Blog #46 - Carlo Importuna - Period 9 - 6/5/2020

Carlo Importuna
Blog #46
Blogger #13
Period 9
6/5/2020

Sophomores 2020

1984 Lesson 6 and 7: Part 2 Chapter 1, 2, and 3

Aim: How is connotation, denotation, and paradox explicated through Orwell's "double think"? How can we analyze the symbolism in Winston Smith's name?

Thoughts Regarding Our Reading:
I felt that these chapters of 1984 were meant to set up the plot for later in the story as well as conclude the cliffhanger from part one. In our reading, we learned the suspicious girl's (who followed Winston previously and was thought to be a spy/member of the Thought Police) true intention, with her actually faking her allegiance to Big Brother and the Party. She and Winston go together into a clearing in a forest, where much is revealed not only about her, but also about Winston, as his feelings against the Party are truly confirmed.

How it is Like to Work from Home:
It is much more difficult than working in the usual setting due to a multitude of factors. School provides me with a schedule that I can base my life around. However, without this place to shape my schedule, I have to do work on the schedule of my parents. This is even more difficult due to them owning a business, as we must go there everyday. This makes attending virtual classes extremely difficult, as sometimes fitting it into not my schedule but my parents schedule is nearly impossible. However, it is not unmanageable and I have been able to get my work in on time for the most part.

Personal Feelings on our Situation:
I feel that a lot of what is going on is not related to the pandemic itself, but politics. Politics have a clear role in the actions made by our country at both the local and national level. Also, much of what is happening is due to over reactions, as it is quite clear that the pandemic was blown way out of proportion. In addition, regarding the George Floyd situation, I feel that the cops were certainly in the wrong. George Floyd should indeed be alive today and the cops should be persecuted, as they have been. However, I feel the rioting is not helping our country but hurting it. During times like this, we should stick together as Americans as opposed to burning down the very communities we and our neighbors live in.

Student Reflection:
Today I learned about the difference and relationship between connotation and denotation, and how both these concepts are linked to Orwell's concept of doublethink. I also learned that authors often put much thought into the names of characters to give them a symbolic meaning other than just simply being a name. I learned this because it is important to know how a story uses these literary articles to convey a message across a story, as not knowing about them would defeat the purpose of reading other than for entertainment value. I will use what I have learned to analyze the messages across many other stories and relate and apply these messages to reality.