Choices

As Canadians we have a charter of rights and freedoms which enables us to make our own choices. But in George Orwell's 1984 the most important choices are already made, or not allowed to be made at all. The Party basically controls the people’s choices (with maybe the exception of the Proles). The Party decides who you hate (Goldstein), who you love (big brother), your occupation, and most importantly what is right and wrong. According to the Party rewriting history is ok, but remembering it is against the law. Reading Party written books are fine but not encouraged while writing a diary is extremely dangerous. The Party has to resort to making crazy laws and customs in order to stop one thing...critical thinking. If people remain ignorant the Party is free to do what ever they want. But if the people start to think critically then the Party is in trouble. Hence "Ignorance is Strength".

Instead of logically thinking though problems the people are 'trained' or 'brainwashed' into doing what the Party wants them to do. While the people might think that they are free to make their own choices the Party is secretly persuading the people. When a person does develop the critical thinking skills it is called thought crime and is punishable. In the 1984 society thinking is not totally required. People are allowed to be creative but not logical.

I don’t think I could ever survive in a society like the one in 1984. Even though I do have a ‘routine of thought’ I enjoy thinking deeply about thinks I’ve experienced. Canada may be similar in ways to 1984 because of our propaganda, but the propaganda doesn’t rule our life nor will it ‘vaporize’ us.

Freedom

As I read George Orwell's 1984 I began to realize how the people in their society lack the basic freedoms that we have. People all across our country rejoice in the freedom of speech, association, and conscience. Yet the people in 1984 are silent thoughtless individuals. The people are afraid to speak their mind because of the risk of committing thought crime and they aren't willing to share their opinions or ideas with anybody because of the risk of that person revealing their ideas to the thought police. What groups they do support are government run organizations which promote chastity and spying. These groups may fulfill one's social requirements but they don't give a person the chance to think critically. This idea brings me to believe that the 1984 people have no conscience. The dictionary defines conscience as, "The awareness of a moral or ethical aspect to one's conduct together with the urge to prefer right over wrong," and both of these qualities the 1984 people are not required to posses. Those individuals who do posses these abilities are either not educated enough to use them or are too scared to show that they have them. The people who do show it are captured and tortured until they lose the ability. In our society most are encouraged to develop morals and ethics in order to run the country successfully and be able to fit into society. We punish those who don't have morals and ethics and commit senseless acts with jail time or penalties. 1984 represents in some way the opposite of what society looks like today, yet their society still is successful.

Betrayal

Near the end of George Orwell's 1984 Winstin betrays Julia. He does this by forfeiting her life for his, because of his intense fear of rats. When he says "Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don't care what you do to her.Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia! Not me!" he means it but also regrets it. He betrays her confidence and loyalty. Later in the story Julia and Winstin meet at chance and while talking they both reveal that they have betrayed each other. They have changed and it almost seems like they accept the fact that they have betrayed and been betrayed and are fine with that.
The dictionary lists betrayal as many things, but only two apply to their situation; To be false or disloyal to, and To divulge in a breach of confidence. Winstin told O'Brien all he knew about Julia and was willing to sacrifice her for his own life. This proves my theory that they never truly loved one another, but benefited from each others company. They were more co-workers striving to accomplish one task then lovers.
Betrayal is an intense emotion. It separates people with guilt, shame, remorse, hurt and it makes it difficult to continue like betrayal never occurred. Even though Julia and Winstin had a emotional and physical relationship, they felt like different people after they had betrayed their friend. If either had restrained and never betrayed i think that they wouldn't have been released but still they would have loved each other. Because that is the key to the Party's success, eliminate the victims loved ones by separating them emotionally through betrayal.

Newspeak

In George Orwell's 1984, the idea of Newspeak is really interesting and to me. The whole idea that a language should be reduced into a few words seems like a recipe for disaster. Without the readily available descriptive words, such things as poems and songs will cease to exist or just be very repetitive. Everyday we use a variety of different nouns, verbs, and synonyms to help others fully understand what we think and how we feel. Words are the basis of our communication. The lack of words makes it harder to communicate with others and if the language is reduced enough, it can lead to a reduction of reality and thought. Sure, it could make writing alot easier, but only in general terms. Simple converstions would be quicker and words found easier, but critical thinking would be nearly impossible. Our language helps us to think for ourselves.When we lose words we lack the ability to put our ideas forth to others, and to ourselves. New ideas will be uncommon because they could never be explained in any understandable way, and intense emotions would be hard to describe. We rely on our complicated and complex language to fully comunicate with each others and ourselves. Our society couldn't exist with a simplifyfied language like Newspeak.

Julia

There are not very many main characters within 1984, and one of the few is Julia. Julia works in the same building as Winstin, the Ministry on Truth, in the novel department. When Winstin sees her he is at the two minutes hate, and he manages to transfers his hate onto her. He is filled up with the desire to bet her to death and to rape her. He also realizes that he is feeling these emotions because he want's her but can't have her because she's young, beautiful and a member of the junior anti-sex league. Later on the in novel Winstin is walking down a street when he sees Julia fall. When he stops to help her up she transfers a note into her hand saying i love you. This confuses Winstin, but also fills him up with hope. He confronts Julia about the note and she tells him about a place where they can talk without being overheard. Whe he meets her there they begin their love affair. While talking with Julia, Winstin discovers many things about her. Julia hides withen crowds and volunteer groups, pretending to be the perfect 'drone'. She rebels with "secret disobediance and isolated acts of violence" but yearns to do something great to bring the Party down. She admits the she's not suscepitable to the Party's propaganda, and has to hold herself back from laughing during the two minutes hate. Yet although she hates the Party, she takes no interest in it.

To me, Julia seems a little shallow. She is stubbon and had a narrow idea. Her one goal besides being with Winstin is to bring down the Party, but she also wants to be the one who does it. She is not content with being a small part of the destruction, she want the pleasure of commiting the task, and is prepared to do anything to achieve her goal. This kind of reminds me of a hitman. Taking down something you have no interest in and having no regerets afterwards.

The First Impression

I read the first paragraph of George Orwell's 1984 and instantly wondered about the man on the poster. At first i thought that he was a dictator because of his appearance and his ominous discription. As i read on and learnt he was called Big Brother (BB) it seemed quite odd. I instantly relate a caring and trustworthy figure when i hear the name big brother, but this charactor doesn't seem to be that at all. I suppose he does control the country in a way that some are comfortable living with, but being from a different type of government i view the government as corrupt and undesiarable. It seems that everybody follows blindly or are terrified to disobey, because if they do, thay will 'disappear' courtesy of the thought police. That thought really distirbed me, 'thought police'. Could a civilization need to be controlled so much as to discourage free thought? Well i suppose it works, but according to my conscience that is SO wrong. And the telescreens. Not knowing if 'they' are watching or listening or if they're going to make you disappear too. wow.