After reading 1984, one could take out multiple different themes that are discussed in the novel. I have chosen the themes that stuck out the most to me...
1. If the past is forgotten, a society will remain static.
As a mean of survival, humans must learn from their mistakes, therefore, must remember their past. A main goal of Oceania, is to destroy the past. Done so by altering prints (newspapers, magazines) and getting rid of everything from the post-Big-Brother-era (songs, books, antiques, etc.) By destroying the past, the people of Oceania have nothing to compare their lives to. Citizens cannot accurately judge whether their life is better off now than it was before because the time before has been altered. Big Brother has successfully changed the past to make it appear as though the government has always been right, and times are always getting better and better. Therefore, the people have been tricked into believing their lives are indeed better under Big Brother's rule.
One of the many Party slogans is:
"Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past" (Orwell 260)
When the past is forgotten: mistakes are repeated, nothing is learned, and progress cannot be made. This is shown through the routineness of the society. Everyone is orthodox, performing the same job everyday, doing the same duties everyday. No one ever moves up in the ranks or is promoted to a new job. As individuals, no one makes progress and lives remain the same. As a society, no progress is made either. The war never ends, conditions do not improve, and power is never affected. The society does not improve economically, socially, physically, or emotionally. In this way George Orwell shows the importance of the past and how it affects the present and future. Without learning from the past, history is bound to repeat itself...which it does, over and over again in Oceania.
2. The only way to remain an individual is through critical thinking.
Orwell emphasizes the importance of independent thinking by showing the effect of a society without it. Oceania is a culture of psychological clones that mindlessly follow and absorb the words of Big Brother. Despite the lies and outrageous expectations, the citizens lack opinions and personal beliefs...except that "Big Brother is always watching you" and "2+2=5." The essence of thinking in Oceania is governed by three words: crimestop, doublethink, and blackwhite.
"Crimestop means the faculty of stopping short, as though by instinct, at the threshold of any dangerous thought. It includes the power of not grasping analogies, of failing to perceive logical errors, of misunderstanding the simplest arguments if they are inimical to Ingsoc, and of being bored or repelled by any train of thought which is capable of leading in a heretical direction." (220).
Blackwhite, "a loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands this. But it means also the ability to believe that black is white, and more, to know that black is white, and to forget that one has ever believed contrary." (221)
"Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them...To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just so long as it is needed, to deny the existence of objective reality which one denies-- all this is indispensably necessary." (223)
The government of Oceania relies on the absence of critical thinking. With such thinking, a oligarchical government could never last..."Ultimately it is by means of doublethink that the Party has been able-- and may, for all we know, continue to be able for thousands of years-- to arrest the course of history." (223). I believe remaining an individual, through means of critical thinking, is Orwell's biggest message in 1984. A totalitarian society like Oceania may rule temporarily, however, if individualism remains, it will always be overruled. In a previous blog post I discussed the connection between the lack of critical thinking the novel and the decline of critical thinking in our own society today. The cause of the decline is not due to a dictatorship, but, by the media. Nonetheless, 1984 is a warning of what can happen when independent thinking is destroyed.
3. Fear is an unjust strategy to manipulate a population.
Throughout the novel, Orwell provides example over example of how fear affects behavior. The government of Oceania has endless power over the people. Power that is only achieved through the incitement of fear. As reader's we have seen this theme discussed in multiple books; how powerful can fear be? In The Handmaid's Tale, the government uses public hangings and interactive executions to prove their dominance. Fahrenheit 451 is another perfect novel showing the result of an overruling power.
O'Brien describes the Party's view on power as the following:
"Power is in inflicting pain and humiliation. Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing. Do you begin to see, then, what kind of world we are creating? ...a world of fear and treachery and torment, a world of trampling and being trampled upon, a world which will grow not less but more merciless as it refines itself. Progress in our world will be progress towards more pain. The old civilizations claimed that they were founded on love or justice. Ours is founded upon hatred. In our world there will be no emotions expect fear, rage, triumph and self-abasement. Everything else we shall destroy-- everything." (279).
