooke
ReplyDeleteAt first I didn't like Ange. She's taking the place of Van almost and it's breaking up their team.
@Brooke-
ReplyDeletePersonally, she's no better than Julia from 1984, but Ange seems to be more recourseful with information and taking down "big brother" than Julia was.
Why do you think that she is no better?
DeleteI tend to think that there is more of a connection between Julia and Van. I agree with Kathryn's point that Van has expierenced the torture herself.
ReplyDelete@Brooke
ReplyDeleteYes, I definitely like her better than Julia. Ange seems like a really good person, and I think she is an asset to Marcus.
@Elly
DeleteI agree. I like Ange a lot more than Julia since she seems to actually want to rebel instead of just rebelling through sex. She is a great partner for Marcus it seems so far, but could she maybe make Marcus careless?
That's true. I did get a little nervous when she told him it was an illegal concert. However, I am hoping that event scared her enough that they will be a little more careful now. Maybe they needed that to happen to teach them a lesson.
Delete@ Kathryn
ReplyDeleteThe book is far from over. Perhaps we haven't heard the end from Van and maybe Ange has yet to be tortured. Who knows? I think that Ange is more like Julia than Van because Ange has an affair with Marcus.
@Brooke
ReplyDeleteI like Ange way more than Julia. Julia didn't actually seem to want to make a change in the rebellion (she only rebelled through sex). Ange, however, is willing to leave the safety of her home and go out into the world to rebel. I also like her more because you can tell that she really does like Marcus (unlike Julia who didn't act like she truly loved Winston) and there is truly a connection there.
I agree with you. I think that Ange will do more than Julia did in 1984. She likes Marcus and she isn't only rebelling to rebel. I think she actually cares about it and Marcus.
DeleteOn the other hand, we don't know anything about Ange except that she likes spicy food. Maybe she's no better than Julia in that she's using Marcus.
DeleteI think that there is just more depth to Ange than Julia. We knew all about her motives and her will to rebel in only one chapter. Wih Ange, we don't know as much and I truly think there is more to her story.
Delete@Class Crazy stuff, huh? On the outside, maybe. I think the craziest part of all of this is that it *isn't* crazy. It's so real. This stuff goes on all the time, every day. Like the police pepper spraying peaceful protesters at UC Davis. This stuff does happen. All the time. What do you think about that?
ReplyDeleteEllen I agree! It is crazy how it seems that all of these things in the book are happening now. But then again its not so crazy. When I read this book I think of how terrible it is, and then I realize that those things are happening in our society today.
Delete@Casey
ReplyDeleteThe government is just paranoid. They are so worried about catching the terrorists that they jump at every chance or hint that terrorism might be spreading. I think they just have to force the people to trust them; it's not really their top priority right now.
@class- On page 141, Marcus is on Xnet and the people tell him about how they were taken into a truck and questioned, but then the police let them go. He says "I was no better than a terrorist," because those four people almost disappeared because of the things he was putting on Xnet. Do you believe he's no better than a terrorist? What does that say about him if he's willing to say that?
ReplyDeleteI disagree with his statement. I think that a terrorist is someone who's main goal is to create fear. Although what Marcus is doing is illegal, I don't think he has any intentions of terrorizing the society. The government is doing much more to scare the people than Marcus.
Delete@Brooke
ReplyDeletePersonaly, I like Ange better than Julia. She doesn't seem quite as controlling with Marcus as Julia was with Winston.
@Brooke--I think she is very much like Julia. She has the same up-front, in-your-face, sort of personality. She is very forward with Marcus and doesn't shy away from much. We'll see if she has more depth than Julia, as a character, as the story goes on.
ReplyDelete@ inner circle
ReplyDeleteI think that Marcus's dad represents how people's minds are manipulated. It's just like in 1984. He wants to beleive that the government is right, so whatever they say, goes.
@Brooke- I hated Julia and I hate Ange. They are both so....annoying! They both try to appeal to whatever their guy wants...I feel like Ange won't last just like Julia didn't last. In my opinion, I can't stand either of them.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think that the authors made these 2 characters so easy to hate?
