Utopias & Dystopias

  Why torture the thought criminals? While reading these chapters, I was very disturbed and confused by the methods of torture used on Winston and the other criminals. The cycle of beating, questioning, and just enough recovery to make the criminals conscious again, is insanely manipulative, but creates zombies of people who will do whatever is asked of them. In Dr. Wilson’s psychology class we are talking about learning this week, and how the brain reacts to rewards and punishments. Knowing some of the science behind why and how this torture is so effective, added an entirely different layer. The inner party of 1984 must have put a lot of work into creating such a functional system where they can effectively build people from scratch after removing all the human parts of them. From what I’ve read, it seems like the end goal for Winston might be a labor camp. If that is the case, his torture, while awful and inhumane, at least has some purpose. But if he will eventually be killed, ...

  Does the Brotherhood solve all the problems associated with rebel groups in dystopias?  When I read about Winston learning how the Brotherhood works, specifically the system of sharing information only in small pieces, and not knowing the full scale of the organization, I was confused, but also impressed. Usually part of the plot of a dystopian novel, tv show, or movie, is a rebel group that gets caught, faces setbacks, and loses people along the way while they fight for their cause. While 1984 seems to follow this pattern in that it features a rebel group where everyone is willing to sacrifice their lives for the cause, the organization solves a lot of the problems we see in other dystopias where the rebel organization itself is under attack, rather than just a few of its members. The Brotherhood is well organized by necessity, but I wonder if groups in other dystopian worlds would be able to win their respective wars much quicker if they put more effort into organizing the...

  Winston and Julia’s Differing viewpoints In these chapters we learn more about Julia, as we see her and Winston’s relationship progress. Ignoring all the other weird, uncomfortable, sketchy parts of their relationship, I find it interesting that Winston acknowledges how they view life differently. He seems to believe that because he’s lived longer, his viewpoint is based on experience and therefore more realistic, while Julia’s more optimistic method of enjoying life under the rule of The Party, is wrong. It is also interesting that Winston and Julia both have a good amount of optimism about their lives, but in different ways. Winston has accepted that his life under The Party will be miserable, but believes that the brotherhood exists and puts his hope in somehow overthrowing the government, while Julia has accepted that there is no way of overthrowing The Party, and instead puts her hope in her ability to live her life in the most enjoyable way possible by rebelling against The...

  Antiques in 1984  The concept of antiques in 1984 is actually very similar to that of our own world. Not everyone enjoys spending their Saturdays hunting through second hand stores, but those who do are usually really passionate about it. In our world, typically the motivation behind antique shopping is to find things that are rare and therefore “cool”, as well as learning about the object’s past and some of the history behind it. If Winston wanted to know the truth badly enough to risk his life looking for answers in an antique shop, I think in our world he would be considered a somewhat intense antique seeker. I find it interesting that he even thought to look for answers in an antique store, when he could have continued asking older people or given up looking. I also think it’s important that Winston and Mr. Charrington bond over their shared interest in old artifacts, despite the rest of their society having no interest in them.  If Winston were in our world, would ...

Relationships in 1984 Winston’s relationships with the people around him, (his neighbors, coworkers, etc.), are similar to relationships in other dystopian novels and films that I’ve seen, but unique in that he doesn’t share any real part of himself with anyone. In most dystopias, characters bond over a shared need to survive, and while they typically experience some plot of betrayal within their group, they generally find it necessary to work together with other characters. I find it interesting that in 1984, Winston is completely alone. Even when he finds other characters who are “on his side”, he can’t even make eye contact with them for too long without risking his life. The world of 1984 initially seems similar to that of The Hunger Games , where characters have to work by themselves to try and “win” life, but in The Hunger Games , the only way Katniss wins is by forming alliances and relationships with other contestants. While there is still an element of distrust in relationship...