The Party appears to be heavily against individualism. They are constantly promoting that “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” to remind the citizens of Oceania that they have no freedom because “FREEDOM IS SLAVERY.” Essentially, they believe that they are saving everybody because being free will lead to unsuccess since they will no longer be supported by the rest of the community. 1984 was written after World War II and during the war there was forced labor (slavery), which makes this remark to slavery quite relevant. Pertaining to the war, it was briefly hinted that Oceania uses military time since it would say “...the clocks were striking thirteen” (1). Using military time indicates that they were used to living during strict, war times (WWII). They also all call each other “comrade,” which is what the Russians would call each other (Russians fought in WWII). Therefore, they are probably living life from a Russian point of view. This would make sense for why the Party would hate Goldstein (who is Jewish and Russians were antisemitic). In addition, there’s a repetition of the word “victory” in all of Oceania’s common items, such as the “victory mansions,” “victory gin,” “victory cigarettes,” “victory coffee,” etc. There’s a day in Europe known as “Victory Day” in which the citizens celebrate Germany surrendering and ending WWII. The word “victory” tends to have a positive connotation behind it. However, these items are described in a negative way. For instance, the victory mansions were said to have “...smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats” (1), and the victory gin would give “...off a sickly, oily smell…like nitric acid, and moreover, in swallowing it one had the sensation of being hit on the back of the head with a rubber club” (5). These distasteful details must mean that Oceania (Russia) was unhappy that they failed to spread communism throughout the rest of Europe (which is why the Party loves collectivism so much). This answers why the Party is always bad mouthing capitalists. 

Winston starts to indulge himself at an antiques store in the Prole region of London, Airstrip 1. The antiques shop contains goods that store memories from the past. Winston is always thinking back to how he can’t remember his past because there are holes and gaps that don’t answer how and why the Party is in power in the present. He can never tell what date it is and must want to understand why the time period is as it is. Once Winston gets a taste of what the past is like, he craves more of it and wants to “...take the risk of visiting the shop again” (100). He is probably trying to gain some sort of connection with his unknown past to feel a sense of belonging in a world that believes “IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.” While he is there, Winston and the shopkeeper sing the “Oranges & Lemons” song (released in 1981) that talks about what fruits would have been unloaded near the church. They sing this song to resemble the memories they could have had if they weren’t being unified into this collectivist society.

The author creates a believable world by making experiences and characters relatable. For example, when Winston is writing in hysteria. The author writes in bold capitals “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” four times. The author also includes some key yet contradicting details of this frantic writing. “It was no longer the same cramped awkward handwriting as before.” As a writer I can relate to this because when I get into my “zone” my hand just writes, and writes very well. Another example of when the author creates a believable world is when he demonstrates hope through Winston. Hope is a feeling anyone can relate to and makes the reader feel immersed. During the rally at the screen when the masses were scolding an image of Goldstien, aka public enemy #1, Winston met eyes with a peer and this swift moment of eye contact left Winston with an abundance of hope. “All that they did was to keep alive in him the belief, or HOPE, that others besides himself were the enemies of the party.” Then he continued saying “perhaps the Brotherhood really existed!” This is surely a feeling that creates a realistic atmosphere within the fictional world George Orwell created. He utilized emotions to help the reader relate to the characters which makes it so believable. If you can imagine yourself with those emotions, you can imagine or believe yourself to be in that situation. 

Throughout 1984, Winston appears to be very desperate for an affair, (a new romantic relationship) because his marriage is failing with Katherine. Once Winston receives the note from Julia saying, “I love you,” he spends all of his time trying to get together with her. He contemplates following her home or sending her postcards in the mail to reply back to her message, but he knows that wouldn’t work with the Party watching all of their actions (and not even knowing her name at the time). He considers that “She might have been vaporized, she might have committed suicide, she might have been transferred to the other end of Oceania -- worst and likeliest of all, she might simply have changed her mind and decided to avoid him” (111). He is more focused on the fact that she might have lost interest in him than if she is dead, which tells me that he doesn’t care if it is with her or any other woman, he just wants someone to date. During lunch at the canteen, he would attempt to sit with Julia, at a table where nobody would hear them. In one of his failed attempts, Wilsher disrupts his plan by inviting him to sit with him. Winston becomes so utterly enraged that he “...had a hallucination of himself smashing a pickax right into the middle of…” (112) Wilshers face just because he simply smiled at him. Winston has shown his impatience with violent thoughts in the past, and even now these impure thoughts linger when the smallest inconvenience occurs. He is willing to kill someone just so he could try to get a date with Julia, which was never confirmed to happen 100%. 1984 is written in third-person limited, yet it’s still easy to understand that Winston finds great significance in a the blossoming relationship between him and Julia since “At the sight of the words I love you desire to stay alive had welled up in him, and the taking of minor risks suddenly seemed stupid” (109). Julia’s love for him is the only reason that he still wants to stay alive. In this society, rules are very strict and the citizens don’t have a cultural norm of a love like this, meaning this would give him hope that he can gain something good from the society that he loathes. The perspective this is written in doesn’t go into Winston’s thought process behind his need for love, but even the limited words that state he wants to stay alive, tells me enough. I don’t need to know the reasoning to understand that he truly finds it important. The author shows how the societal norm of being married without happiness (in Oceania) can lead to people risking their lives for a romantic love.