DeleteI understand what your saying but I don't think Ange is as big of a push over for her man as Julia is. I think she had a strong will to resist before Marcus teamed up with her. Also, I don't really see her trying to appeal to what Marcus wants all the time. To me, it seems like she has control in the relationship.
Delete@Klarissa:
ReplyDeleteI think that both Van and Ange are representing Julia.
@Casey
ReplyDeleteI think that they only care about catching the terrorists. They don't care about what they are doing to the people because their job is to find the terrorists and punish them, and to make the people "safe". The people already trust the government so when the government changes the system, I think that the people are trying to come up with excuses as to why it's ok.
@Ellen- I think it is so scary!! It is real!! We are talking about how the government had the right to shut the concert down because it was illegal but they went too far with the pepper spray...wasn't that deal with the UC Davis thing? It is so insane how we react to things in literature so differently than the exact same things that happen in the real world.
ReplyDelete@Hailey--I disagree with him that he is no better than a terrorist. I think the government causes the terror because they are the ones who take away people and torture them. Yes, the whole Xnet thing is illegal, but they aren't harming anyone by playing a game. The government is harming them for playing a game.
ReplyDelete@Hailey
ReplyDeleteI think it depends on the perspective. To the innocent people that aren't wanting to be involved in the rebellion, Marcus is just like a terrorist. He is making the cops pul them over or arrest them for no reason and is causing havoc in all their lives. However, to the Xnet members, Marcus is a hero, not a terrorist. He is helping take down the people that are making all their lives miserable.
@Brooke Both of them drive me insane... So yeah, they have that in common. :) And I feel like neither of them are that important to their respective plots. They both just seem like arm charms who are put in the stories to be "catalysts" or whatever, but who don't actually do anything.
ReplyDeleteGood point. Actually, when we talked with Corey Doctorow last time, he said the purpose of Ange was to move the story along. That she is just the natural course that an adolescent boy would take when getting a girlfriend.
Delete@Casey
ReplyDeleteI agree, it doesn't make sense why the goverment is so over the top. The last thing that a goverment would want to do is make more terrorists, and that is what they are doing by makeing people so angry.
@Katie- I don't think Van is representing Julia. Van realizes how much trouble she could get in by going along with Marcus' ideas. But, she also doesn't seem like she's interested in rebelling against the DHS and stuff. To me, it seems like she's just gonna go along with whatever they order.
ReplyDelete@Hailey
DeleteDo you think that Van is like Winston's wife then?
I definitely agree with Brooke that Van is more telling him what is wrong with his plan then helping him out so she's not really a Julia.
Delete@class-
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think about the fact that Marcus's teacher was dispatched and replaced? Why do you think the government decided to take her?
@ Brooke
ReplyDeleteAnge is far more likeable than Julia. Cory Doctorow has done a much better job at putting his point across without making his readers hate all of the characters.
@Class
ReplyDeleteDo you think that Marcus is doing the right thing, even though it may be hurting a lot of people in the process?
The right thing isn't always the the nicest. I think Marcus is doing his best to do what he knows is right.
Delete@Class
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think of Ms. Galvez (Marcus' teacher) being removed as a teacher? Do you think that it was right to do so? On page 198 it stated, "It's Board policy not to discuss employee matters with anyone except the employee and the disciplinary committee." Do you think that Ms. Galvez violated what he had stated?
I liked Ms. Galvez. I think she was just using her rights and she just taught the students history. You can't expect other teachers to do any better, considering the time and terrorist attck. The school board should not have dropped her. The more you hide from teens, the more they want to know what it is you're hiding. I really don't like Charles right now.
Delete@Brooke-I think that Julia and Ange are very similar and it is easy to hate Ange because they are so similar; however, I think that Ange can do more for Marcus than Julia could do for Winston
ReplyDelete@Colleen- I can see both ways. I agree with you, but I also think if Marcus is spreading ideas and people are taking them to heart and going too far in some people's opinions, then what's the difference? He is spreading ideas to rebel against the DHS and government...that is terrorism to THE GOVERNMENT. I think the government has a different definition of terrorism than the people do.
ReplyDelete@class
ReplyDeleteI think that Marcus is not like a terrorist because he has no control over what these people do. If he were to put something on the Xnet he has no control over what people go and do. If these teens decide to go out jamming then that is their choice. Marcus can do nothing about it.