In 1984, after being caught by the Thought Police, Winston ends up in the Ministry of Love. This is where criminals are tortured and punished for their crimes. Winston is there for an unknown amount of time, months or possibly years, and withstands relentless torture. However, it is not until his last day there that he is sent to Room 101. This room is infamous among the criminals as the worst possible place to go. When Winston asked O'Brien what the room contained, O'Brien said:
"You know what is in Room 101, Winston. Everyone know what is in Room 101." (273)
And it is true, Room 101 contains everyone's worst possible fear. Big Brother does not allow anyone to die a traitor, or an enemy to the Party. The Ministry of Love is used to make sure that everyone dies loving Big Brother. That is the difference between Oceania's government and the totalitarian governments active at the time that Orwell was writing this book. The Party does not give rebels the opportunity to die as brave heroes. Therefore, Room 101 is used as the last resort to force traitors into followers. Pain has been used prior to the room, but it is one's worst fear that sends them over the edge...
"By itself, pain is not always enough. There are occasions when a human being will stand out against pain, even to the point of death. But for everyone there is something unendurable-- something that cannot be contemplated. Courage and cowardice are not involved. If you are falling from a height it is not cowardly to clutch at a rope. If you have come up from deep water it is not cowardly to fill your lungs with air. It is merely an instinct which cannot be disobeyed. It is the same with rats. For [Winston], they are unendurable. They are a form of pressure that you cannot withstand, even if you wished to. You will do what is required of you." (297).
For Winston, it is his fear of rats that breaks him. The fear causes him to genuinely wish his pain upon the woman he once loved, Julia. This was O'Brien's goal. Breaking the bond between Winston and Julia was the last measure taken to force Winston into conformity.
In this way, Orwell shows how fear can be used against someone. The effects of torture and fear in 1984 is frightening. Especially at the end of the book when Winston ultimately capitulates to Big Brother. The ending is used perfectly by Orwell to emphasize his point that using fear as a government is dangerous and immoral.
These three themes are the messages I, personally, took away from reading 1984. They are the points that stuck out the most to me. However, one could take out many more from this one book...Which is another reason why the novel deserves AP merit. It has multiple factors that can be thoroughly discussed, with the evidence to support it.
Monday, February 2, 2015
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
AP Worthy?
It is safe to say that 1984 by George Orwell is far from the other books our AP English class has read this year. Primarily because of the difference in writing style which I have discussed in a previous blog post. However, despite the differences, I wholeheartedly believe that 1984 is worthy of AP merit.
George Orwell's simplistic writing style does not poorly affect the novel, but enhances it. The simplicity contributes to Orwell's tone as a writer and the environment/setting of the book. The effect of Orwell's writing style is similar to Joseph Addison's style in the passage from The Spectator that we analyzed in class. The passage is a mock-journal entry from an unknown character that describes their daily routine. In this passage, the straight forward descriptions and static syntax help to characterize the owner of the journal. From the simplicity we learn how ordinary, routine, and bland the character's life is. This technique is also used in 1984. The stagnant use of diction, syntax, and tone create a stagnant setting in the story. The society of Oceania is orthodox, never changing, and indifferent. And thanks to the inactive setting, the reader can easily recognize the significant contrast between the environment and Winston. Therefore, Orwell's writing style is beneficial to setting development and characterization.
Upon researching George Orwell, I found an essay he wrote that criticizes techniques used in works of literature in his lifetime. The essay is called: Politics and the English Language. What I found interesting was Orwell's six tips for all writers who share his view on style:
"1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous." (Orwell)
After finishing 1984, I can confidently say that Orwell followed each and everyone of these rules for the entirety of the novel. Simple and to the point, with no excessive imagery or detail.
Despite his simple writing style, Orwell does not shy from symbolism. There is always a deeper meaning beneath the surface. For example, many objects in the novel were used to symbolize the past, or the importance of the past:
-The paper weight that Winston bought from an antique store that had no use to him. But, Winston held onto it and treasured its existence.
-The excerpts of songs and rhymes that held no meaning to Winston, except the fact that they were forbidden, from a time before Big Brother and therefore a connection to the past.
-The journal that Winston used to write all his rebellious thoughts in, which of course was illegal due to the rebellion and the act of writing.
