June 4, 2020
Jessica Hung Cen
Period 7
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: THINK/PAIR/SHARE
1. What are some of the “lies/stories” parents tell their children?
- When pets die, they go to a “farm”.
- The existence of the tooth fairy, Santa, the Easter Bunny, etc.
- The long trek some of our parents supposedly made in order to go to school - Example: “I had to walk three miles up a hill and cross a river every day just to go to school!”
- “When I was your age…” stories
Parents tell these stories, rather than the truth, because they want to protect us from harsher realities such as the concept of death in the case of dead pets. Other times, they may want us to be grateful for our current lifestyle by comparing it to their own, even if they often exaggerate the facts.
3. What might be a history “lie/story” a school has taught/told you?
A lie/story that school has taught us was that Christopher Columbus found America and was the first to step on this land. We know that that is not true, since there were already people living here prior to his arrival.
Another example of a lie taught in school:
The textbook says, “When the European settlers arrived, they needed land to live on. The First Nations people agreed to move to different areas to make room for the new settlements.”
The First Thanksgiving:
We compared the lie/story that we are taught about the Pilgrims and their relationship with the Native Americans to the real story. We are taught that Native Americans taught Pilgrims how to grow food and they celebrated the next harvest together, in what we now know as Thanksgiving. However, the real story tells of how European settlers wiped out Native American populations through diseases they introduced. The Pilgrims are believed to have chosen Cape Cod because they knew that the diseases dwindled down Indian numbers, thus leaving them weak. Furthermore, they attacked surviving Indians and even resorted to eating them (cannibalism).
- How was history manipulated in this story?
History was manipulated in this story by erasing the reality of the Indian population being wiped out through diseases introduced by the Europeans. It also erased the cruel actions of the Pilgrims which contributed to the deaths of Native Americans. Lastly, it fabricated a friendly relationship between the two parties, culminating in a national holiday that we still celebrate today, despite the history of it.
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?
In this quote, Winston illustrates the extent in which the Party has control over the people. He claims that they have the power to announce a false statement, which was that 2+2=5, and the people would believe it. This level of control and manipulation shows how the Party can affect all areas of life, up to the smallest subjects like simple addition. In my opinion, this is a very scary dystopia that Orwell illustrates. The thought of having a single entity so powerful that they can fabricate facts and erase truths to the point that the common person does not question them is concerning.
- 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 purpose for the reader to have as a takeaway is: don’t trust authority. It is a theme he has expressed throughout 1984 as well as Animal Farm. In 1984, the protagonist’s job is to fabricate stories and change the past by rewriting news articles from previous editions. By doing this, the actions of the Party can never be hypocritical, the Party will never be wrong and the Party will always be seen in a good light because every single thing they did or said can be changed simply by rewriting the news articles. In Animal Farm, we see how Napoleon and the other pigs frequently changed the rules written on the wall. When questioned about it, they claimed that the changed rule was always there; it was the original writing. Furthermore, Boxer was a tragic hero whose deadly flaw was his trust in his superior, illustrated in his motto, “Napoleon is always right.”
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.
Winston is correct because the proles are the only group of people who are not strictly monitored by the Party. Only they have enough freedom in order to plan a revolt. Furthermore, only the proles have elderly people in it who have memories of life before the revolution when the Party was not yet in power. Everyone who works for the Party is under a certain age and they have no memories of life before the revolution.
- 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. Are there specific actions or events that need to occur to guarantee success/failure? If so, what?
In order to succeed, the proles need a leader to gather them. In the novel, they are described as not being very intelligent. Therefore, they need a uniting force who can tell them what to do. Additionally, they need to have this revolution soon, before all the older proles die since they are the only link to the past.
Whole Class Discussion:
- What do you make of Winston (unconsciously) finding himself back at the very junk shop where he bought the diary?
Winston returns to the junk shop while he is seeking for answers of the past. I believe that the junk shop is a connection to the past because it contains many items that are no longer sold because they are deemed useless.
- Why does he appear to be so drawn to the paperweight?
Winston appears to be so drawn to the paperweight because he wants to be like the coral encased in the glass dome; he wants to be protected from the eyes of the Party.
- What are your opinions of the room, which has no telescreen?
The room with no telescreens seems like an important place because there, Winston feels like he is no longer watched by the Party. He can be himself and think what he wants.
- Why do you suppose he decides he will continue to return to the shop, despite the risks? Foreshadowing?
I believe Winston decides that he will return to the shop because he wants to continue finding the truth. The shop seems to be a symbol of his rebellion and it also contains the room without telescreens, where he feels safe. This shop may serve as a base for rebels in the future.
Reflection:
- What did I learn?
Through the discussions made concerning the novel, I learned the importance of critical thinking. A common theme that we’ve established is George Orwell’s message to not trust authority. In order to do this, it is crucial to obtain information from more than one source, especially if a source can possibly be bribed or manipulated to give out false information such as the newspapers in 1984.
- Why did I learn it?
I learned the importance of critical thinking in order to apply it to my life so I can form my own opinion regarding the situation around me. I believe that this skill is especially important in this time period because access to the Internet means that anyone can post false information. Thus, it is important for me to be able to gather information from multiple sources in order to form my own, unbiased opinion on certain topics. Recently, two controversial topics have emerged: Covid-19 and the BLM protests. Various sources have reported different facts and people on social media also posted their own opinions. Because of all this information, I must learn to question their validity.
- How will I use what I learned?
I will use what I learn in real life to question how accurate and truthful a source of information is. I need to be able to discern whether information is biased or not because it could possibly twist the facts. An example of how this skill is applied in real life is the recent BLM protests. The media and the police have portrayed themselves kneeling in solidarity with protesters. Meanwhile, the protesters claim that they only knelt for a picture before protesters were attacked with tear gas and rubber bullets. Furthermore, the names of these weapons, “tear gas” and “rubber bullet”, downplay how harmful they can be.
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