In 1984, Winston and Julia thought they were rebelling by haveing an affair. I don't see how this is so in Little Brother. I don't think that's their intention. Perhaps Marcus and Ange are just so overwellmed with what's happening that they reacted on instinct?
ReplyDelete@Hailey:
ReplyDeleteDo you think that Van is finished in this story? If she is, wasn't her role a little bit pointless?
@Hailey and Baergen: Both of you are so right. Literature often forces us to look at things in a different way. This *is* our world. We have just been oblivious to it.
ReplyDelete@ Hailey
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. Jlulia has rebellion on her mind and doesn't go along with the crowd. Ange, however, does beleive in what Marcus is doing and is having an affair with him.
@Klarissa--It is hard to answer that. I think we won't know for sure until we know the end result of his rebellion. Right now it may not seem to work much, but maybe in the end they will be victorious. Maybe not. Like I said, it is hard to tell.
ReplyDelete@Class
ReplyDeleteMarcus said that by reacting the way they have to the attack, they are doing what the terrorists want. Do you agree with this statement?
@Eliza
DeleteI do agree with this because this town is in terror. They are in complete chaos which, according to Marcus, and I agree, is the purpose of a terrorist attack. To strike terror into people.
@Blake- Well, I think that she probably got replaced because of that conversation they had in class when Marcus quoted the Declaration of Independence. Why would the government-controlled school want a teacher that is okay with her class talking about such things? I think they just replaced her because they were afraid their discussions might start a rebellion that sparked from one of their own government-controlled buildings...how would that make them look? Probably weak, something they DEFINITELY don't want.
ReplyDelete@Hailey
DeleteBut then wouldn't they want to arrest the people (Marcus) that had initiated the conversation and had led the conversation to controversial topics that the government obviously didn't agree with. They are arresting everyone so why not people for their thoughts too?
@Toni
ReplyDeleteTrue, but he is influencing it. I'm not saying that he is a terrorist, I'm just saying that I think what he is doing is wrong.
@Inner Circle
ReplyDeleteThis isn't an alternate reality kind of a story. I doubt that the bombing was a government conspiracy.
@ Arman
ReplyDeleteIt is not a government conspiracy! There is no way! Why would they kill all of those people and have everyone turn against them? If it's cooperation that they want, this is not the way to do it.
@Katie- I'm not sure. I do think that if we didn't see her again, her role would be pointless so far. But at the same time, maybe her role ends, but something she said will carry on....we'll see.
ReplyDelete@Blake
ReplyDeleteMarcus' teacher was sharing more information with her class than she should have. I think that the government caught on and took her into questioning. Trivial situations tend to end up suspicious to the government no matter what the circumstances are.
@Blake
ReplyDeleteThe government probably got rid of her just because in her class, people might be able to think about their rights. They don't want that to happen. They wouldn't want students to realize that the school might be wrong.
@ Taylor:
ReplyDeleteYou didn't give me a chance to speak, but my comment was that when this country was founded, there was no internet. No facebook. None of the stuff that can be used to track us.
@Ellen- Exactly. It is really scary to me to think that these things are going on, yet we just blow them off because it's happened before, or it's not a big deal, or anything like that. Looking at it through literature, it IS a big deal, and it's really interesting to look at it through this angle.
ReplyDelete@Class
ReplyDeleteTaylor had an interesting point about how she doesn't want to think that the government is the enemy. It seems that a lot of us don't want to think that what happens in this book can actually happen, but it can. What do you think about us denying that our government can actually be like this?
I think we deny that the government is the enemy becuase we don't have anyone else to govern us if the current government is gone. We've worked so long and hard to get the country as it is today, we don't want to give up on them so easily.
Delete@Katie
ReplyDeleteI think that Van is going to come back in the story. I think that she is going to change something in the path that the rebellion is going down.
@ class
ReplyDeleteWhat do you guys think about Marcus's brain power? When he was explaining all of the code stuff, I found myself re-reading everything in order to understand.
@casey-
DeleteHe seems to be very dangerous, but in the right way, if you know what I mean, that he can figure out things many others can't do.