These examples are just a few objects that Orwell used to symbolize the importance of the past, something Big Brother wanted to destroy. And because they represent the past, they also represent nonconformity as well, which is a major theme throughout the story.
As a whole, 1984 is an allegory that portrays the dangers of oppressive governments. The allegory relies on George Orwell's simple writing style, symbolism, and perfectly crafted irony. Like any well written book, the reader walks away from 1984 with a central message. This novel has the ability to make you critically think about yourself and your society, you become an active reader rather than a passive one. This book, for me, has successfully sparked discussions, debates, and further research. For all these reasons, I believe the novel 1984 is AP worthy.
Link to George Orwell's essay
George Orwell's simplistic writing style does not poorly affect the novel, but enhances it. The simplicity contributes to Orwell's tone as a writer and the environment/setting of the book. The effect of Orwell's writing style is similar to Joseph Addison's style in the passage from The Spectator that we analyzed in class. The passage is a mock-journal entry from an unknown character that describes their daily routine. In this passage, the straight forward descriptions and static syntax help to characterize the owner of the journal. From the simplicity we learn how ordinary, routine, and bland the character's life is. This technique is also used in 1984. The stagnant use of diction, syntax, and tone create a stagnant setting in the story. The society of Oceania is orthodox, never changing, and indifferent. And thanks to the inactive setting, the reader can easily recognize the significant contrast between the environment and Winston. Therefore, Orwell's writing style is beneficial to setting development and characterization.
Upon researching George Orwell, I found an essay he wrote that criticizes techniques used in works of literature in his lifetime. The essay is called: Politics and the English Language. What I found interesting was Orwell's six tips for all writers who share his view on style:
"1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous." (Orwell)
After finishing 1984, I can confidently say that Orwell followed each and everyone of these rules for the entirety of the novel. Simple and to the point, with no excessive imagery or detail.
Despite his simple writing style, Orwell does not shy from symbolism. There is always a deeper meaning beneath the surface. For example, many objects in the novel were used to symbolize the past, or the importance of the past:
-The paper weight that Winston bought from an antique store that had no use to him. But, Winston held onto it and treasured its existence.
-The excerpts of songs and rhymes that held no meaning to Winston, except the fact that they were forbidden, from a time before Big Brother and therefore a connection to the past.
-The journal that Winston used to write all his rebellious thoughts in, which of course was illegal due to the rebellion and the act of writing.
These examples are just a few objects that Orwell used to symbolize the importance of the past, something Big Brother wanted to destroy. And because they represent the past, they also represent nonconformity as well, which is a major theme throughout the story.
As a whole, 1984 is an allegory that portrays the dangers of oppressive governments. The allegory relies on George Orwell's simple writing style, symbolism, and perfectly crafted irony. Like any well written book, the reader walks away from 1984 with a central message. This novel has the ability to make you critically think about yourself and your society, you become an active reader rather than a passive one. This book, for me, has successfully sparked discussions, debates, and further research. For all these reasons, I believe the novel 1984 is AP worthy.
Link to George Orwell's essay
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Narco-Hypnosis v. Fear
Upon researching George Orwell's background and trying to find reasons that prompted his writing of 1984, I came across an interesting letter. The letter is addressed to George Orwell and is from none other than Aldous Huxley. In my previous blog posts, I have compared 1984 to the dystopian novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley many times.
The letter can be found here: http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/03/1984-v-brave-new-world.html
In the letter, Huxley compares the differing totalitarian governments in the two books. He admires Orwell for his work, however, doubts the longevity of a government fueled by the incitement of fear. He predicts that such a government would eventually result in the one created in his own novel. Huxely argues that hypnosis is a more effective strategy than physical harm or imprisonment. I believe Huxley is trying to say that power led by fear usually results in resentment, that is often times strong enough to lead a rebellion.
In Brave New World, everyone experiences forms of hypnosis and conditioning before they are even born. So, instead of forcing beliefs upon people as they grow up, Huxley finds it more suitable to take personal opinions out of the equation completely. To never give citizens the chance to think individually. The rules and expectations of the society are embedded into their brain, therefore no one questions the culture. And at this point we see similarities between the two books. Both books contain people who cannot think for themselves. People who consume all the propaganda and lies from the government without question. The results of both governments are the same in the two books, but the cause is different. Two different forms of manipulation that incite the same conformity.