Eventually, Winston and Julia begin to have an affair and form what they would consider a “loving” relationship. Because sex was frowned upon and essentially banned, they seemed to value it to a great extent. They craved what they couldn’t have. Due to their culture, their sexual desires have been supressed and that is the primary expectation that they have for their relationship. There is no talking stage or any milestones to experience. Julia even said “I love you” before they had the chance to get to know each other. They didn’t spend any time contemplating their feelings for each other like most people do. In addition, instead of what Americans would consider the norm, Winston and Julia decide to sneak out as often as they can to have sex with each other. However, even though they start their relationship off physically, Winston admits that he wouldn’t have sexual desires when they kissed and he would focus more on her freckled face than her naked body (that he was so entranced by when he had dreams in the past of raping her). He also admitted that even though it would have no benefits, he would’ve pushed his wife off a cliff for Julia. They have known each other for such a short time, but he is still forming what a “loving” relationship would look like in a society that considers this to be abnormal.

In Winston and Julia’s relationship, Winston seems to truly value honesty. When Julia asked him what he thought of her before they got together, he admitted, “‘I hated the sight of you,’ he said. “I wanted to rape you and then murder you afterwards. Two weeks ago I thought seriously of smashing your head in with a cobblestone. If you really wanted to know, I imagined that you had something to do with the Thought Police’” (121). They had just gotten to know each other's names at the time, and right after he unleashes all of this heavy information onto Julia about everything he ever thought of her. In their culture, secrets such as this would be forbidden, so it must have come off easily for him to unload his private thoughts without hesitation. 

Even though it would be odd to want your partner to sleep with as many men as they please (as this would be frowned upon in our society), Winston encourages Julia to do so. Winston finds out that Julia has been sleeping with lots and lots of Party members (which isn’t allowed) and this reveals that the Party isn’t as pure as they come off to be. They are always advocating that sex is bad, but they are so corrupted that they don’t even follow their own beliefs. By having Julia sleep with all of these Party members, Winston will be able to slowly take them down. He wants to expose them. In this society, sex isn’t soley used for love, it is also used as a weapon to control people. Winston had just found a relationship that he has been yearning for, but he takes this opportunity to start to thirst for domination, telling me that power is more important to him than love. 

Winston, careful as to not get caught, stares at the red and marble diary he had bought a while ago. It had been sitting in a drawer, its smooth paper untouched. He stares and stares, thinking about what to write on the blank pages. He had forgotten what he had been wanting to say. Finally, after some time passed, he started to write. He wrote and wrote until his hand cramped up and couldn’t write longer. He was confused as to why he had written this monologue, one so long and full of feelings he didn’t know about. “He did not know what had made him pour out this stream of rubbish.” (12). An event that happened earlier, the Two Minutes Hate, had gotten to his head, more than he had thought. He spilled out the words, not caring about his handwriting. He judges himself, asks why he would write something so horrible. The memory of people chanting “B-B...B-B....” repeating over and over. And then, as though it was automatic, he started to write down a series of “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER’s” all over the page.

Winston was unaware of his feelings. He didn't know why he started a diary, something that could get him executed, or even wrote the words that definitely would. He didn’t think about it and then decided to write it. He just did. This believes me to think that he is not aware of the way he feels whatsoever. As someone who lives in this world, he can’t go against the government. He poured out the feelings he didn’t know that he had. When he finally realizes why he had decided to write in the diary today, he spends his time thinking about the incident that occurred earlier. 

According to Winston what are the only two organizations that Julia could be apart of and why does he think that? Why was it so difficult for Julia and Winston to meet up and talk to each other? What clues did the author show that makes you believe that Julia was an unusual character ar first? How does the note change Winston's lifestyle? Was their bias in Winston’s interpretation of the note?

Winston’s kind heat is what triggered the first interaction between him and Julia. SInce she was in a sling and fell on her arm he helped her up. When he finds that she passed him a note that read “I love you.” This causes Winston to uncover the true meaning of the note. He wanted to find another way to meet with her and talk. When he got home he was thinking about all the places were they could meet and crossed them off based on the discreteness of the area and the amount of telescreens and possible mics. I feel as though Winston is so intrigued with this girl he just met because of his curiosity. In the book, it even said that the whole span of the time from which he didn’t receive the note he didn’t write in his diary and that he suddenly got a new feeling for life. He opposes the Though Police, Big Brother, and the Party, and he suspects that Julia is either an agent for the Thought Police or apart of an underground organization possibly the Brotherhood. Winston also doesn’t have feelings for his wife so it’s also possible that he wanted she if the feelings that Julia had for him was genuine and real. When they both kept going to the canteen, they didn’t talk each other for 3 day and Julia didn’t show up for 3 straight either. During this time Winston was having anxiety thinking that Julia changed the way she felt about him. Winston thought this multiple time in the 3 chapters/books. Winston could have this anxiety for one because of constantly having to watch his every move because of the telescreens and hidden mics, knowing he could get vaporized if he got caught. Another reason Winston could have this anxiety is because he doesn’t know Julia’s full intentions. When they talk for the first time at the canteen Julia engaged in conversation with Winston first and proceeded to give him a place to meet after work I believe. This is what made me first think that Julia isn’t apart of the Thought Police, because she said to approach her when there was a crowd of people so they could blend in, because that area has a lot of telescreens. I believe that if Julia was then she wouldn’t be so cautious and would’ve already knew a secret place to arrest Winston. When they meet for the third time she gave Winston a specific place to meet and he described is as if she had map in her head. I think that WInston kept on meeting Julia because his questions weren’t answered and he had an attraction to her. He also mentioned later on there isn’t really any women in his life. When Winston reads the note he can’t help but keep his mind on what the note read. In the text, it says that he couldn’t focus all day at work because of it. Since he doesn’t really love his wife and the sole reason he opposes the parties he does his mainly because no one can love besides Big Brother and the Party. I believe this shows bias because he warps he mind into thinking that he loves Julia and how they could meet up. Even when she doesn’t show up and questions did she change her mind about her feelings, he still proceeds to go back to canteen to try and meet up with Julia hoping that the feelings she has is real.