@Casey
DeleteI think that Marcus is a very smart person, especially when it comes to code and ideas doing with a computer. That is also the society that he has grown up in though, he almost needs to have this knowledge. It is a lot like how we have adapted to using computers and our phones, if we need a way around something, our minds can certainly find a way to get around it even if that means using Google or something else.
What do you guys think of Marcus's parents? Do you think they realize how smart their son is? Even if they don't know what he's doing with the Xnet, would they know he's smart?
ReplyDelete@Kathryn
DeleteI doubt that his parents really realize how brilliant their child is. They seem to think that he is just another dumb teenager.
@Kathryn
DeleteI think that they might know that their son is really smart. However, they don't want to face it. Think about when Marcus' traffic patters were questioned. His dad asked what he was doing, but didn't keep pressing when Marcus didn't answer. If that was my kid, I would give him a hard time and figure out what he's been up to.
@Eliza I think that this is true. I think that the terrorist do want us to feel terror (hence the name terroist) and by reacting like that they are satisfying their goal.
ReplyDelete@ Klarissa
ReplyDeleteAt the moment, there is no way to really tell how things will work out. Marcus may be doing the right thing and helping people more than he is hurting them, but at the same time he might be hurting more than helping things. Eiter way we don't know what happens yet, so we'll have to see what goes on later to make a choice on if it's a good thing or not.
Yeah, I think at this point it is better to do something, rather than nothing.
Delete@Drew- I think it's absolutely terrifying, because stuff in this book really IS happening. It's waaay different to look at it through literature. I think it opens a lot of different opinions and stuff...I mean, when the UC Davis thing happened, I had an opinion. But it was either a "Yes, I think the police did the right thing," or "No, they did not the right thing." Now, looking at issues like that through the literature, I have more of a detailed opinion and I ask questions.
ReplyDelete@Hailey
ReplyDeleteI agree. When you I that this stuff is happening in our world, its easy to not think much about it because its not happening to me, exactly. But when I see it happening in the book, I am amazed that this is happening.
@Eliza- I think that in some ways, what Marcus is saying is true. The terrorists are trying to create terror, and people are terrified, but it is the DHS that is terrifying them. I don't think the terrorists wanted the government to crack down and make all the citizens scared; I think they wanted the people to be terrified of THEM, the terrorists.
ReplyDelete@Emma
DeleteI sort of agree, but I think that the very fact that the country/city is in terror at all means that the terrorists' goal was completed.
@Casey- Well, Marcus obviously is smart. Very smart. I didn't understand any of it. I kind of think that maybe him being so smart symbolizes that he still had to get a group together...he couldn't have done it by himself, no matter how smart he was.
ReplyDelete@Inner circle
ReplyDeleteDo you think that she was just fired or was she taken by the HS?
@Kathryn-I think that Marcus' parents have a thought of how smart his son is, but they don't know the full extent of his Xnet powers.
ReplyDelete@Drew
ReplyDeleteIf we deny that the government can be this way, then we are just like Marcus' dad. He doesn't want to think that the government is doing anything wrong. He is realizing that there is something not right, but he's not willing to admit it because he completely trusts in the government.
Nia, I completely agree. I think this piece of literature has showed us that even we are controlled and in a sense, "brainwashed" by the government. We aren't as extreme as citizens in 1984, but I tink it shows that we can be like that.
Delete@Hailey
ReplyDeleteThis book has definitely opened my eyes. I knew things were going on like this, but I never really processed them or had an opinion. I just think it's ironic that a lot of us are denying that our government can be the enemy but... it CAN... that's scary to think about.
@ Class
ReplyDeleteIf you were in Marcus's spot, if anything, what would you do differently?
This reminds me of Harry Potter 5 when the Ministry of magic is taking over Hogwarts. They try to hide the truth from the students and make them think that everything is perfect, box of sunshine, when it's really not and only a few students truly know that the ministry is wrong.
ReplyDelete@Drew
ReplyDeleteI think that a lot of people just blindly trust the government. It is hard to think about our government being wrong, they are supposed to be there for us. So people may think its easier to believe that the government is doing the right thing.