I find the end of the letter very interesting. Huxley predicts that the world will begin to use infant conditioning within the next generation (at the time he wrote this letter in 1949). Clearly, this has not occurred. But it makes me wonder what Aldous Huxley's political standing is and his views on government. Brave New World is fiction, however, how much of it does Huxley, not necessarily support, but predict? It is all a matter of morals.
Unfortunately I could not find any other letters between the two authors. As far as I know, there is not a published response from George Orwell. It would be very interesting to see whether he agrees of disagrees with Huxley and how he can support his opinion.
The letter can be found here: http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/03/1984-v-brave-new-world.html
In the letter, Huxley compares the differing totalitarian governments in the two books. He admires Orwell for his work, however, doubts the longevity of a government fueled by the incitement of fear. He predicts that such a government would eventually result in the one created in his own novel. Huxely argues that hypnosis is a more effective strategy than physical harm or imprisonment. I believe Huxley is trying to say that power led by fear usually results in resentment, that is often times strong enough to lead a rebellion.
In Brave New World, everyone experiences forms of hypnosis and conditioning before they are even born. So, instead of forcing beliefs upon people as they grow up, Huxley finds it more suitable to take personal opinions out of the equation completely. To never give citizens the chance to think individually. The rules and expectations of the society are embedded into their brain, therefore no one questions the culture. And at this point we see similarities between the two books. Both books contain people who cannot think for themselves. People who consume all the propaganda and lies from the government without question. The results of both governments are the same in the two books, but the cause is different. Two different forms of manipulation that incite the same conformity.
I find the end of the letter very interesting. Huxley predicts that the world will begin to use infant conditioning within the next generation (at the time he wrote this letter in 1949). Clearly, this has not occurred. But it makes me wonder what Aldous Huxley's political standing is and his views on government. Brave New World is fiction, however, how much of it does Huxley, not necessarily support, but predict? It is all a matter of morals.
Unfortunately I could not find any other letters between the two authors. As far as I know, there is not a published response from George Orwell. It would be very interesting to see whether he agrees of disagrees with Huxley and how he can support his opinion.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
2+2=5
This particular reading revolved around a topic that every AP English student dreads...sex. Passages that involve sex are always the sections that we all try to work around and avoid when discussing the book in a seminar. But, of course, there is always some meaningful theme or motif related to it and it must come up at least once in conversation...and that is usually by the teacher. And the response is always either inappropriate or silence. Thankfully, typing a blog post on the subject matter is much easier than discussing it with my peers.
In this section, a lot of background was developed. I learned much more about Oceania's history and the time prior to the Revolution. There was also more character development. Up until this point, Winston was the protagonist and the only prominent character in the novel. Now, Julia plays a much bigger role. She is young, powerful, independent, and oddly hopeful.
Julia was introduced earlier in the book as the girl with dark black hair. Despite the fact that Winston did not know anything about her, he was drawn to her. For a while, he feared Julia was a member of the Thought Police. As his rebellious thoughts increased, Julia was seen as a threat. Winston's belief was tested when he received a secret message from her that said, "I love you." Was it a trap? Was it true?
After taking the risk and meeting Julia outside of work, Winston learned her feelings were true. The two begin to have a secret "affair" of sorts, fueled by their mutual hatred for Big Brother and sex.
In this section, you learn about many regulations within Oceania and the government's goals/reasoning for setting them. One regulation is on sex. The government's goal is to completely rid the population of the instinctual behavior. Eventually, the hope is that all children will be born through artificial insemination. In the time being, Big Brother is working to disassociate pleasure with sex.
Julia tells Winston what she thinks the reason behind eliminating sex is:
"When you make love you're using up energy; and afterwards you feel happy and don't give a damn for anything. [The Party] can't bear you to feel like that. They want you to be bursting with energy all the time. All this marching up and down and cheering and waving flags is simply sex gone sour. If you're happy inside yourself, why should you get excited about Big Brother and the Three Year Plans and the Two Minutes of Hate and all the rest of their bloody rot?" (Orwell 139.)