Winston looks to know about the past and his early childhood because he realizes that he can’t recall his childhood or any moment before the party starts. He notices that the party alters stories and narratives and changes the way people view certain events to better their standing with all party members. This leads Winston into seeking knowledge elsewhere and finding proles. He tries to extract information out of old proles hoping that they know about life outside of the political party's rule. Winston seeks to know if the things the party say happened actually did and that the past was as bad as the party says it was. Winston’s anti-party sentiment comes from the realization that all his feelings and emotions need to be bottled up to stay alive, and he feels trapped in the society he lives in. The fact that children snitch on their parents and that the party alters the past to help themselves look better rubs, Winston, the wrong way and he wants to somehow expose it all and for future generations to live in a more free environment.

Based on the things happening in the book it reminds of the movie Captain America: Civil War. In the book Winston is opposed to the Thought Police and wants the ability to be able to speak his mind. In the movie, the avengers are split up into two groups those who are willing to work under the government’s order and those who refuse to and want to choose their fights and battles and keep their free will. When Winston gets  nervous about the knock on his door after writing in his diary it’s kind of the relationship between Tony and Cap since the beginning of MCU. Cap was nervous/didn’t know how to tell Tony that his best friend was the murderer of his father. The reason Cap didn’t tell Tony is shown near the end of the movie when it was to much for Tony to handle and ended up fighting both Cap and Bucky. Big Brother prohibited all forms of love and that is the main reason that Winston doesn’t like them. Big Brother hopes to keep love between the party members and Big Brother, to keep those two parties at large and to maintain control for longer. Winston creates Comrade Ogilvy to replace Comrade Withers who was executed by an opposing party. In Captain America: Civil War, Tony made Rhoady some artificial legs because of the fall he took in the movie. This connection shows the replacement of two things that were important to Tony and Winston, his friends are important to Tony the same way Winston’s comrades are important to him.

The end of page 136 relates back to the beginning of the book because it shows the clear contrast of how different things were now versus what they were then. Winston in the beginning hadn’t done anything to betray the party and was a good citizen in terms of his actions and didn’t ever go against the ideas of the party. Now Winston is sneaking out with a girl who isn’t his wife and is going to a place he isn’t allowed to be and doing indecent things with her that would defy the celibacy that Julia claims. The contrast between Winston's actions and his party’s morals is clear and defined. The party doesn’t want anyone feeling emotion or showing love/affection to anyone. This is contrasted with how Winston tells Julia how much he likes her and how he allows Julia to sneak out with him and commit indecent acts together. Also, Winston constantly thinks about how much he hates the party and how much he despises the things that the party makes people do. He fears the party's ability to contaminate people's minds with false information and turn people against each other. Lastly, Winston contrasts the feelings he had with his previous wife and how much he hated being with her to how much he liked Julia. He is very happy with the person that Julia is and how she acts. This is the opposite of how Winston felt and talked about his previous wife, who he said was a rule follower and hated anything to do with intimacy. He made him feel like he was dating a wall and he couldn’t stand the way she went about life.

When Winston and Julia decide to spend time with each other for the first time, Julia asks him how he felt about her before she gave him the note. He decides not to lie, and tells her the truth. “‘I hated the sight of you,’ he said. ‘I wanted to rape you and then murder you afterwards. Two weeks ago I thought seriously of smashing your head in with a cobblestone. If you really want to know, I imagined that you had something to do with the Thought Police.’ (120). Winston’s true feelings about the girl are only reciprocated with a laugh. “The girl laughed delightedly, evidently taking this as a tribute to the excellence of her disguise. ‘Not the Thought Police! You didn’t honestly think that?’” (121). She evidently ignores him admitting to wanted to rape and murderer her, and instead goes for the fact that he thought she was with the Thought Police. For someone who fakes being in the Anti-sex group when in reality enjoys the action, it makes some sense. She’s the one who came up to Winston with no prior true interactions, and admitted her love for the man. Any normal person would take a step back and wonder if this is the right person to be with. But in a world where love is limited, I believe a statement like that could easily be ignored by someone like Julia. She knows secret spots with no microphones, places with no cameras, and can easily not get caught by the thought police. There’s a darker side to her, so her reaction does seem to be in character. 

