Winston has worked hard for the Hate Week and finally after six days he has enough time to go to his hiding place and start reading the book he got from the Brotherhood. The book is written by Emmanuel Goldstein, "the number one enemy of Oceania". Winston has only a limited time to read the book until he has to return it to the Brotherhood and that is why he wants to read the book fast. He feels excited and starts to read the book before Julia arrives to the hiding place. He still thinks that the place is safe and even "stopped reading, chiefly in order to appriciate the fact that he was reading, in comfort and safety".
When Julia arrives, she is does not show much interest in reading the book and asks Winston to read the book aloud. The chapters of the Goldstein's book are basically named after the slogans of the Party. For example the third chapter is "War is peace" and the chapter tells about the wars of Oceania. Winston is a bit disappointed because the book doesn't tell him anything that he does not already know.
Winston fells asleep and when he and Julia wake up they think that they are still in safe. Soon they experience a nasty surprise when they discover that there is a telescreen in the room, behind the picture. The Thought Police comes and arrests Winston and Julia. It is found out that Mr. Charrington works for the Thought Police and evidently the Thouht Police had observed Winston since he had bought the diary.
I think that Julia is a Thought Police because she asked Winston to read the book aloud. Even the Brotherhood can be just a trap to catch Party members who don't like the Party and its actions. But why has the Thought Police organized such a long and complicated trap to get him? I don't know what will happen to Winston but his situation seems to be hopeless.
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
George Orwell: 1984, Chapters 2:VI-2:VIII
Winston has heard about a secret organization called the Brotherhood and thinks that O'Brien is its member. The organization is against the Party and that is why Winston wants to join it. He has been waiting for a signal from O'Brien and at last O'Brien gives his address to Winston. Winston goes with Julia to O'Brien's home and finds out that O'Brien really is a member of the Brotherhood. During the short visit Winston and Julia make a commitment to become members of the organization. Again, Winston thinks that the place where they meet is safe because O'Brien has turned the telescreen off. I just wonder, isn't there any other surveillance means in addition to the telescreen in the room.
Before Julia and Winston make their visit to O'Brien, Winston confesses Julia that he had believed he had murdered his mother. When Julia asks why he had done it, his reply is: "I didn't murder her. Not physically". Then he tells her about the day when his mother and sister disappered. He tells that he was young and living with his mother and sister, who was sick. There had been a new chocolate ration and Winston wanted to eat also his sister's and mother's amounts of chocolate because he was hungry. He didn't get permission to eat the chocolate from his mother but he still took all the chocolate and run away from home. When he came back few hours later, his mother and sister had disappeared. Julia say to Winston: "I expect you were a beastly little swine in those days. All children are". Winston replies: "Yes, but the real point of the story-" but he never finishes the sentence. I think he should because I don't understand what the point of the story is. I tried to find its meaning-and didn't succeed.
I think that Winston makes a significent observation when he says to Julia: "The proles are human beings. We are not human". It made me think, is the Big Brother a real human being or is he some kind of robot or machine.
Before Julia and Winston make their visit to O'Brien, Winston confesses Julia that he had believed he had murdered his mother. When Julia asks why he had done it, his reply is: "I didn't murder her. Not physically". Then he tells her about the day when his mother and sister disappered. He tells that he was young and living with his mother and sister, who was sick. There had been a new chocolate ration and Winston wanted to eat also his sister's and mother's amounts of chocolate because he was hungry. He didn't get permission to eat the chocolate from his mother but he still took all the chocolate and run away from home. When he came back few hours later, his mother and sister had disappeared. Julia say to Winston: "I expect you were a beastly little swine in those days. All children are". Winston replies: "Yes, but the real point of the story-" but he never finishes the sentence. I think he should because I don't understand what the point of the story is. I tried to find its meaning-and didn't succeed.
I think that Winston makes a significent observation when he says to Julia: "The proles are human beings. We are not human". It made me think, is the Big Brother a real human being or is he some kind of robot or machine.
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
George Orwell: 1984, Chapters 2:II-2:V
Winston and Julia manage to meet at the secret place and he really seems to be in love with her. Winston feels that the secret place is safe and there is not a high risk to be watched by the Party. They even have the courage to make love and they don't regret it afterwards-in fact Winston wants more sex with Julia. The only hindrance is that it is not safe to use the same place too often or too many times. Winston is so seriously in love with Julia that he even wants to live the rest of his life together with her. Unfortunately that is not possible in Oceania where love shouldn't exist or as Winston puts it: "in reality there was no escape".
At last Winston gets the idea to use the room above Mr. Charringtn's shop (the same shop where Winston had bought the paper weight) as their private hiding place where they could make love safely. Winston still trusts that there is no telescreen in the shop and he thinks that the room would be safe place to be with Julia. Julia accepts Winston's idea and the room becomes their hiding place.