Whenever Julia and Winston meet, they discuss the corruption of Big Brother and have sex. However, for them, sex is not a declaration of love, but a form of rebellion.
"...you could not have pure love or pure lust nowadays. No emotion was pure, because everything was mixed up with fear and hatred. Their embrace had been a battle, the climax a victory. It was a blow struck against the Party. It was a political act." (133)
The affair between Winston and Julia is an example of how Winston's defiance is rising. It began with simple diary entries and progressed to sneaking around and defying the Party. They both share this insubordination, but Julia's is much more hopeful than Winston's. Julia holds onto the belief that the Party will be overruled, that her life will change. Whereas, Winston has accepted defeat and believes things will never go back to the way they were. It will be interesting to see if Julia has the power or influence to change Winston. If she can get him to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But interestingly enough, Julia hopes for change but she sees the reality of the matter too. She is aware that more likely than not, she will be caught by the Thought Police some day, however, she continues to keep her mind open.
The regulations put fourth by Big Brother are all ways that the government is making the population believe that 2+2=5. Simply put, the Party of Oceania wants everyone to mindlessly consume their lies. Their efforts to abolish sex, saying that it is dirty and disgusting, is an example of their manipulation. Personally, 2+2=5 is the perfect definition or description for Big Brother. Everything about the government is false or altered, but people absorb it as the truth. And that seems to be a strong commentary on our society today. People are inclined to believe everything they hear and assume all sources are reliable. As a society, we question and argue less. Less and less people do their own research or consider more than one point of view. And I think this is a prominent theme within 1984; one should never be skeptic or naive, one must achieve a happy medium.
In this section, a lot of background was developed. I learned much more about Oceania's history and the time prior to the Revolution. There was also more character development. Up until this point, Winston was the protagonist and the only prominent character in the novel. Now, Julia plays a much bigger role. She is young, powerful, independent, and oddly hopeful.
Julia was introduced earlier in the book as the girl with dark black hair. Despite the fact that Winston did not know anything about her, he was drawn to her. For a while, he feared Julia was a member of the Thought Police. As his rebellious thoughts increased, Julia was seen as a threat. Winston's belief was tested when he received a secret message from her that said, "I love you." Was it a trap? Was it true?
After taking the risk and meeting Julia outside of work, Winston learned her feelings were true. The two begin to have a secret "affair" of sorts, fueled by their mutual hatred for Big Brother and sex.
In this section, you learn about many regulations within Oceania and the government's goals/reasoning for setting them. One regulation is on sex. The government's goal is to completely rid the population of the instinctual behavior. Eventually, the hope is that all children will be born through artificial insemination. In the time being, Big Brother is working to disassociate pleasure with sex.
Julia tells Winston what she thinks the reason behind eliminating sex is:
"When you make love you're using up energy; and afterwards you feel happy and don't give a damn for anything. [The Party] can't bear you to feel like that. They want you to be bursting with energy all the time. All this marching up and down and cheering and waving flags is simply sex gone sour. If you're happy inside yourself, why should you get excited about Big Brother and the Three Year Plans and the Two Minutes of Hate and all the rest of their bloody rot?" (Orwell 139.)
Whenever Julia and Winston meet, they discuss the corruption of Big Brother and have sex. However, for them, sex is not a declaration of love, but a form of rebellion.
"...you could not have pure love or pure lust nowadays. No emotion was pure, because everything was mixed up with fear and hatred. Their embrace had been a battle, the climax a victory. It was a blow struck against the Party. It was a political act." (133)
The affair between Winston and Julia is an example of how Winston's defiance is rising. It began with simple diary entries and progressed to sneaking around and defying the Party. They both share this insubordination, but Julia's is much more hopeful than Winston's. Julia holds onto the belief that the Party will be overruled, that her life will change. Whereas, Winston has accepted defeat and believes things will never go back to the way they were. It will be interesting to see if Julia has the power or influence to change Winston. If she can get him to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But interestingly enough, Julia hopes for change but she sees the reality of the matter too. She is aware that more likely than not, she will be caught by the Thought Police some day, however, she continues to keep her mind open.
