Kendi Wang PD 7
6/8/20
Sophomores 2020
Blogger #67
Aim: How is connotation, denotation and paradox explicated through Orwell’s “doublethink”?
Do Now: Analyze the images below. Record the feelings you have/associate/identify with each of the “6” images.
We then discussed how the top images show denotation and the bottom images shows connotation
Denotation: literal meaning of a word, the “dictionary definition.”
Connotation: associations that are connected to a certain word or the emotional suggestions related to that word; i.e, feelings.
The words in green are the denotative meaning and the words in purple are the connotative meaning.
Note: Think of “denote” as the “dictionary,” and “connote” as “feels.” or “emotions.”
If you could choose, which would you prefer: Assertive of Pushy? Our class chose assertive because it shows a person who’s outgoing, but pushy describes someone who is annoying and disliked by others. Although both have similar meanings, the connotation of the words differ.
Paradox: a statement that contradicts itself
Some examples of paradox that we discussed are:
“War is peace.”
“Freedom is slavery.”
“Ignorance is strength.”
(George Orwell, 1984)
These are examples of “doublethink”/paradox throughout the novel, where the party uses these slogans to promote the greatness of the government and manipulate the truth.
“All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”
George Orwell
“Fair is foul and fouls is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air.” (Macbeth, Act I- Scene I, 12-13)
“What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young.” –George Bernard Shaw
Our class also came up with another example, which follows:
An image with the words “Do not read this image”
This is a paradox because without reading the image, you won't know not to read the image.
Then we watched another paradox example, Sarah's Certain death Riddle, which can be found in the link below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dgmgub8mHw&feature=youtu.be
Class Discussion:
Consider all of the emphasis we have been placing on “Doublethink.”
Do you believe that George Orwell would think we were crazy or just wasting a great deal of time focusing on this topic?
Why/Why Not?
Our class mostly answered no. We believe that George Orwell would think it’s important for us to understand “doublethink” because it’s one of the main themes in the novel. It’s how the party controls and manipulates the residents of Oceania, and George Orwell would most likely want us to understand the importance of “doublethink” and how it relates the development of the story. It is also important to recognize signs of such manipulation in real life.
Aim 2: How can we analyze the symbolism in Winston Smith’s name?
TURN AND TALK:
Why did Orwell name his protagonist partially after him? How do they compare (Winston Churchill and Winston Smith)?
The protagonist of 1984, Winston Smith, was modeled off Winston Churchill, who was the prime minister of Britain during WWII. He was strongly against communism, like how Winston in the novel strongly resists the party’s control. They both share similar goals and thinking.
GROUP WORK:
1) After analyzing the symbolism of “Winston,” what deductions can you make about “Smith”? Why these names together?
Smith is a very common English name, so Orwell is trying to portray Winston as an ordinary person. Together with the name Winston, the author is spreading the message that anyone is capable of resisting a party’s oppression. You don’t have to be anyone special or of high power, you can just be an ordinary person.
2) What is Orwell’s message to the reader by creating the character of Winston?
By creating the character Winston, Orwell wants to inspire people to stand up and take action as everyone is capable of resistance.
Reflection:
I learned how connotations, denotations, and paradox are used, especially in 1984’s concept of “doublethink. Denotation represents the literal definition of a word, while connotations represents the emotional association with the word. Paradoxes are contradictory statements, in which we see often in literature, such as the examples in “Animal farm” and “1984”. By using these literary techniques to craft the concept of “doublethink” in the novel, it is important for us to understand and distinguish between connotation, denotation, and paradox. In 1984, the party used “doublethink” to manipulate the public and twist truth in a way that glorifies the government. It is important to understand “doublethink” in order to understand the society established in 1984 and many of the themes prevalent in the novel. In addition, understanding this topic is also important and applicable in real life situations, where we can use what we learn to analyze different texts and look at situations in a different perspective.
Currently in our community, protests and demonstrations have been occurring across our country in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Many people are angered by the discrimination faced by the black community, especially after witnessing the police brutality in the death of George Floyd. As of recent, New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, signed a police reform bill which outlaws the use of police chokeholds. Although chokeholds were already prohibited by the NYPD since 1993 because of the series of choking deaths, the new law would make it a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison. With the mass protests going on, coronavirus cases are also spiking, bringing the total number of cases in the U.S. to around 200 thousand. However, many states have no interest in bringing back restrictive quarantine orders. This can be very dangerous as more and more people are returning to work and the virus is still prevalent.
Working from home had gotten easier as I got used to it and learned how to organize my time into what's most efficient for me. The workload was manageable and I was able to keep up with the lessons. Right now, there is a lot less talk of coronavirus and many more people are starting to go outside. School is also ending and I’ve been going outside occasionally to take walks around the neighborhood.
No comments:
Post a Comment