George Orwell chooses and styles his words in a manner that creates a detailed and dramatic description of Winston’s true thoughts. Throughout the story, Winston struggles to make decisions in his life. In one situation, he had to decide if he should use the room above the antique store for his love affair with Julia. In his brain, he is thinking, “Folly, folly, his heart kept saying: conscious, gratuitous, suicidal folly! Of all the crimes that a Party member could commit, this one was the least possible to conceal” (137). He uses the word “folly” to express how foolish he thinks he is being, rather than straight-up saying something like “what a foolish idea!” In just that one sentence he used that word three times. He then continues on to say it on the next page. This word is so random and rarely used that it just shows how abrupt his thoughts are. The author is making Winston sound very afraid by not only using the forgotten word: “folly,” but also by using “big” words like “conscious,” “gratuitous,” and “suicidal.” Winston is clearly thinking in a very logical mindset. In addition, the author styles his sentences in an oddly personal way. For instance, to elaborate on Winston's feelings for Julia, Orwell states, “The smell of her hair, the taste of her mouth, the feeling of her skin seemed to have got inside him, or into the air all round him. She had become a physical necessity, something that he not only wanted but felt he had a right to” (139). He makes it clear with his senses that Winston yearns for every aspect of Julia because she fuels his will to live (similarly, in the last reading, Winston explained that Julia gives him the desire to live on). Following this, Winston “...wished that they were a married couple of ten years’ standing. He wished that he were walking through the streets with her just as they were doing now, but openly and without fear, talking of trivialities and buying odds and ends for the household. He wished above all that they had some place where they could be alone together without feeling the obligation to make love every time they met” (139). The author is constantly phrasing his sentences with “he wished” to show that Winston craves a normal relationship with Julia, but knows he can’t because of the society he lives in. He doesn’t use the word “hope” because he knows their relationship has no chances of surviving, but he “wished” that it did.

The author also uses irony to remind the readers that due to the Party’s ruling, Winston has no knowledge of what love “should” look like. At one point, Julia expresses that she can’t have sex with him for a day. He worries because “When she said she could not come, he had the feeling that she was cheating him” (139). For this relationship, this would be considered ironic since he knew for a fact that she was sleeping with the other Party members (as we learned in the last reading) and he was even thrilled to hear it because it proved that the Party is corrupt and impure. These two ideas conflict each other: should he be happy that the Party is doing wrong or should he be disappointed that his girlfriend is having sex with other men? Another time when the author used irony is when he expressed Winston wondering if, “...in the abolished past it had been a normal experience to lie in bed like this, in the cool of a summer evening, a man and a woman with no clothes on, making love when they chose, talking of what they chose, not feeling any compulsion to get up, simply lying there and listening to peaceful sounds outside. Surely there could never have been a time when that seemed ordinary” (143). Winston is thinking that this scenario would never be possible in his society, yet this is considered a normal relationship in our own world. 1984 was written somewhat in terms of real life and him thinking this just shows how different our two worlds are regarding a romantic relationship. Additionally, Winston appears to be the “woman” in his relationship with Julia, which is ironic to the time because the book was written in 1949, which was a time of very stereotypical, heterosexual relationships. Even in the year 1984 (when this takes place), it would be odd to see a man be depicted as more vulnerable. However, for this relationship, Julia initiated their love life with the note, planned their meetups, and was less fearless. For example, during this reading, Winston gets very scared of the rats in their room while Julia doesn’t mind them. When Julia was trying to reassure him, Winston exclaimed, “Don’t go on!” and then closes “his eyes tightly shut” (144). This kind of vulnerability wouldn’t be seen as big of a thing today, but considering when this story was written and when it takes place, the author is making Winston’s role in this relationship ironic. 

Throughout this reading, Winston’s values change drastically pertaining to what it means to be selfish. One way that Winston’s values change is that he learns to appreciate being loyal to one another rather than to the government. He realized “What mattered were individual relationships, and a completely helpless gesture, an embrace, a tear, a word spoken to a dying man, could have value in itself” (165). The Party has brainwashed him into thinking that he needs to hold complete faith in his government and not worry about others. However, “For the first time in his life he did not despise the proles or think of them merely as an inert force which would one day spring to life and regenerate the world. The proles had stayed human…And in thinking this he remembered, without apparent relevance, how a few weeks ago he had seen a severed hand lying on the pavement and had kicked it into the gutter as though it had been a cabbage stalk” (165). Winston's character develops from being unfazed by people being dead to caring about others. Even back when Winston was a child, he was selfish and didn’t care for others. For instance when the chocolate rations were put in place, he would steal the chocolate from his mother and sister. The author mentions that “He knew that he was starving the other two, but he could not help it; he even felt that he had a right to do it. The clamorous hunger in his belly seemed to justify him” (162). His mother and sister ended up disappearing right after this occurred. As he grew up, he came to think that he “...murdered her. Not physically” (160). More so, he got his family “killed” because he was a selfish kid who caused trouble for them. Similarly, he realizes that he is being selfish by dating Julia in secret and that the best thing for them “... to do would be simply to walk out of here before it’s too late, and never see each other again” (165). He loves her and she makes him want to live, but he knows that they are being selfish and will only get each other killed, like he got his mother and sister “killed.” Winston is finally starting to mature and is no longer getting consumed by his appetite or his sexual desires.

