Wednesday, April 10, 2013

1984 Exploration-McCoy

     I'm not sure if these are considered passages, but the two of my favorite "passages" would be: 2+2=5 and "WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH."

2+2=5
      The importance of this is that in the very end of the book Winston wasn't going to be let go until he said that 2+2=5. And not only did he have to say it, but he also had to believe it. It took him a long time to actually believe that it was 2+2=5, at one point while he was being tortured he said that he wanted to believe it was 5, but he just couldn't believe it because he said it was right in front of his eyes. 

WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
      This propaganda sounds so ignorant to us, but it's what so many of the people believed. It was amazing at how many people were just totally brainwashed by Big Brother. I almost feel like some Americans have this problem today. But, what really astonished me was in the very end when Winston was done being tortured and the first things he wrote was FREEDOM IS SLAVERY AND 2+2=5. It was just crazy how the torture he went through changed him mind to think that these things were true. Especially because he was so against Big Brother before. 

       I would say that this book was both a parable and a warning. It always helps to learn from the past and understand it, but it is just as important to keep your eyes open because things from this book could happen (where we live) in some places they're already happening. 

     Just the other day in class we were talking about how the Government records pretty much everything we do. Texts, emails, calls and walking around town. The only way that I think we could avoid it is passing this Patriot Act. I think we could communicate more in person, that would be a little more private and the government wouldn't have it recorded..But I can see the good and the bad in this. The good being able to track down criminals easier. I like that, but I am not a criminal and I don't think I should be recorded for the things that I do. I understand that this could go in favor for either way, but  recording these things and being able to identify people with a camera on a light post in town is a little scary. Technology has advanced so much and so fast that I think it has gone a little too far and too fast. I think I would enjoy the old days without cell phones email and all of this new technology. 

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