George Jejelava
Sophomores 2020 Period 9
Blog #47
Aim: How is connotation, denotation, and paradox explicated through
Orwell’s “doublethink?”
Thoughts regarding reading:
The first few chapters part 2 of 1984 effectively answer the mysteries in part 1. In chapter 2, we finally understand “the dark-haired girl’s” motivations and upon understanding her motivations, we realize that she is not a spy for Big Brother as previously suspected. This section of the novel also established strict discrepancies between Winston and Julia’s character; while Winston yearns for societal change and believes the only way he can be truly happy is to see the fall of the party, Julia’s philosophy is that of a stoic. Although she also is unhappy with the way things are, and is intelligent enough to recognize methods of control implemented by the party, Julia chooses to not dwell on ideas of all-out rebellion, deeming it highly unlikely to occur. Rather, Julia accepts her life for what it is and is determined to make the most out of a situation that cannot be greatly improved.
What it’s like working from home:
Although I miss my friends and schoolmates, in my opinion, working from home is far easier than in school. Although the actual workload we receive is similar to what it was prior to quarantine, I am better able to manage my time and feel more productive now that I am making my own schedule. Prior to the quarantine, I would wake up at 6:30 and be in school by 7:45. As I’m on the school track team, I often have practice until 6 pm and only come home at 7. I would then cram as much homework and studying as possible and try to be asleep by 10:30. During quarantine however, I’ve found myself to be much less stressed out as I am able to consistently do schoolwork and study throughout the day.
What we learned in our online english lesson today:
When looking at each set of images, the DENOTATION is the same between the images: each insect is simply a bug with wings, each car is simply a means of transportation, and each house is simply a shelter.
However, denotation only describes something on the most basic level. Our brains seek elaboration because as people, we always want to characterize things to the fullest. Thus, CONNOTATION becomes relevant. While the denotation of each set of items might be exactly the same, their connotations, the feelings we associate with each of the items, is completely different. The butterfly, ferrari, and top house all give off feelings of success, beauty, and wealth and therefore their connotations are positive. On the other hand, the moth, old car, and broken down home all give off feelings of ruin, so their connotations are negative.
We also discussed the significance of paradoxes in George Orwell’s writing. Phrases such as War is Peace, Ignorance is Strength, and Freedom is Slavery are the most apparent paradoxes in 1984 as they clearly call 2 contrasting ideas identical. However, a less apparent paradox is Winston’s name. Winston’s full name is Winston Smith; his first name comes from the late British politician, Winston Churchill, whom Orwell greatly admired because of his distrust of the soviets and his ability to keep spirits high in Great Britain during the darkest periods of the war. Winston’s last name, however, is extremely common; this mundane last name is meant to emphasize the point that some pieces of Winston’s character, such as his questioning of authority and deep thinking, should be evident in all people.
Student Reflection:
Today we learned the relationship between connotation and denotation, and how the 2 ideas are more interlinked than I previously had known. The application of these ideas is that they were used to develop the contradictory statements put out as propaganda by the party in 1984. The reason for learning about all this was to better understand what exactly was meant by phrases such as “War is Peace” or “Ignorance is Strength”. Going forward I will use my knowledge of connotation, denotation, and paradoxes to better analyze irony present in both books, or even real world news sources.
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