@Baergen
DeleteI agree with you. There is something in us that wants to believe that our government always has our best interests in mind. It's a scary thought that people place so much trust in the government, just because it's theirs.
@Toni
ReplyDeleteI think that she was probably both taken by Homeland Security and fired.
@ class
ReplyDeleteI heard about a school system across Indiana that requires all teachers to be observed twice a week, and if ANY student isn't engaged and working constantly, then the teacher gets "dinged". If they get "dinged" a certain amount of time, they fire the teacher. This is a perfect example of the "government" trying to control everything including how students learn and how teachers teach. Thoughts?
This gives the students power. If the students like the teacher that's being observed, they behave. If they don't like that teacher, they misbehave and get that teacher fired. Simple.
Delete@Emma- I agree with you, but I also kind of think that maybe the terrorist did want the people to turn against he government so that when there was mass chaos, they could sweep in and establish a new government. Maybe that's a little far-fetched, but I think that maybe they did want the people to turn against the thing they had always believed in and trusted.
ReplyDelete@class
ReplyDeleteDid Ms. Galvez realize that she would get fired for spreading the knowledge they talked about? Maybe she was taking the fall for the students.
Probably, but sometimes as a teacher, you let discussions go because they are going to interesting, thoughtful places and you don't want to shut them down. When a teacher sees students thoughtfully engaged in discussion, it is somewhat of a rush. :)
Delete@Drew I think the idea that our government "wouldn't hurt us" is a very very naïve and narrow point of view. Politicians are some of the scummiest scumbags in the history of scumbags. They *would* hurt us. They hurt people every day. Yes, the government *would* hurt us. Maybe not to the scale of 9/11 (conspiracy theorists, don't comment, but I'm not just going to sit around and pretend like I don't have to worry about my government! And the people who *do* think that make me very very very angry. I don't trust half the people I actually know. Why would I trust a thousand tyrants who I don't know? I'm annoyed. Very annoyed.
ReplyDeleteSame. A lot of things about this book have made me annoyed. It makes me think about how we vote for people, yet we don't know them. They have more control over us than we like to think and it makes me mad.
DeleteAlthough I am annoyed, I am not annoyed at the book. I think the book just makes me annoyed at our society. I think the book is a really great tool and can help us realize what is going on in our world.
DeleteI agree with you Baergan. I think Doctorow wanted to make this book set in a realistic setting because it would open our eyes to how annoying our society can be.
DeleteI completely agree, I'm annoyed as well. It's obnoxious to think about how our government has so much control over us, and we let them have it willingly. We don't know what the people that we elect will actually do once they have the power, maybe their actual ideals are to completely destroy the country but during his or her campaign they say that they want to make the country better. How would we know until something happens? It seems that's what's happening in "Little Brother" as well because when the police were initiated into the society in such a large mass, but once they were actually there, did they actually make anything better?
DeleteBrooke, that is EXACTLY how I feel. Like there were tons of police unleashed into the crowd, but (long term) what did they actually accomplish? Nothing. Nothing at all.
Delete@Class~ On a very, very different note, I want to bring up current events. Do you guys think there are parallels to Anonymous? I feel like the xnet and Anonymous are very similar because they are both a large group of angry citizens who have technological power over the government.
ReplyDelete@Elli (Elliana :D) I, for one, support Anonymous. They stand up for what they believe in, and, let's face it, they're pretty dang awesome about doing it. However, I feel like they could very easily take it too far (The video I showed you, for example). And yes, I do see parallels. However, the Xnet, to me, isn't half as powerful as Anonymous. Then again, Anonymous started small too. And look what they have become. I feel like Anonymous has a more defined version of what exactly they want to accomplish. Xnet, on the other hand, just seems like a rebellion for the sake of a rebellion.
Delete@Ellen~ Oh, don't get me wrong, I support Anonymous too. They have every right (I don't mean Constitutionally, I don't want to get in that argument) to do what they are doing. But I don't think that just because Xnet isn't as serious as Anonymous doesn't mean they don't have the same principles. (Sound familiar?)
Delete@Alexis:
ReplyDeleteI think they probably know that he is good at electronics, but I would bet they don't know how amazing he is. There is also no way that they know about the rebellion.
