After reading Chapter 1 of 1984, reflect on the following:
What does the setting of the novel tell us about life in London in the book? How does Orwell create the mood of the novel?
Look up the words irony, paradox and contradiction. What examples of these words do you see in the book?
Winston seems to have a deep hatred for women, specifically young pretty women. Why? Have there been times in our history when the fervor of the young has been used for advancing political goals?
What is the significance of the Two Minute Hate? What does it tell us about people in general?
9 comments:
The atmosphere is very oppressive in this version of london. After all, the government is controlling how they think and I think it is interesting how they created a new language that is made to prevent people from being freethinkers. But honestly, I disagree with that aspect of the book. I do not think that if a word does not exist, the concept it represents does not exist either. Words themselves do not create and idea, the word comes into being because of the idea. (sorry I got a bit off topic)
I guess that the biggest contraction is that expression they use "freedom is slavery ......(forget the rest of it)"
because that itself is a contradiction. Also I flipped to the back of the book were it talks about newspeak or whatever its called. There it said that the word "free" does not mean freedom in thought or speech or government. Taking that into account, technically the phrase "freedom is slavery" shouldn't exist in their world, because the word "freedom" does not make sense there.
I think he does not like women because I'm pretty sure in his society you are not supposed to "fall in love" and such. My guess is that he finds this to be frustrating because it is a natural instinct for a human being to seek out companionship and romance, but that is being denied for him by the government.
I found the two minute hate to be a bit confusing. To me it seemed a little bit like brainwashing, because I do not see what there was to get so worked up about. Also he said that you couldn't help but get caught up in it. I think it is just another way for the government to control the people. I'm not sure what this says about people in general, but I think it shows how people usually follow what others are doing. For example if everyone around you is getting riled up, I think it may be hard not to do the same yourself. (or at least thats what I got from the story-although I'm not sure its true)
Well I think I covered almost everything.... although I think all I did was point out the obvious. Sorry!
The setting to the novel feels very depressing and almost claustrophobic in the sence that you are always being watched and that you can't think for yourself. Orwell creates a glum mood inb the book by making the main charactor,(winston) always nervous and anxious. He acts this way of course because the "Big Brother" is always watching him and because people such as the thought police could get him in serious trouble for writing in a diary.
In the book there are examples of irony and paradoxes and contradictions. I once read about a paradox where if you go back in time to kill your Great Great Gradnfather then you would never have been born to go back and time an kill siad great great grandfather thus looping the idea over and over again without and end. This aplies to the story because the thought police are supposed to "arrest anyone who thinks freely but doesnt that make the thought police have to make decsitions and think freely? so if the thought police are keeping the population in check then who is keeping the thought police in check?. Also a contradiction i found was the saying "freedom is slavery" Obviously if you are slave then you are not free. It is quite self explainatory. You cant be both a slave and be free at the same time that is why we used the term "free the slaves" because slaves themselves are not free.
I think that winston has a hatred for women simply because he is either jealous of the beauty of because his society doesn't allow relationships or marriges. I have no real evidence to back this up rather than that Winston himself doesnt have a spouse yet in this book.
The purpose of the 2 min hate, i thought was to sort of advertise the "big Brother way of life because it played on every telescreen and it was mandatory to watch it. I also think it was to help big brother see who is loyal to it and who follows directions because the telescreens can see if someone is not watching it. It could also be a way to get out propaganda about wars and such or to spread false lies about the enemy because this was a big part of what happened during the 2 min hate. ultimatly i think it is a way to further strengthen big brothers hold on society.
the book has a very repressed and controlled feeling. even in a "government officials", i use quotes because im not quite sure what winston is, home is in rambles. london feels very bleak and gray and run down. when ever i picture the overview of the town i see a watery, ghost of a town. how their way of life is portrayed is bleak and lifeless. their thoughts are monitored and if they think the wrong thing they could be killed. and thhe slogan, war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength, is a blantant contridiction to us, something we would never even think of putting together, unless we wanted to control others, like in the book. If someone who had been raised learning 'newspeak', they wouldnt even know what freedom really is. the 'newspeak' langauge is just another way to control people. big brother is twisting around everything we hold dear, that makes us think and be individual, and using it to control. to us their system seems like a paradox, but to some in the book, theyve known nothing else.
