1984 Post 2

In 1984 Winston is still trying to figure out who he is, what has happened, and what is happening. In the world he lives in nobody has a good memory and nobody is supposed to think for themselves.  Winston has managed both.

Every day before work the people get up and stand in front of the T.V. to exercise.  They do exactly what the lady on the television does and she will yell at them if they don’t do what they are supposed to be doing.  They also have to look happy and look like they are trying. In the following excerpt you will see exactly how closely they are watched.  “Smith! Screamed the shrewish voice from the telescreen.  6079 Smith W! Yes, you!  Bend lower, please!  That’s better, comrade.  Now stand at ease, the whole squad, and watch me.”  As you can see Winston has to deal with this every day.  If I lived in this world I would get fed up with all the crap.  I feel for Winston because he is the only one who realizes how much lying and treachery is going on.  He is also the only one that I am aware of that remembers.

Winston is also working on finding himself.  He is constantly having dreams about his family, and in every dream he gets the surreal sense that they died so he could live.  If I were Winston I would feel horrible.  Yet, Winston isn’t quite sure what to feel because the government has warped his brain.  I always wonder if I was in that world, would I be able to keep my brain?  It seems almost all of the people haven’t.  Here is a brief moment from his dream that I believe is a happy memory “Suddenly he was standing on short springy turf, on a summer evening when the slanting rays of the sun gilded the ground.  The landscape that he was looking at recurred so often in his dreams that he was never fully certain whether or not he had seen it in the real world.”  Winston never knows what is real and what isn’t.  That is one of the scariest parts of this world.  You can tell that everyone is terrified, but nobody has the guts to do anything about it.  The real question is, will Winston?  Winston is starting to think against his government.  He has proof in his memories that they lie and twist the truth.  The government is so strong because they control your memories you past and your future.  In the world the Thought Police know everything and can erase you just as easily.  In Another dream that Winston has a girl takes off her clothes, and the part that interests him the most is that she has no concern over the thought police.  That is how overwhelmingly powerful they are.  I really hope that in this book Winston builds the courage to overthrow the ridiculousness of this government.  Overall, it is an okay story so far.  The End.