Blog #52 - Leslie Liu - Period 7 - 6/11/2020 - Sophomores 2020
Aim: How are the readers of 1984 warned about the power of manipulation?
Do Now: THINK/PAIR/SHARE
Winstons thinks, “They could not alter your feelings; for that matter, you could not alter them yourself, even if you wanted to.” Think about and discuss the nature of feelings and emotions.
Can you alter your own feelings by force of will? Why/Why not?
Our class had varying responses as some believed that by changing your perspective and your stance on a certain topic, you are to an extent, altering your feelings. On the other hand, some disagreed, by explaining how feelings flow naturally and cannot be forced. Personally, I agree with the opposition that you are unable to alter your feelings by force of will. However, I believe you can alter your perspective on subjects through education and additional knowledge. Yet, this is not necessarily “forcing yourself” to change the way you perceive things, rather you are understanding differing views. For example, if you are feeling down or upset, you may be able to conceal your feelings from others or create a distraction from those feelings, however, deep down, they still remain unchanged.
Can someone else alter another person’s innermost feelings?
Yes, someone else can alter another person’s innermost feelings, to a certain extent. For example, if you are in the same political party as someone else, you may convince them to change their views on a certain subject because they would have something to benefit from. In addition, words are very powerful in conveying a message and as a result, it has significant influence on other people as well. In a way, our innermost feelings are shaped by other people’s words, actions, etc. Referencing back to the example of sadness, another person may be able to lift your spirits by creating a distraction such as ordering your favorite food. This clearly illustrates how someone else can alter another person’s innermost feelings to a certain degree, as they can aid in temporarily suppressing those feelings.
Teamwork: Considered all that has transpired in the novel thus far. With your team, create “3” questions, and be prepared to share them with the other teams. The goal is to see if the teams can answer the questions your team created.
A question that arose in our class was “Why does Julia not seem to care for a rebellion even though she despises the Party just like Winston?”. One response stated how Julia wants to rebel in terms of sexual desire rather than rebelling against the Party for their beliefs. Additionally, Julia is much younger than Winston and so she is naive in terms of not fully understanding what and why to rebel. As a differing view from Winston, she does not believe that large-scale rebellion is even possible in their society, instead, she believes that rebellion can only occur in small increments. Another question that was asked is “How important is doublethink to the Party’s control of the people of Oceania?”. Doublethink is extremely important to the Party’s control because it allows them to control what the citizens hear and think, ultimately manipulating them to believe what the Party wants them to believe. Lastly, we discussed, “How does the Thought Police know what you are thinking? Is it simply a scare tactic or do they truly know what their citizens are thinking?”. Some insights included how the Thought Police assess through one’s actions and facial expressions. Furthermore, suspicious activity, such as Winston and Julia walking together, can cause the Thought Police to believe that one’s thoughts are deviating from what the Party wants. In my opinion, I believe it is simply a scare tactic because every citizen has their own thoughts and beliefs on the Party, regardless if they show it or not. While they may be seen as a devoted supporter of the Party, such as Julia, they are capable of concealing their innermost thoughts, making it practically impossible for the Thought Police to truly know what they're thinking.
Group Work: Evaluate the characters of Julia and Winston. Record Characteristics unique to each, then record characteristics that are shared. How is the author warning the readers about manipulation through the characters?
Quick Write: Record what you did last Friday morning.
First, I woke up at 7:50 A.M. Then I brushed my teeth and washed my face. Afterwards, I ate breakfast and got ready for class at 8:50 A.M. As shown in my response, I could barely recall specific details of what I did on Friday morning despite only a few days passing. Similarly, the majority of the class responded very vaguely, not being able to recall what happened even after the first class.
Whole Class Discussion:
Why was there such difficulty recording what happened?
There was such difficulty because we tend to not pay attention to our daily routines and it all sort of just blends and jumbles together.
Why is it so easy to forget what transpired, even though only a couple of days had passed?
When our mornings are routinized, we are unable to differentiate different days because it is all practically the same. Usually, we are only able to differentiate when something significant occurs or if we are feeling a certain way that day.
How can forgetting leave people vulnerable?
Forgetting can leave people vulnerable to manipulation because then they would rely and tend to believe other people’s views since they were unable to recall themselves. An example of this in 1984 is how the proles are unknowing of the existence before the Party’s control, leading them to increasingly rely on the Party. As a result, the Party is able to maintain and exercise their control over the citizens of Oceania, ensuring there is no rebellion to occur.
Reflection:
This lesson clearly illustrates the power of manipulation and how people can apply such concepts in legitimizing their rule. For example, in 1984, Big Brother is able to control the citizens of Oceania by manipulating their memories. The proles are unable to recall life before the Party and as a result, they are unable to determine if life has truly improved. And so, they rely on the Party for answers, not realizing they are being told lies. By doing so, the Party is able to prevent rebellion and instead establish a sense of devotion and loyalty among their citizens. In another example, Julia was incapable of remembering who they were fighting at war with, demonstrating to how significant of an extent the Party was able to manipulate their citizens. Similarly, in the quick write, students, including myself, were unable to remember what we did on Friday morning despite having only a few days passed. This shows how vulnerable we, as humans, are to manipulation. As a result, we should always question the world around us rather than simply accept what is being told. The reason being is because it is difficult to tell if someone is attempting to take advantage of your memory in order to make you believe what they want you to believe. By feeding into their desires and manipulation, you are setting yourself up for some sort of risk and danger you may not even know of. Therefore, it is extremely significant for people, especially the younger generation, to be aware and cautious of our surroundings.
Write about your thoughts regarding the reading:
In chapters 4 and 5, Winston rents the room above Mr. Charrington’s shop which he views as a safe space for him and Julia. They meet several times in this room, building on their relationship and bond with each other. Here, they find sanctuary in being able to reveal their thoughts on the Party, the past, etc. However, in these two chapters, the differences between Winston and Julia are distinctly revealed. While Winston opposes the Party and desires for rebellion as a whole, Julia enjoys rebelling against the Party’s ideologies for her own personal desires, such as sex. When Winston attempts to get Julia to understand how the Party is manipulating their citizens by rewriting history, she is not interested. This clearly demonstrates how they may both share hatred for the Party, Winston still is solely and genuinely determined for rebellion.
What is it like working from home?
Working from home is extremely different from working at school. As a result, I feel that such a change can be challenging in some ways as we are now unable to learn face to face. However, with this new set up, I’m able to get more sleep in and get ready for classes more efficiently. With the three day gap, I feel that I began to procrastinate way more often than I should, however, I still manage to submit my work on time. Furthermore, I have more time to focus on myself and my physical and mental health.
Your own personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now:
Recently with the deaths of many innocent African Americans by the hands of the police, I fully and genuinely support the Black Lives Movement. I believe that the color of your skin should not determine who you are as a person and no one should be discriminated for that matter. The fact that the police, people who vow to keep our citizens safe, are murdering unarmed African Americans is absolutely disgusting. I sympathize with their families and all those who have been discriminated against because truly, no one deserves to feel unsafe and in danger around those whose job is intended to make their citizens feel the opposite. As a result, I believe it is essential for every one of us to take part in the movement whether it is spreading awareness on social platforms or donating.
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