In the beginning of this reading, we see that Winston and Julia rent out a room to be able to spend time together without as many restrictions as usual. He goes there first, waiting for her to arrive. When she does, she walks in with a bag full of different things that are banned from the public. She brings real sugar, white bread, jam, milk, and real coffee. All of these things are from the inner party, and she had stolen them for Winston and herself. As the connector, this reminds me of when Marji’s parents in the book Persepolis, travel to Turkey and bring her different items that are banned in Iran. In the chapter “Kim Wilde,” Marji’s parents think of ways to sneak in different things they knew Marji would love. Some of these things include posters of her favorite celebrities, a jean jacket, Nike sneakers, a Michael Jackson button, and etc. All of these things had been essentially banned in Iran, as they weren’t following the dress code and other rules and regulations. When Marji had received them, she was ecstatic. Her tongue was drawn outside of her mouth while she was looking up, a way to show how excited and happy she was to receive these things. In 1984, Winston was excited to finally have all of these real foods again. He was happy that she was able to steal from the Inner Party, as it was something that was dangerous to do. Just like how her parents bringing these items to Iran was dangerous to do. They both live in societies where things they want and like are banned, so having to sneak them are good ways to get what they want. 

In the beginning of this reading, the narrator describes what Winston and Julia are experiencing as they finally meet O’Brien to confront him about his political standing. The first passage reads, “The room they were standing in was long-shaped and softly lit. The telescreen was dimmed to a low murmur; the richness of the dark-blue carpet gave one the impression of treading on velvet. At the far end of the room O’Brien was sitting at the table under a green-shaded lamp, with a mass of papers on either side of him. He had not bothered to look up when the servant showed Julia and Winston in” (167). Right here, the narrator is describing the setting in a very detailed, suspenseful manner. To describe the mysterious lighting, they use words/phrases such as “softly lit,” “dimmed to a low murmur,” and “green-shaded lamp.” “Softly lit” and “dimmed” both make the situation sound very sketchy and top-secret since they are meeting in a dark setting. What do these word choices do for the reader? These are very soft-toned words that make the reader feel nervous since they already know Winston and Julia shouldn’t be meeting O’Brien and now they are partaking in risky behavior. By using words like “richness” and “the impression of treading on velvet,” the narrator sets the scene at ease and lures the reader deeper into the story because they are connecting to the reader's senses. Additionally, the next passage starts by saying, “Winston’s heart was thumping so hard that he doubted whether he would be able to speak” (167). The narrator was already already connecting to their senses, but now they are deepening this connection by including the “thumping” of Winston’s heart and how his heart would beat so hard that he wouldn’t be able to speak. This carries from the last passage to the next smoothly, while still sustaining that suspense.

During this reading, we are also being introduced to Newspeak. Before, the author would include examples of select words being translated from Oldspeak to Newspeak. However, now there is a small paragraph of jargon that O’Brien reads to Winston and Julia that says, “Items one comma five comma seven approved fullwise stop suggestion contained item six doubleplus ridiculous verging crimethink cancel stop unproceed constructionwise ante-getting plusful estimates machinery overheads stop end message” (168). All the words written in this passage are in fact English words. How are the words similar and how do they differ? How do these words still pass on a message? Some words have remained the same, such as “stop,” “end,” “message,” “cancel,” “ridiculous,” “approved,” etc. These words may have been untouched, but I think they may be used in a different context. The ending says, “stop end message,” so maybe this is a new way to say that you’re signing off/saying goodbye to the recipient. It’s utilizing three words rather than writing a sentence or two to write the conclusion. These words have been revised to be simpler to reduce the words that are needed to pass on the message. I’m pretty sure I mentioned this in a previous response, but that must be the purpose of Newspeak: to make communicating simpler. I also just realized that the word “comma” is being used rather than an actual “,” symbol. This seems more complicated because you would have to write a whole word rather than one character, but somehow this is simpler for them. Why? Maybe it minimizes miscommunication because someone could have read a comma symbol as a period by accident, which would cut off from the rest of the sentence. If this is the case, then my previous idea that “stop end message” is a goodbye message could be wrong, and maybe it is actually equivalent to a “.” symbol. Although, I guess either idea makes sense since it still ends the message. I know that Newspeak is supposed to make communication easier, but this sounds a lot more complex. Is it really worth it to rewrite Oldspeak with all these new editions of Newspeak? Is there any other benefit from easier communication?