@Casey- I think that's insane. "Dinged"?? That's just...stupid. I think that there are MUCH better ways to monitor a teachers progress and teaching abilities. I agree with you, though...it is a perfect example.
ReplyDeleteHowever, that type of system also gives more power to the student. They could easily pick and choose which teachers they want to cause to be fired.
DeleteYes, but I don't think that's effective. Maness would have been out in a second. I personally think that students usually don't know what's best for their education...teachers and parents usually do.
DeleteI know. I'm not saying that it's a good thing. I'm saying that it is a bad choice for the system because the students won't know whats best for their education. Referencing Maness, he was an amazing teacher if we got used to him. However, in the first weeks of school, the students who didn't like him would have him out in a second. This kind of thing would jeopardize so many students' good educations.
Delete@Kathryn
ReplyDeleteI hadn't even thought about that! You are so right, and to take that even further, Dumbledore's Army is kind of like the Xneters. I love that comparison!
@Alexis~ I think that his parents don't know a lot about him besides the fact that he is smart. I don't think they know how good at electronics he is or how much he is doing.
ReplyDelete@Kathryn- I think that Marcus's parents are not aware of how smart he is and how much of a role he's playing in the Xnet revolution. There are never really any deep conversations between Marcus and his parents. I think that, while his parents love him and know that he is reliable and a good person, but they don't know how powerful it is.
ReplyDeleteI think that Marcus's parents were in this story to show that most people are reasonable. Just because the DHS and the rest of the government is going insane doesn't mean that they literally shouldn't trust anyone over 25...
@Kathryn
ReplyDeleteI think that she probably had realized that she would be arrested, maybe not as quickly as she was, but I think that if she had realized what was going on in society, she knew that something would happen to her. I also think that she wanted the students to start thinking about what is happening, it was like a last effort to make the young generation realize what is going on and maybe even lead them to change society and make it a better place.
@Kathryn
ReplyDeleteThat is the perfect example! They even formed a secret organization to rebel. I wonder if J.K. Rowling had something like that in mind when she wrote the book.
@Elliana I think that there are a lot of parallels to Anonymous because Anonymous because Anonymous even posted on Twitter that you should read "Little Brother" because that was ultimately what they were trying to accomplpish.
ReplyDelete@Inner Circle~ keep in mind that in 1984, talking about taking down the government was a crime in and of itself. In this book, it is not illegal to talk or think about it so we can relate to it more, but just because Winston and Julia didn't act doesn't mean they were doing things that were just as illegal as in Little Brother.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it's not illegal to talk about it, but you will get taken in for questioning if someone hears you talking about that because you will be treated like a terroist.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@Casey
ReplyDeleteThat seems like a ridiculous system. If some of the students aren't active it shouldn't be blamed on the teacher all the time. I mean, sometimes it is their fault, but if it's always the same few people, it's probably their fault and not the teacher's. Teachers are supposed to expand their students' knowledge. That's all that Ms. Galvez was doing, and yet she got in trouble. What is the point of teaching if you have to teach by the same rubric? It limits the students' ability to learn and to think for themselves. Maybe that's what the government wants.
@Casey
ReplyDeleteI think that the intentions behind that are probably good, but it's definitely a little much. They're trying to build a better classroom environment, however creating a state of fear among teachers and students isn't really the way to go about that.
@Toni:
ReplyDeleteThat is a good idea. Both groups are sneaking around behind the back of the governments, trying to overthrow them.
Have you ever noticed how many of the well known stories have relationships that happen within a week or so? Marcus and Ange knew each other for a day before going on a date, Romeo and Juliet knew each other for a few days and they were married, etc.
ReplyDelete@Elli- I agree with you in the sense that they don't know about Marcus very much...I feel like they are the type of parents who show up once a year for parent-teacher conferences, and ask about school long enough to see if Marcus is not in trouble. I found it REALLY weird how when he came back from being tortured and told them that lie, they took it without blinking an eye...my parents would have flipped out and called all my friends' parents and everything. They just took it.
ReplyDelete@Brooke
ReplyDeleteDo you think that she was taken to the same place that Marcus, Jolu, Van, and Daryll were taken?
@ inner circle
ReplyDeleteMarcus is Goldstein. He started the rebellion and he is feuling it himself.
