1984 Exploration

"Always the eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you. Asleep or awake, working or eating, indoors or out of doors, in the bath or in bed---no escape. Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimeters inside your skull." (Pg. 24)

"Until they become conscious they will never rebell, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious." (Pg. 62)

The first passage simply explains the situation that Winston and everyone else is in, completely controlled by the Party, dehumanitized, and without privacy. The telescreen is always watching you. And even when it isn't there are people watching you and your expressions even to see if you are hiding something.

The second passage is what Winston writes in his diary, it can best be explained as this; People have to realize that they are unhappy, lacking, that the party is wrong and lying, to dislike the party, that they have been basically brainwashed since the moment they were born, once they realize this they will rebell. And it takes rebellion in a sense to become aware, that there is something more. Like with Winston, he rebelled a lot, in his mind and actions. An example being when he bought the diary or the peice of coral, it reaffirmed that there was a time before the Party, that it may have been better then than it is now. You also feel that after you start rebelling you can't stop. It seems that once Winston experiences a new life and a new way of thinking, he becomes more rebellious and sure of himself as well as stronger in his feelings and how he can possibly make a difference.

I take this book as a warning, a warning that power truely corrupts and what our world would look like if someone was given absolute power and authority. This book also makes you feel helpless, especially at the end when not even humanly love can survive bodily torture and brainwashing. Out of survival we tend to dismiss everything and even eachother to save ourselves it seems. I know that this may not be true for everyone, but it is true for Winston and Julie.

Like my first passage, it seems we get a taste of this today in society, lack of privacy is common in public places. There are camera's everywhere, double sided mirrors, voice recorders, and nothing on the internet is ever erased. If the government wanted they could search everything you have ever posted online, every history background, relative, misdemenour, and phonecall/text message sent to friends or significant other, nothing is sacred anymore. I guess we can avoid this through being good citizens. I wouldn't assume the government would just go through my phonecalls unless they had a reason to suspect me of a crime. Another way to avoid this is to maybe use more traditional ways of communication if it's something important that you want secret, like meet face to face somewhere or mail a written letter. I believe our countries paranoia will only increase though, but again, that's only if we give them a reason to suspect we are up to no good. I think we still have control and influence on the government in this area, one could also argue that camera's and background checks are precautions for companies and individual owned buisnesses that have a right to protect what is theirs. If I owned a grocery store and someone robbed me, I'd be glad to have those seven or so camera's that caught the suspect in the act. Something to think about.