Sophomores 2020
Aim: How are the readers of 1984 warned about the power of manipulation?
Notes/Discussion:
DO NOW: Winston 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?
This question seems to create mixed opinions in the class. Some believed that you can alter your own feelings because sometimes you believe what you want to believe, and choose to ignore the truth. On the other hand, some of the class believed that feelings could not be altered, because your feelings are your feelings, and they will always exist subconsciously within you. - Can someone else alter another person’s innermost feelings?
Similarly, the class seemed to be divided on this question as well. I believe that people can alter another person’s innermost feelings, which is clearly shown in 1984. Orwell is warning us exactly of this, people can take our basic rights away, and use manipulation to change everything we believed in previously. Other people in the class believed that your innermost feelings could never be changed, since they will always exist within you.
Team Work:
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.
One question that somebody asked that stood out to me was if we were ever going to see Big Brother. This was something that I had also been wondering from the moment we were introduced to him, since his all-powerful yet secretive nature makes the reader curious. After discussion the class came to the conclusion that there most likely is no Big Brother, and that it is just a tactic employed by the Party to keep it’s people in line. Another question that was asked was if the events from the book could ever happen in today’s age. 1984 was written to warn us in the future about our freedom’s, and so although the exact events in the book could not be possible in today’s age, some aspects are definitely possible. One question that I had was if the people that are seemingly loyal to the Part are secretly against it, and are just too afraid to speak up. It seems hard to believe that all of these adults who didn’t even grow up with the party are seemingly completely loyal to their ideals and practices.
Quick Write and Class Discussion:
We were asked to describe what we did last Friday morning, and many people found this to be difficult. This is because as days pass and we find ourselves doing basically the same thing every day, we forget stuff and everything blends together. This illustrates just how easy our memory can be manipulated and taken advantage of to pertain to a certain agenda, such as the Party. When you don’t remember something happening, you are going to be much quicker to believe what the party is telling you happened.
Blog Content:
What have I learned in my online english lessons?
Throughout bothe books we have read through our online learning period, a common theme has been thoughts and memories. A common thing that we don’t really appreciate or even realize that it can just be taken away from us. In both Animal Farm and 1984, a higher power takes away free thought, and manipulates the memories of the people in order to keep control and authority. You would never think that your own thoughts and memories can be changed and your whole existence rewired, but these books show that is possible. Although Animal Farm is a satire and 1984 is an extreme dystopia, both connect to our evolving modern world and themes of governmental control that could very well happen. It is important to always be aware of what is happening around us, and to speak up before it is too late.
What is it like working from home?
Although the situation is not ideal, I have become accustomed to working from my room over the last 3 months or so. I have developed a routine, and stuck to it, and I have done a good job of keeping organized with my work and not procrastinating too much. Even though I would much rather be going to normal school there are some benefits to online learning that would not be possible otherwise, such as getting 1 or 2 more hours of sleep everyday depending on when I fall asleep, and I find it to be much easier to learn new material from home. Although there is no face to face connection with the teacher, the huge collection of online resources easily accessed make learning easy at home.
Virus Updates
It seems like the commotion around the virus is slowing down, and very gradually things are returning to normal. I’m still stuck in my house, but it seems like a return to reality will be possible soon. I think it is still important that we remained quarantined for the time being, and that we don’t forget about the virus, which could be very easy. It is better to be safe than sorry, especially with a global pandemic.
Reflection:
Through today’s class discussion and reading, I have learned about how important your thoughts are, and about how easy it is to manipulate someone’s memories. Like I said previously, you would never think that someone can change your memories, but through 1984 and our discussion I can see just how possible it is. It is important to understand this because in order to prevent it from happening, you have to be observant of your situation and aware of your freedom’s. Through the citizens of Oceania we see how easy it is to manipulate the thoughts, actions, and memories of people to change their entire existence, and it is important we don’t let it happen to us. I will use this information to stay aware of what is happening around me and to not believe everything I see, such as in the media.
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