Julia insists Winston that she is not Thought Police and that she actually doesn't like the ideas of the Party but if I were Winston, I wouldn't trust her. I think that she has too good connections to the Inner Party because she got real coffee, sugar, tea, milk and a set of makeup. At this point I am not assured that Julia wouldn't be a part of some set-up plan to get Winston caught for thaught crimes.
I still don't understand why I got the feeling that the proles have better life than the Party members. Another thing that I don't understand is that why the Party would drop rocket bombs "just to keep people frightened".
At last Winston gets the idea to use the room above Mr. Charringtn's shop (the same shop where Winston had bought the paper weight) as their private hiding place where they could make love safely. Winston still trusts that there is no telescreen in the shop and he thinks that the room would be safe place to be with Julia. Julia accepts Winston's idea and the room becomes their hiding place.
Julia insists Winston that she is not Thought Police and that she actually doesn't like the ideas of the Party but if I were Winston, I wouldn't trust her. I think that she has too good connections to the Inner Party because she got real coffee, sugar, tea, milk and a set of makeup. At this point I am not assured that Julia wouldn't be a part of some set-up plan to get Winston caught for thaught crimes.
I still don't understand why I got the feeling that the proles have better life than the Party members. Another thing that I don't understand is that why the Party would drop rocket bombs "just to keep people frightened".
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
George Orwell: 1984, Chapters VII-2:I (pages 81-117)
I have read the book to page 117 and I hardly can wait to read more. It just is so interesting to read what kind of place this world could be - but I hope that there will be no country like Oceania in the real world.
When I was reading about Winston's visit to the area where the proles live, I thought if Winston wanted to be a prole instead of being a Party member. Anyway, he goes to a prole's pub and meets there an old man. Winston pays the old man's beer and asks him questions about the life about 50 years ago, because Winston wants to know if the life was more miserable at that time. Winston had read about the topic but he can't trust anything he has read because the Party may have made history books a part of their propaganda. The old man can't answer the questions Winston has asked and Winston is disappointed.
Winston continues his visit in the area of proles and he goes back to the shop where he had bought the diary. This time he buy glass paperweight and when he comes out of the shop and is walking back to his home he sees a girl and he thinks that she is an thought police who is following him. He is afraid and thinks if he should kill the girl. When he sees the girl later she gives him seacretly a paper with text "I love you." Winston wants to meet the girl again but it is hard to arrange because the Party thinks that love should no exist but finally they can meet again.
I still don't understand what is the reason why the Party thinks that love is harmful. Is it just because the Party wants to control everything?
When I was reading about Winston's visit to the area where the proles live, I thought if Winston wanted to be a prole instead of being a Party member. Anyway, he goes to a prole's pub and meets there an old man. Winston pays the old man's beer and asks him questions about the life about 50 years ago, because Winston wants to know if the life was more miserable at that time. Winston had read about the topic but he can't trust anything he has read because the Party may have made history books a part of their propaganda. The old man can't answer the questions Winston has asked and Winston is disappointed.
Winston continues his visit in the area of proles and he goes back to the shop where he had bought the diary. This time he buy glass paperweight and when he comes out of the shop and is walking back to his home he sees a girl and he thinks that she is an thought police who is following him. He is afraid and thinks if he should kill the girl. When he sees the girl later she gives him seacretly a paper with text "I love you." Winston wants to meet the girl again but it is hard to arrange because the Party thinks that love should no exist but finally they can meet again.
I still don't understand what is the reason why the Party thinks that love is harmful. Is it just because the Party wants to control everything?
Thursday, 4 September 2008
1984: Chapters 4-7
I have now read the first 81 pages of this book and I find the book still interesting. I try to be quick when I write this blog post because I'm now on a cruise ship and it is very expensive to use the Internet.
When I was reading the book, I noticed that Winston really sees how artificial his country is. Many of the people who live in Oceania believe almost everything the Party wants them to believe. For example when the chocolate ration was reduced people believed that the ration was raised. I just wonder if people would believe that in real life or would they see the lie.
The Newspeak is a thing that I don't understand. It is the language that has less words year by year. The Party wants to prevent people committing a thoughtcrime by making a new language but I wonder, how people could communicate if they don't have a language. Doesn't it make things harder for Big Bother and the Party if there is no proper language?
When I was reading the book, I noticed that Winston really sees how artificial his country is. Many of the people who live in Oceania believe almost everything the Party wants them to believe. For example when the chocolate ration was reduced people believed that the ration was raised. I just wonder if people would believe that in real life or would they see the lie.
The Newspeak is a thing that I don't understand. It is the language that has less words year by year. The Party wants to prevent people committing a thoughtcrime by making a new language but I wonder, how people could communicate if they don't have a language. Doesn't it make things harder for Big Bother and the Party if there is no proper language?
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