The regulations put fourth by Big Brother are all ways that the government is making the population believe that 2+2=5. Simply put, the Party of Oceania wants everyone to mindlessly consume their lies. Their efforts to abolish sex, saying that it is dirty and disgusting, is an example of their manipulation. Personally, 2+2=5 is the perfect definition or description for Big Brother. Everything about the government is false or altered, but people absorb it as the truth. And that seems to be a strong commentary on our society today. People are inclined to believe everything they hear and assume all sources are reliable. As a society, we question and argue less. Less and less people do their own research or consider more than one point of view. And I think this is a prominent theme within 1984; one should never be skeptic or naive, one must achieve a happy medium.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Orwell is no Fitzgerald
The more I read, the more I become familiar with Orwell's writing style: simple and to the point. After reading books like Life of Pi, Song of Solomon, and Handmaid's Tale, it is quite odd to read a book where an entire page is not devoted to describing a flower or the smell of ginger. 1984 may be fiction (science or dystopian) but there is no magical realism or magnificent imagery. Now, don't get me wrong...I love to read elegant and beautiful imagery, like the literature of F. Scott Fitzgerald, but it is nice to read a book where descriptions are brief, the primary character is not a tiger, and flying is something that only planes do.
Orwell's style is still unique even when compared to authors of similar novels. Aldous Huxley wrote the dystopian fiction novel, Brave New World. Both Brave New World and 1984 tell the story of a future dystopia under the control of a totalitarian government. There are strong differences and similarities among the two authors and their styles:
Both authors use clear, simple vocabulary. In general, Brave New World and 1984 (so far) are not difficult to read. However, both authors show their complexity in the meaning and impact of their writing.
Huxley's work is more experimental than Orwell. Brave New World is more abstract than 1984, however, both novels are a work of satire and irony.
Irony is a huge literary and stylistic device in 1984. The irony serves its purpose to make the reader stop and think, and to emphasize a central point.
An obvious example of irony is the motto of Oceania:
War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength (Orwell 18)
Right away one can see the flaws of Oceania. The motto itself is an oxymoron; words being defined by their opposites. The irony in the motto serves to highlight the contrast between America's principles and those of Oceania. America strives for peace, provides freedom, and values strength. Oceania contradicts the very foundation of our society.
All four ministries are also examples of irony.
There is the Ministry of Truth, Love, Peace, and Plenty.
The Ministry of Truth is responsible for falsifying or "rectifying" any print (newspapers, articles, textbooks etc). The purpose for rectifying is to make it appear as though Big Brother is and always was right...
"In this way every prediction made by the Party could be shown by documentary evidence to have been correct; nor was any item of news, or any expression of opinion, which conflicted with the needs of the moment, ever allowed to remain on record. All history was a palimpsest, scraped clean and re-inscribed exactly as often as was necessary. In no case possible, once the deed was done, to prove that any falsification had taken place." (42.)
Clearly, nothing about the Ministry of Truth is true at all.
The Ministry of Plenty is responsible for organizing Oceania's resources. However, despite its name, all the Ministry does is set limitations and rations on food/goods.
The Ministry of Love has not played a significant role in the story yet. However, Winston describes the "executions in the cellars of the Ministry of Love." (52)
And of course the Ministry of Peace is in charge of the ever-going war: strategy and weapon manufacturing.
George Orwell writes in a style that does not need multiple, extravagant literary devices. The beauty is in the subtlety and conciseness. The simplicity is not straightforward, but thought provoking. I believe the use of irony is an effective way for Orwell to get his point across. All in all, Orwell's style is very different than most of the books I have read. It is interesting to compare and contrast Orwell with Huxley, to see how their style affects their plot lines.
Orwell's style is still unique even when compared to authors of similar novels. Aldous Huxley wrote the dystopian fiction novel, Brave New World. Both Brave New World and 1984 tell the story of a future dystopia under the control of a totalitarian government. There are strong differences and similarities among the two authors and their styles:
Both authors use clear, simple vocabulary. In general, Brave New World and 1984 (so far) are not difficult to read. However, both authors show their complexity in the meaning and impact of their writing.
Huxley's work is more experimental than Orwell. Brave New World is more abstract than 1984, however, both novels are a work of satire and irony.
Irony is a huge literary and stylistic device in 1984. The irony serves its purpose to make the reader stop and think, and to emphasize a central point.
