Aim:
How do the historical allusions and connections in 1984 contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole?
Do Now: Turn and Talk
Why do new and different ideas often provoke fear?
My response: New and different ideas often provoke fear because those who are used to the events in their daily lives feel lost/out of control once an unknown aspect disrupts their routine. Hence, this change is regarded as a threat to those who aren’t as accepting to new ideas.
Max M.: They’re used to their everyday society and don’t want things to change.
Malak: Anything outside their normal lives are deemed scary. For example, moving into a different house would mean new friends and a new lifestyle.
Peterson then discussed the Fear of the Unknown, which is shown in previous literatures, such as, Lord of the Flies & Harrison Bergeron.
Is Julia good for Winston???
My response: I believe that she’s not harming him in any way, yet I believe their relationship is foreshadowing their betrayal or fall.
Julia H.: He seems happier. The ulcer disappeared once they hanged out more and he didn’t drink as much.
Allusions:
Allusions: “Is a brief and indirect reference within a literary work to a historical, literary,or biblical character, place or event, which is NOT explained.”
Types of Allusions:
Biblical: referring to the Bible or a religious work
Classical: referring to Classical Literature
Literary: referring to another literary work
Historical: referring to an event in history
Examples:
Family Guy’s allusion of “The Sound of Music”
Simpsons’ allusion of “The Persistence of Memory” & “Star Wars”
Allusion in 1984
After given such examples, the class discussed about Orwell’s usage of allusions throughout the book
Proles:
Proletariat/Working Class
Ingsoc’s social class system [English Socialism – as originated by Goldstein and Big Brother]:
Upper portion of the class system= Aristocrats
Winston’s working class= Middle class
Proles= Bottom class
Nazi’s social structure
Big Brother:
Control
Upper class
Dictatorship (Hitler & Stalin)
Emmanuel Goldstein:
Leon Trotsky
Jews
Escape
The Telescreens:
Propaganda
Totalitarian government’s abuse of technology
Junior Spies:
Youth indoctrinated to be secret police (Hitler Youth)
Jones, Aaronson, and Rutherford:
Enemies of the government (Leon Trotsky)
Importance of today’s lessons & How I can use it:
The reason why we’ve been educated on allusions is due to how frequent allusions are found in the everyday media and pop culture. This is previously shown in television shows such as Family Guy and The Simpsons. Such allusions can also be found in multiple other shows, books, or songs. The commonality of allusions shows how significant it is to daily life and how it can add a comedic relief visually or by communication.
Blog Content
Write about your thoughts regarding the reading.
I had this thought in my mind for a while now and it’s been partially discussed in the lessons we’ve had, but why can’t they rebel. A leader is only in power if all their subjects have coincided with them and Big Brother isn’t an exception. It’s shown in 1984 that Winston doesn’t fully accept Big Brother’s control of society and it's found that he’s not the only one, with the appearance of Julia. Hence, we can conclude that there are at least a handful of people, who’d like to rebel against Big Brother. Remember that Proles make up most of the population in 1984 and with the condition differences between the Upper Class and Proles, they have no reason to not rebel. While this was brought up in the classroom, Ms. Peterson made the comparison to this to the Jews in the concentration camps and how they didn’t fight back. I’d say her comparison doesn’t work here considering that the main difference between the Jews and Proles is that the Proles are necessary for the progression of their society. Jews, on the other hand, weren’t necessary and were only seen as enemies to the Germans and since the Jews didn’t hinder the advancement of the Nazis, they would care less than to kill them cold-blooded. A better comparison to the Proles rebelling would be the French Revolution, WHICH ACTUALLY WORKED. The Proles & Middle Class would represent the 3rd Estate, which like the Proles make up the majority of the population. The reasons for rebelling are also quite similar, which is the unfair conditions they encounter. The similarities between both scenarios are so keen that if the Proles actually rebel, it would be history repeating itself. And yet, they don’t or “can’t”.
What are the updates around the world/community regarding the virus?
As of now, cases for the Covid-19 virus have skyrocketed to the millions, (2.09 million to be exact), alongside with the amount of deaths (116k). By now, it’s expected to stay in quarantine for the safety of your health unless it's absolutely necessary. Nevertheless, wearing protection while exiting your house is essential. Recently though, NYC and other places have allowed for building sites to reopen and many believe that this would lead to the second wave of Covid-19 cases.
Your own personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now.
From recent events, the main subject that the media has been focusing alongside Covid-19 are the BLM Protests, which I fully support. To think that the discrimination of color is still happening is honestly nonsensical. We’ve had decades to fix this problem, yet it seems to still be an issue in recent years. Although I support this movement, there are quite some complaints I have with such events. Complaint #1: Riots. To be frank, I don’t quite understand riots. The purpose for these protests are to create awareness and rebel against police brutality, yet they, themselves, are endorsing in violence in their riots. Not only does this go against what they believe, but also they’re making themselves look bad by giving a reason for police to see them as a threat and eventually repeating the cycle of hate. Peaceful protests are as effective or even more effective than a violent one. A perfect example of this is Gandhi's non-violent rebellion in the 1900’s, which led to successful results in the end. The reason for this is because of how the world will interpret this. People being arrested/killed for non-violent protests are much more supported than those who use force and brutality. Complaint #2: Safety. I understand the immediate necessity for these protests, yet the existence of Covid-19 still bothers me. As much as protests are important, so are the protestors’ health. A mask and gloves can only do so much for you and there comes a high risk when entering a well-populated area, such as these protests. In spite of everything, I do hope that this situation gets fixed quickly and that everything goes for the better.
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