as for the issues with the girls. i think that him, personally, is furious because he cant have her. and its because of the society hes supposed to love. In our society pretty girls are used all the time, to forward just about anything. from products to ideas, if you have a pretty face behind it, its being sold.
the two minute hate scared me a little bit. (not only becuase i was reminded of silence of the lambs. *shudder*)it seemed that the people got into an animal-like flurry and didnt control their actions. it was chaos. whoever made the vidoe knew very well that the constant bleating would grate on already tense nerves and cause a frenzy. This two minute hate seems to rebuild the single pointed fury agianst this man, who really stood for individual thought and breaking away. it was yet another way for big brother to control their thinking.
oh, and can we read the next chapter? i wanna know what happens!
The setting of the novel is sad and depressing. They are always being watched and everything they do or say is being criticized. George Orwell creates an almost dark and frightening mood by having Winston act cautious all the time. For example when he writes in the diary "down with big brother" he thinks about ripping out the page because of how dangerous it is that he wrote that. He is very nervous that they with catch him and put him to death. Death is a harsh punishment therefore making the mood dark and frightening.
A contradiction i found in the book is when it says "war is peace". They have completely opposing definitions. War is defined as an active struggle between competing sides; where as peace is defined as the absence of war or freedom from disputes. War cannot be peace if peace is the absence of war. Another contradiction is when it says "freedom is slavery" because slaves are not free. Again, they have opposing definitions. Freedom is where people can say do and think what they want; where as slavery is when people are controlled by another person.
I think Winston hates women because he is jealous of them. He said he was 39. Women that are young and pretty have a lot going for them and many opportunities in life. Maybe he has let opportunities pass him by in life. The young beautiful women also had a chastity sign. I think this made him angry knowing he wanted something that he could not have.
At first i found the two minute hate very confusing. I think that it was a way for the government to re-socialize the people and make them believe that "big brother" was good and beneficial. It also helped them to further control everyone and make sure that everyone was following the rules.
In the London in the book, it is very supervisory because the people are always being watched. For example, in the book it says, “Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it; moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well as heard.” Therefore nothing is very secretive or personal because he is always being watched. The mood created is gloomy because they are always being watched. They do not really have anything to themselves and it sort of seems depressing.
One example of the words earlier was of a contradiction. It is when it said war is peace. This is a contradiction because they are opposites. For example, I looked up war and it is a conflict carried on by force of arms, as between nations or between parties etc. Peace, on the other hand, is the normal, nonwarring condition of a nation, group of nations, etc. Therefore, this is a contradiction because they are put together, but they mean two different things.
I think that Winston hates women so much because he knows he cannot have them. I think that their government does not really want people to be together and to like each other. In this society, it seems like it is only about the government and the “Big Brother”.
I did not really get the two minute hate but from what I understand, it is just a way for the government to see who is doing what they should do and who is doing what is asked. And, I think that this says that some people are influenced by what people do around them because everyone was doing what everyone else. (This might be though because they kind of have to but I am not sure.) For example, Winston said that it was hard for him not to do what everyone else was doing around him because everyone was doing it. Therefore this shows that some people may be swayed by other’s actions.
some great responses here but some people who are reading the novel have not posted their ideas...
After reading this I feel like the setting of this book is kind of like a prison. The TV always watching you and the creepy posters and the two minute hate are all just plain disturbing. It's clear this is the governments form of brain washing an I find it over powering and controlling, like when he was saying how even if he didn't want to yell during the two minute hate he couldn't help but do so, as if they were brain washing them.
The setting of the story starts out as an unhappy setting almost sad and gloomy. It feels weird to think that someone is watching the character at all times and that nobaidy in the country has any sort of freedom. The slogan that is said several times" War is peace freedom is slavery" it contradicts itself because they are complete oppsites. The main character (winston) hates women an di belive that either he is jelous at the fact that because oif the beuty of women they may get more privileges oor that something might have happened in the past that might have triggered his feelings toward women. I do know of times in componies whether it be in a movies a book or in real life that the young has been favore, but there have also been times when your youth does not help you such as when you run for president there is a certain age you have to reach before running. I belive that the two minute hate is a type of propeganda or something similar it is in someway or another persuading peopole that big brither is a good person that he is the ruler and should be respected and is trying to scare people from revolting or going against big brother.
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