Once O’Brien starts to interview Winston and Julia to test their loyalty, we can see that they are truly willing to give their lives. The interview goes as follows: “You are prepared to give your lives?” “Yes.” “You are prepared to commit murder?” “Yes.” “To commit acts of sabotage which may cause the death of hundreds of innocent people?” “Yes.” “To betray your country to foreign powers?” “Yes.” “You are prepared to cheat, to forge, to blackmail, to corrupt the minds of children, to distribute habit-forming drugs, to encourage prostitution, to disseminate venereal diseases -- to do anything which is likely to cause demoralization and weaken the power of the Party?” “Yes.” “If so, for example, it would somehow serve our interests to throw sulphuric acid in a child’s face -- are you prepared to do that?” “Yes.” “You are prepared to lose your identity and live out the rest of your life as a waiter or a dock worker?” “Yes.” “You are prepared to commit suicide, if and when we order you to do so?” “Yes.” “You are prepared, the two of you, to separate and never see one another again?” “No!’ broke in Julia” (172-173). After each question, they respond with a simple “Yes.” Even though O'Brien had just asked them a complex, ethical question, they didn't even hesitate. These questions aren’t sugar-coated either, they are straight to the point. “Giving your lives” means willingly donating their freedom (which I guess they are used to from the Party’s strict laws); “murder” is literally killing someone illegally; “the death of hundreds of innocent people” is pure, unjustified genocide; “To betray your country” goes against everything the Party values in their society; “cheat,” “forge,” “blackmail,” “to corrupt the minds of children,” “distribute habit-forming drugs,” “encourage prostitution,” and “to disseminate venereal diseases” are all prison/death-worthy crimes; “to lose your identity” literally strips them of everything they have worked for; and “to commit suicide” means killing themselves after all they have worked for just from one single command as well. Not one word in any of these questions could be taken lightly in the slightest. Nevertheless, one word: “Yes.” is enough to answer these questions. How is this so? Winston and Julia are so desperate to end the Party’s reign, that they would kill others and kill themselves to support their cause. Even still, in the last question regarding whether Winston and Julia could ever separate, they replied with their first “No!” They can commit any of these atrocious, unethical crimes, yet they aren’t willing to separate. It even defies their hatred for the Party. It doesn’t make much sense though because if they are willing to commit these crimes that could separate them or commit suicide, then they would ultimately be separated instantaneously. This means they clearly aren’t listening to O’Briens powerful choice of words and that’s why they could agree to the terms of the contract so easily. They are too blinded by love. I think the powerful word choice is more so for the readers to understand the depths of what Winston and Julia are willing to do rather than to directly ask Winston and Julia. No matter what, Winston saw O’Brien as a powerful figure and “...it was impossible to believe that he could be defeated” due to his demeanor. His powerful looks and language tied together to persuade Winston and Julia immediately.

Lastly, the language makes the fact that Winston despises and admires the figures in power around him believable. How so? Well, the narrator uses words that I either rarely hear of or have never heard of in my life to emphasize Winston’s reaction to those around him. For instance, when Winston was judging O’Brien’s character, he said, “When he spoke of murder, suicide, venereal disease, amputated limbs, and altered faces, it was with a faint air of persiflage” (175). The key word that stood out here for me was “persiflage.” I had to look it up right away just to understand its meaning (definition: light, frivolous banter). This word choice kind of makes Winston sound slightly fearful (but also in a kind of admiring way) of O’Brien’s power and authority because he is judging the way O’Brien talks about their roles in the Brotherhood. Then again, there was a man “haranguing the crowd” (lecturing the crowd in an aggressive and critical manner) at the demonstration during Hate Week. “Haranguing” was also a new vocabulary word for me. In this passage, Winston was already judging the man’s “little Rumpelstiltskin figure,” “disproportionately long arms,” “bony arm” that “clawed the air menacingly,” and his “metallic” voice. He is judging this man strictly on his looks with these rude words. The addition of the word “haranguing” makes him sound even more critical of the man's actions. He similarly used randomly unfamiliar words such as “tepid,” “syntax,” and “delirium” (which I know the meaning of, but it still isn’t used that often), but these weren’t used in direct context to the figures he admires or is disgusted by. 

How does 1984 relate to the Iranian Revolution? 

When Winston and Julia finally meet up with O’Brien to discuss The Brotherhood, they are told of many different dangers that come with opposing the regime. “‘You are prepared to give your lives?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘You are prepared to commit murder?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘To commit acts of sabotage which may cause the death of hundreds of innocent people?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘To betray your country to foreign powers?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘You are prepared to cheat, to forge, to blackmail, to corrupt the minds of children, to distribute habit-forming drugs, to encourage prostitution, to disseminate venereal

diseases—to do anything which is likely to cause demoralization and weaken the power of the Party?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘If, for example, it would somehow serve our interests to throw sulphuric acid in a child’s face—are you prepared to do that?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘You are prepared to lose your identity and live out the rest of your life as a waiter or a dock-worker?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘You are prepared to commit suicide, if and when we order you to do so?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘You are prepared, the two of you, to separate and never see one another again?’ ‘No!’ broke in Julia.” (172). This quote shows just how much they might have to face if they want to join the group that opposes the party. And despite that, they still join The Brotherhood in the end. When the author decides to write all of the things they must be prepared to do, it is written in a way for the reader to take in what is being said while also being able to notice how ready Winston and Julia were to commit to all of this. I believe it ties into history by showing how dangerous it can be to go against a regime, when all they do is control the way you and others live. For example, anyone that had tried to oppose the Nazi’s during World War II would have faced major consequences. This also goes for World War I and other things such as the Iranian Revolution in 1979. During the Iranian Revolution, people that opposed the regime were tortured or even killed. They had to be ready to face the consequences, just like how Julia and Winston are right now. The government in Iran had oppressed its people. When you go against it, you can’t expect to be safe. 
 

