Salina Huang
Period 7
6/3/20
Aim: How is the theme, "the importance of having knowledge about the past in order to understand the future" exemplified/elucidated through Winston’s time in the Prole District?
Do Now:
What are some of the “lies/stories” parents tell their children?
Santa
Tooth Fairy
Easter Bunny
Why do you believe they tell these stories, rather than the truth?
These lies are made to make children behave, as they will behave in exchange for some sort of reward, whether it be candy or money.
What might be a history “lie/story” a school has taught/told you?
The story of Thanksgiving is one. The history books suggest that the natives and the colonists got along and ate dinner together, however the truth is that they were cruel to the native people.
The First Thanksgiving
We read about the reality of the first Thanksgiving, and how the story told in schools is actually a lie. The settlers were not nice to the natives, instead they caused a plague that wiped out much of the population.
How is history manipulated in this story?
In the story we are told in school, the pilgrims and the natives were said to get along, and this is understandable. However, due to the manipulation of history, we still celebrate Thanksgiving to this day, even though it is a horrible act of cruelty.
Group Discussion
“In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it.” Analyze Winston’s statement above. How do you explain his example? What are your thoughts on the matter?
Winston’s statement shows how much the Party has already manipulated. We know that 2 + 2 = 4 is unmistakably true, the fact that the Party is able to manipulate people into thinking otherwise, even such things that everyone knows, like simple math. The fact that such a small amount of the population is able to control everyone else is scary.
What do you think the author’s intention or purpose is for the reader to have as a takeaway about the world you/we live in?
Orwell’s warning is guiding us to see the power that the government holds over the rest of the population and to question it. In his time, he experienced fascist dictatorships, for instance Nazi Germany, had ways to control the information people received. The Party is an exact representation of this. He is trying to show that in the real world as well, controlling information is very dangerous and corrupt.
Group Work
Winston is clearly on a quest for the truth from the past. He states, “If there’s hope, it lies in the proles” (Winston, pg. 69). Work together to assess if Winston is correct. Consider the different age groups.
The proles strength is based on numbers, since they are the majority of the population. Using the knowledge of the elderly, the proles have a good chance of helping Winston find out what the Party could be hiding.
If he is/isn’t, explain how things would unfold for success or failure to occur. Consider the government’s role in all of this as well.
If Winston is to succeed, he would have to find proles who shared his goal and mindset. For instance, he would need to find elderly who had retained knowledge and not younger people who would have been brainwashed by the Party.
Are there specific actions or events that need to occur to guarantee success/failure? If so, what?
No, but it would be safer if he did not make much contact within the Party. He is constantly being watched, and he could be considered a threat if he makes a mistake.
Whole Class Discussion
What do you make of Winston (unconsciously) finding himself back at the very junk shop where he bought the diary?
By returning to the junk shop, Winston subconsciously accepts his desire for rebellion. It could also mean that he has remembered who he was, although he lived as a party member for some time. In the end, he will always rebel.
Why does he appear to be so drawn to the paperweight?
- It represents safety, the coral is protected by glass.
What are your opinions of the room, which has no telescreen?
It gives him more safety, because he is not being watched by the Party. This allows for places which are not surveillanced where rebellions could start.
Why do you suppose he decides he will continue to return to the shop, despite the risks? Foreshadowing?
By returning to the shop, he knows that he betrayed the party. He realizes that he can find the truths somewhere else, like in the junk shop.
Summary
We learned about how the government can change history to alter our opinions and our perspectives. In 1984, Winston realizes that the truth is within the elderly proles, and not as the Ministry of Truth serving the Party. We learn that this is Orwell’s warning, to tell us that we should never completely trust what those in power are telling us. In America, the ones who have the truth is the minorities. Right now, we can see what Orwell is warning us about. The Black Lives Matter Movement has resurfaced, and even stronger this time. The government covers up the cruel crimes against black people, just because they are white.
What is it like working from home?
Right now, because the end of the school year is nearing, I feel quite relaxed because we don’t have the stress of having 8 finals in the same week. I think it will be hard for most of us if we do go back to school in September, because the schedule is so dramatically different.
What are the updates around the world/community regarding the virus?
Instead of the coronavirus, I would like to talk about the Black Lives Matter movement. There has not been much news of the virus, because it is flooded with news about protests. It has recently grown stronger because of the most recent unjustified death of George Floyd, along many others. Another thing that is trending right now is Anonymous, who are a legion of hackers but use their talents to help the people. They exposed news about Trump and many others. In this time, we are all standing together and against the government.
Your own personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now.
These people have come together to stand for one thing: equality. We are fighting against police brutality, and racism. It is so inspiring to see so many people of color stand up for the black people. Even the people who can’t be outside in the protests are bringing awareness. Social media is used to spread ways to help in this hard time. There are donation websites, informative posts, and also ways to help if you can’t help with money. We also see celebrities donating money to bail out those who were taken into custody from protests.
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