An obvious example of irony is the motto of Oceania:
War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength (Orwell 18)
Right away one can see the flaws of Oceania. The motto itself is an oxymoron; words being defined by their opposites. The irony in the motto serves to highlight the contrast between America's principles and those of Oceania. America strives for peace, provides freedom, and values strength. Oceania contradicts the very foundation of our society.
All four ministries are also examples of irony.
There is the Ministry of Truth, Love, Peace, and Plenty.
The Ministry of Truth is responsible for falsifying or "rectifying" any print (newspapers, articles, textbooks etc). The purpose for rectifying is to make it appear as though Big Brother is and always was right...
"In this way every prediction made by the Party could be shown by documentary evidence to have been correct; nor was any item of news, or any expression of opinion, which conflicted with the needs of the moment, ever allowed to remain on record. All history was a palimpsest, scraped clean and re-inscribed exactly as often as was necessary. In no case possible, once the deed was done, to prove that any falsification had taken place." (42.)
Clearly, nothing about the Ministry of Truth is true at all.
The Ministry of Plenty is responsible for organizing Oceania's resources. However, despite its name, all the Ministry does is set limitations and rations on food/goods.
The Ministry of Love has not played a significant role in the story yet. However, Winston describes the "executions in the cellars of the Ministry of Love." (52)
And of course the Ministry of Peace is in charge of the ever-going war: strategy and weapon manufacturing.
George Orwell writes in a style that does not need multiple, extravagant literary devices. The beauty is in the subtlety and conciseness. The simplicity is not straightforward, but thought provoking. I believe the use of irony is an effective way for Orwell to get his point across. All in all, Orwell's style is very different than most of the books I have read. It is interesting to compare and contrast Orwell with Huxley, to see how their style affects their plot lines.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Ignorance is Strength
George Orwell has successfully sparked my interest.
The beginning of 1984 is full of setting and character development...
So far, three characters have been introduced that show potential for becoming major characters:
The obvious being, Winston Smith. The story follows Winston, as he is the protagonist. Winston lives in a totalitarian society that monitors his every move and thought. There are devices in his home that constantly record his movement and voice while simultaneously spitting out propaganda. There are also Thought Police, that can monitor what one is thinking. Despite the punishment for such actions, Winston shows acts of rebellion...After illegally obtaining a blank journal and pen (such objects are banned in this society, of course,) Winston works up the courage to write. His writing is spontaneous and arbitrary. He allows his hand to just write and the outcome? DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER (20.) Through his characterization and interactions with other characters, Winston shows a power of resistance. I predict Winston will struggle between rebelling and conforming.
The second character introduced is a "bold looking girl"(11.) Her character is not fully developed, but Winston's description of her denotes strong emotions. Whether they are emotions of lust or hatred is hard to tell. Nonetheless, the woman upholds some sort of power... "Still, he continued to feel a peculiar uneasiness, which had fear mixed in it as well as hostility, whenever she was anywhere near him." (12.)
Lastly, there is O'Brien. O'Brien is as a highly ranked government official, but Winston feels some sort of connection with him, "[Winston] was intrigued by the contrast between O'Brien's urbane manner and his prizefighter's physique." (13.) I believe there is potential in O'Brien's character to share Winston's rebellious actions, but it is too early to tell for sure.
On a different note...
My favorite part of the beginning of 1984 is the following...
"WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH" (Orwell, 6)
Right off the back, I was immersed into a totalitarian society that was frightening to say the least: Oceania. Frightening because of the many parallels between Oceania, and governments that exist today. After only 20 pages I have made connections to many different current cultures and religious groups. For example, the character, Goldstein, is the enemy of Oceania because he believes in freedom of speech, press, assembly, and thought. Freedoms that countries like China and North Korea lack.
What I like so much about the motto of Oceania is the irony and bluntness of it. Yes, the idea of the motto being true is awful. And it mocks the very principles that America is built on. But...is it really that far from the truth? I can already see Orwell's repeated use of juxtaposition, irony, and contrasting ideas.
Even though I have only read a small amount of 1984, my mind is already feeding off of Orwell's social commentary. I look forward to continuing this book.
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