ThoughtsMy thoughts while reading this was that Winston and Julia are now seeing the full grasp of the inner party's power, and the corruption at the top level. The people who are above everyone else are able to do things that regular party members could only dream of. Being able to talk privately without the monitoring of Big Brother.




QuestionsWhere does this lead Winston’s thoughts?How can Winston use this to his advantage?What new information will come in light of this discovery?

EpiphaniesI realized after reading this passage that rebelling against the political party and big brother was actually a lot easier and more achievable than I had thought before. The ability for Winston to come into O’Briens office and be away from the political party, and not have to risk being caught like going to the old prole’s house is huge.



For Discussion:Winston is now able to fully discuss his plans for the future and what to do against the party to find freedom. He now has the backing of O’Brien and this leads to even further avenues down the road for potential discovery.`

confessing nothing, when every word had to be forced out of him between gasps of pain, and there were times when he feebly tried to compromise, when he said to himself: ‘I will

confess, but not yet. I must hold out till the pain becomes unbearable. Three more kicks, two more kicks, and then I will tell them what they want.’ Sometimes he was beaten till he could hardly stand, then flung like a sack of potatoes on to the stone floor of a cell, left to recuperate for a few hours, and then taken out and beaten again.”

How does this scene of 1984 connect to Persepolis? 

In this passage, Winston is recalling the harsh torture he was and is being put through by the Party. He had been caught opposing the regime and was put in confinement to be tortured. He remembers the pain he had been through each time he was tortured by the men in black uniforms. Kicks, punches, etc, all aimed to hurt him enough to confess his and of other’s sins. This reminds me of the scene in Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi where Ahmadi was taken in by the government and tortured in order to confess of his sins and where the other rebels were. Ahmadi was whipped, peed on, ironed, and beaten in many different ways before he was killed. Both Winston and Ahmedi live in a society where they are being told what to do, what not to do, how to think, how to live, etc. They feel trapped. They go against their separate regimes, hoping to do good. In Winston’s case, I believe it was for himself. In Ahmadi’s case, it was most likely for himself as well as for others. Winston had gone against the party for his own reasons. It wasn’t so that others could live a better life. He didn’t care about killing others for his own good. “‘You are prepared to commit murder?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘To commit acts of sabotage which may cause the death of hundreds of innocent people?’ ‘Yes.’” Winston wanted to go against the part for his own freedom in a way. For his revenge, for his own feelings. Ahmadi had wanted to go against the regime for his friends and family. For the people of Iran. This is why he worked with others. Why he did not confess. 

‘Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don’t care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia! Not me!’” (286).

Thoughts:
O’Brien had just sent Winston to the mysterious Room 101. Essentially, it is another torture room. However, rather than being shocked by the electrocution machine, he has to face his biggest fear: rats. O’Brien is seconds away from placing a cage on Winston’s head that will release rats onto his face. He frightens him by threatening that they will devour his eyes, cheeks, and tongue. In this passage, Winston is trying to figure out a way to escape. Once the cage was close enough, he decided to sacrifice Julia by begging O’Brien to put her in his shoes. His amygdala (the area of the brain where the fear response begins) is being overstimulated. Since he is in danger, his heart rate and blood pressure must be rising, his breathing accelerating, his pupils dilating. Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are going to be released and he isn’t going to be thinking rationally. Being anxious can eventually lead to desperation and aggressive behaviors as well, which would make him blurt out Julia’s name so easily. He has also been constantly shocked by O’Brien for who knows how long, so he must be very mentally drained. Additionally, he is known to think of himself first whenever he is in danger, such as when Winston and Julia first got caught and he could only think of what the Thought Police may do to him. Overall, fear naturally makes people irrational.

Questions:
Why is Julia the first person that comes to mind, and why was there only “one” person that he could have chosen from? Is he making this decision with malicious intent or is he thinking from the Party’s point of view? Why doesn’t he care what the Party does to her, and why does he wish such brutality?

Epiphanies:
I feel like Winston blurted out Julia as his replacement for two possible reasons: one, because he may have felt some inner hate towards her for betraying him immediately after being caught; and two, because he knew that the Party would automatically accept that response since they know how proud he was to not have betrayed her, and that if he did, he would have truly converted over to their side. Either idea sounds pretty realistic. Winston isn’t a perfect human being. I also just realized that there is a recurring motif here: Winston is always being selfish. For example, he was selfish when he was a child and stole the chocolate rations from his poor mother and sick sister; when he dated Julia even though he was married and the Party doesn’t allow dating unless they arrange it themselves; when he didn’t help Julia when they were caught (but that can be kind of justified by his fear/shock); and now when he willingly sacrificed Julia’s safety (yet again justifiable by fear). However, this is still a common theme arising throughout the book. The author is probably trying to communicate examples of the psychology of a person who lives in a totalitarian world. Back to the main point, the second idea is probably more accurate since Julia was the “one” person he could give up. By saying that he “suddenly understood,” it meant that he probably just realized the purpose behind the Party using this torture technique on him. This fear tactic would make him sacrifice the one thing in this world he cares about, and then he would be submissive to the Party’s influence. There was no malicious intent (at least not intentionally or directly), it’s just so that he can feed into the Party’s motive. The only malicious intent I am picking up on is when he says that they can “Tear her face off, strip her to the bones,” which is extremely brutal. Then again, this may be all to show him completely surrendering to the Party and he is just desperately trying to convince them. I also just realized that he might have PTSD (caused by rats) and was motivated by it because when he was with Julia in the room above the antiques shop, he seemed deathly afraid of them as well.