@Class
ReplyDeleteHow do you think this keyring/ ring of trust thing is going to go. Jolu and Marcus just started it and Jolu already quit on it on the night they brought the group together. Do you think they can really trust all of them?
@Elly-
DeleteI don't think they're going to trust each other, that someone is going to give in to the government, and give over information that was held over the Xnet.
@Elli- I agree, there are a lot of similarities. I think the difference is that Anonymous is more trying to threaten people, while the Xnet was just a way to communicate all the tings that were going on without being tracked.
ReplyDelete@ Elly
ReplyDeleteI seriously doubt that they can trust all of them. There could be several spies in there.
@Class~ What I think is interesting is all the things mentioned in this book that are real. Everything from the arphids to the cameras, as well as little things. For example, Harajuku is a real thing, although not currently a real world game. It's an Asian brand of dolls and other little trinkets. Also, when Marcus takes the picture of the van and edits it with GIMP, I have a GIMP account. It stands for the GNU Image Manipulation Program.
ReplyDeleteKathryn-Maybe it is love at first sight...
ReplyDelete@Elly
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Jolu is going to be completely out. I think that his friendship with Marcus is to great for him to just drop everything and leave. I think that he is going to come back, along with Van, and help Marcus with the rebellion.
@class- I like what Taylor just said. She said that people forget what they were feeling after 9/11. I know that everyone was affected...everyone. Even if you had no connections to the attack, it was emotional. I feel like in this book, it's the same way or going to end up being the same way. I feel like they are going to forget what they felt after the attack, and blame people who still remember those emotions for things. I also feel like the government has no emotion in this book.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel like the government ever has any emotion.
DeleteI agree. I don't think our government does. I think that we live in a society that there CAN'T be emotion in government. It would affect the decisions the government makes.
DeleteDoesn't everything? Money, sex, religion, economics, personal opinions, everything affects the government.
DeleteI think that it's important to forget the feeling after 9/11. I don't mean forget it altogether. We should remember the victims and the tragedy, but we can't live in a constant state of fear. And there will be those who can't let go, and yeah, those who have such strong emotions will go into a downward spiral. Also, I think that the government is ONLY acting with emotion and nothing else. They've completely forsaken reason.
Delete@Class
ReplyDeleteDo you think most people even realize the extent to which the DHS can track them, in this book (and even in real life)?
I doubt that most people actually realize that this is actually happening. They probably don't want to because the idea of it is so horrific.
Delete@Casey:
ReplyDeleteDidn't we decide that Goldstein didn't exist???
@Eliza- Definitely not. I think that if they did, there would be a lot more concerts like the one in the book.
ReplyDelete@ inner circle
ReplyDeleteI feel that O'Brien could be Van She spends her time trying to "fix" his mind and how he thinks.
@Elli-
ReplyDeletei have also been noticing a lot of things that are real in this book that are real in reality because it kind of seems like this author seems to have predicted a lot of things that are happenign right now..that;s just my thought.
I think that's an interesting comment. It's like Orwell predicting 1984.
Delete@Class
ReplyDeleteWhat significance do you think Van and Jolu play in this story? They are Marcus' best friends but they don't seem to have his back anymore. Are they gone forever?
@Elly
ReplyDeleteI think that the keyring of trust is the one of the only things that they can control. There are definitely possibilities that some of the people are not as trustworthy as others, but I think that overall it is one thing that they feel comfortable with. The keyring is something that only they have and that the government does not control for them.
@Eliza
ReplyDeleteI think that most people are clueless to the fact that they can be and are being tracked.
@Elli
ReplyDeleteI think the author purposely took real things for his novel so that the reader could connect to the story better.
@Hailey- I agree with what you say about the government having no emotion. I feel like they were reacting more out of duty- they didn't really care but they knew that the citizens did, so they did something. I also think this was an excuse for the government to increase their surveillance of the people.
ReplyDeleteMarcus loves Darryl so much. They are best friends. Do you think if Darryl becomes a different person, he could possibly change Marcus too?
ReplyDeleteEliza- I think that people in this book are slowly begginning to realize the power the government has on people's privacy.
ReplyDelete