W12, #1: What is Orwell Trying to Say?

We're soon going to be learning a bit about the historical creation of the 'party' and Big Brother's government. In fact, we're actually going to read one of the documents that helped create this world -- the 'book' by Goldstein, for those of you 'in the know'. 

With that said, what is the one rule, Big Brother slogan, or piece of 'party' propaganda that you'd like to learn more about? 

Challenge: In 5+ sentences, tell us.

Image:  One of Orwell's original hand-written manuscript pages.

Comments

[Student #1]

I'd like to learn about about Newspeak. I find it interesting how they can shrink common words to make a whole new language out of a language we already speak. It would be interesting to see how a dictionary of over 100s of thousands of words that seem to multiply or increase "exponentially" could be minimize to a vocabulary of only a few common words that can be used easily in a sentence. Furthermore, I would like to understand why Newspeak is more effective than Oldspeak, other than the fact that it stops the ability to have power and think on ones' own. I find it hard to believe that can change a lot when it's not really what you say, but it's how you say it.

[Student #2]

I understand that the people are not allowed to think. If they think, they will be arrested by the Thought Police. But a question that I have is why Big Brother will not allow people to think about ways to praise Big brother. He uses propaganda to gain support yet people will not be able to decide whether or not they support him. If they are not allowed to make decisions then how do they choose what rules to follow or what to do on a daily basis? They can tune down the telescreen but they still have to hear it? How can they choose to turn it down?

[Student #3]

One rule or law I would like to learn more about would be the statement of "2 + 2 can equal 5." I understand that it means the "Party" or "Big Brother" can make people believe that this is true although we know it to be false by brainwashing everyone. But what happens when the government has vaporized all of the disobeyers and ones who rebel and they tell the citizens lies that can be proved or everyone gains the courage fight back. For instance what happens when Big Brother announces on the telescreen that pain doesn't exist. People in this nightmare utopia may not experience emotional pain because the government has forced it out of their minds but even the smallest physical pain such as a stubbed toe could produce controversy. the point isn't whether Big Brother would make such a statement but rather how could they control 85% of their population to believe that something everyone has experienced simply does not occur.

[Student #4]

What I want to learn more about is how war is thought to be peace. To me that thought completely makes no since no matter which way I think about it. To be at war is in no way close to being at peace. I want to know how people are convinced that this is possible because to me it seems absolutely impossible to be at war and to be peaceful because of it. War is peace, that's completely crazy considering the way I think of peace means life without war.

[Student #5]

One rule that I would like to learn more about is why the higher class and the wealthier have harsher regulations and the people lower in society are free to do whatever they want. We already partially discussed this in class in the fact that by letting the lower class go around, having sex, and reading anything they wish, will occupy their minds. They are not even aware that they are being manipulated. Big Brother is very wise, in my opinion, because these certain people will not gain any knowledge; they are too stupid to face reality. If I were Big Brother and had the corrupt mind that he has, I would solicit the smarter, higher class people as bait to watch the surveillance on the telescreens to ruin the lives of others.

[Student #6]

The biggest thing that I want to learn about, and which I want to clear up, is the thought about how one is suppose t not tihnk but how they can survive. Not thinking is basically switching off your mind. If you "turn off your mind" then wouldn't you die? I seriously cannot understand how thinking about even the smallest things like what I am going to eat can make any difference in the uptight world the Winston lives in. One follow-up thing to that is, You are not allowed to think and you are not allowed to write but at the same time there are no rules. How is that possible? I understand that they can put you in jail or "vaporize" you but first they have to tell you what to do for those punishments to be placed upon you. There is no way that there can be rules but no rules to follow at the same time. There is no way you can think, but live your life at the same time.

[Student #7]

I'd like to know, why does Big Brother keep the top 15% malnurished? In a case of war who fights in the battles? The proles are animals, to dumb to do anything, according to the upperclass. While the top 15% of people are not fed well and are most likely weak. To fight in a war, to fly a plane, to make war strategies on the field, means you have to think and make decisions... so how is it possible for them to have a military.

[Student #8]

I realize that people in this society are not allowed to think. What I don’t understand is why the people that turn in someone for “thinking” are not killed along with them. To feel that someone else is thinking, you would have to think along with them. This is a concept I don’t understand. Like the two children, they feel that many should be turned over to the “thought police.” Don’t they have to think to feel something? If that is the case than nearly everyone should be killed in the end.

[Student #9]

So far from what I have read, the most compelling is the comment "Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows." After talking about this quote in class, I actually thought about it some more. Maybe everything I have ever learned is just something I am told and forced to believe anything I have learned. With that in mind it could possibly something Orwell is hinting at.

[Student #10]

Id like to learn more about the slogan: "FREEDOM IS SLAVERY". I understad that in Oceana Freedom is Slavery, and the only true freedom a person has is the freedom to submit to a larger group. In Big Brother's Society if people have the power to think and do what they want it gives them the power to revolt and rebel against the government. In a world were conformity is forced and thought is suppressed the Ingsoc or English Society is able to smother any glimpse of individuality which leads to the will of the nation being the will of the leader. Although I understand the benefits of a totalitarian government, I can’t seem to connect why freedom is equal to slavery.

[Student #11]

I would like to explore the idea that ignorance is strength more. I find it intriguing that Big Brother is able to keep so many people ignorant to the truth and maintain control over them. I would like to know more about how they are able to accomplish this and whether or not it could lead to the fall of Big Brother as well. Big Brothers power over the masses is what gives them strength and I would like to know about the Revolution that allowed Big Brother to ultimatley take control. Because Big Brother keeps everyone ignorant to history before the Revolution, all that almost everyone knows is what Big Brother tells them. This is what gives them thier strength and thier weakness if the proles were ever to "think". I would like to go more into the understanding of Big Brothers accomplishment.

[Student #12]

I understand that “ignorance is strength” because the more ignorant you are in the society the stronger you are in terms of not getting killed by the thought police. I also understand “freedom is slavery” because your are led to believe you are free but in actuality you are a ignorant slave to Big Brother. But, I do not see how “war is peace”, unless you are only at peace when you are fighting someone. This would also mean that if you are at peace then you are also at war, I assume that Big Brother uses war to make people believe that they are keeping peace.