For Discussion:
Why do you think Winston just sacrificed Julia’s safety? Do you agree or disagree with my ideas? Do you have any other ideas behind what motivated him to say Julia’s name?

Do you think that Winston has any mental disorders that cause him to act irrationally whenever he is in danger or is it because he is deathly afraid?

If you were in his shoes, what would you do? Would you say Julia’s name? Someone else's name? Accept your fate? Find a way to physically retaliate and escape? Reason with O’Brien?
 
So many people in movies and real life will betray their loved ones in an instant whenever they are in danger (ie. when being held at gunpoint). Why do you think this is such a common habit?

How can the ending of the story relate to the Iranian Revolution?

How does the Iranian Revolution show the effects of brainwashing alongside 1984?

While there is no specific thing I can relate these few chapters to, I can relate it to many different instances where people had gone against their oppressors, only to be “brainwashed” into siding with them. Here, we see Winston coming out of probably the darkest moments of his life, into something brand new. What he thought of Big Brother before is no longer. The hatred, his will, his ideas, all gone and replaced with the love for Big Brother. After countless torture sessions and brainwashing implications, Winston had become a new man. No longer in love with Julia, no longer against the party, no longer lost with himself. He fought the constant battle he was fighting against and found new meaning in his life. What I can relate this to is when people go against their oppressors and start to believe in them. There were probably many instances in history such as during battles and wars where they would capture prisoners, brainwash them, and set them “free.” In the Iranian Revolution, torturing was a method used to get information out of people right before killing them. While they might not be brainwashed, the people affected by this person dying might be. Someone living in Iran that goes against the regime might think that it really isn’t as safe as they thought when it comes to going against the regime. This results in them no longer fighting, which helps out the government in the end. While it isn’t a direct from the government to the people thing, it affects the people mentally to the point where they don’t have to “brainwash” everyone directly. 

ThoughtsThis shows how well the generations have been indocrinated. The context is the main character and julia were talking about how their grandparents would sing them songs about lemons. Julia does not know what a lemon is but Winston does. I think that this is very good implementation of the author to show how deep the party has indoctrinated people in only a few generations. This reminds me of when in the 1940s hitler made the generation of children and nazis belive that the jews were bad. This is also indocrination.
QuestionsHow did the party achive this?How are they able to eliminate the existence of something as fundamental as a lemon from the minds of people?Why did the party do this?Are the people just too poor to know what a lemon is?Where exactly are they that there is no lemons?Did the party teach the generations that lemons were fake?
Epiphanies
I realized they are so deep in the party tht they dont even know nature. They are at such a disconnect. The Higher ups probably have lemons, but since they are at constant conflict, trade has been slow, therefore lemons cannot be shipped. To cover the narrative and their “strong” rep, the party must make them not exist. And if lemons did exist, the party would be credited with making them.


For Discussion:

'You are prepared to give your lives?'

'Yes.'

'You are prepared to commit murder?'

'Yes.'

'To commit acts of sabotage which may cause the death of hundreds of innocent people?'

'Yes.'

'To betray your country to foreign powers?'

'Yes.'

'You are prepared to cheat, to forge, to blackmail, to corrupt the minds of children, to distribute habit-forming drugs, to encourage prostitution, to disseminate venereal diseases -- to do anything which is likely to cause demoralization and weaken the power of the Party?'

'Yes.'

'If, for example, it would somehow serve our interests to throw sulphuric acid in a child's face -- are you prepared to do that?'

'Yes.'

'You are prepared to lose your identity and live out the rest of your life as a waiter or a dock-worker?'

'Yes.'

'You are prepared to commit suicide, if and when we order you to do so?'

'Yes.'

'You are prepared, the two of you, to separate and never see one another again?'

'No!' broke in Julia.

ThoughtsThis is a big moment in the book.  It is almost like a contrast because the rules to be in the brotherhood almost require the same lengths to go to as the party. It requires the same dedication. For the party people will give their all,  work, spread propaganda from anti sex to against eurasia. In comparison, the brotherhood requires you to potentially kill, suicude, and betray your country.  The most impactful aspect that these two have in common is 'You are prepared to lose your identity and live out the rest of your life as a waiter or a dock-worker?' this is exactly what the party has done to people. The brotherhood is also engaged in this. This is very interesting and makes me think : what purpose is there to life  if youre just going to lose your identity in this world?
Julia was ready to do everything but separate from winston. 
QuestionsWhat is the purpose of the people in this book if they all paths lead to the same place?




EpiphaniesI realized that all the paths lead to the same place. 



For Discussion:

Thoughts:

The painting can symbolize the party and how it is behind everything. It is behind winstons memories and it is his memories. Winston doesnt even exist. This relates to later in the book when winston is being tortured by O’brien and is told the party is always right and that winston doesnt exist. Only the party does. So when winston sees this painting, he sees his memories, but really it is the party behind it. 

Questions:

How does the author create anxiety and tension?

Epiphanies:

I realized the party is everywhere and that maybe they are right. There is only the party. There is no individual.