How is power exerted in the book "1984" by George Orwell, and how do the characters react?
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Is this a class assignment? Have you read the book?
Yes, Anddd yes! But it’s sooo boring. I can answer the rest of the questions on the assignment. Just not this one.
@Pied_Pfeffer is asking because simply answering homework is frowned upon here.
People might help guide you, though. If you have questions about specific characters, for example. Or make a try at the answer, you could get some helpful opinions on your approach.
In a distinctly Orwellian manner.
We have all done our homework here. Or bullied someone else into doing it. Perhaps that’s an idea with some ironic appeal?
@jaytkay Okay, I understand. So what my brain is storming up is that… To me, Power is like control. Having control, and how much control you have, is how much power you have. And, Big brother (Who is big brotherr??!?) Has control?.. It’s exerted in 1984 because he has control and it’s from Winstons point of view. A long with Julia. And they go against big brother. So the main characters fight against who has power, because they think it’s unjust? But I don’t get it because It asks just how they react to power. Not to who has power.
*sigh… 1984 is a fucking awesome book. I first read it when I was 9 and I thought it was the shit even then.
Technically we aren’t supposed to explicitly answer homework questions here. It’s against the rules to directly ask for answers In that case, I’m going to kind of guide you in the right direction.
You say you’ve read the book, even though you think it’s boring, right? So that means you at least have some understanding of the plot, setting, and characters, am I correct?
Okay then, think about details of the setting and certain things that are mentioned over and over again, like the telescreens. It seems as though the Party likes to keep a close eye on everyone? I wonder why that is? Do you think it may have something to do with control of the populous? This culture of surveillance serves both an active and passive purpose in the society of Airstrip One. For one, it generates a culture of fear… the fear of constantly being scrutinized by the ubiquitous telescreens a fear that is reinforced through propaganda and the ever watchful eyes of Big Brother. This is the passive effect, but the telescreens are also used as a tool to round up potential dissenters… This reinforces the passive effects of generating fear a fearful society is unlikely to rebel.
Think about the manipulation of language. Why do you think the Party is so interested in simplifying the English language? What do you think that has to do with maintaining control (i.e. power) over people? Do you think everything I am telling you right now would have the same impact if I wrote it in Newspeak? Would it have the same meaning? Think about that for a minute and apply it to the context of the story, as well as to the fact that the Party is also interested in re-writing the history books in Newspeak. Why do you think this is?
I’m not going to wax poetic about the characters’ reactions to this, because that’s the easy part.
Plagiarize anything I have said and I will burn down your village and relish in the lamentations of your women.
No problemo. Message me or ask in this thread if you have any specific questions.
And don’t say populous when you mean populace. But otherwise, “what he said”.
Let me step in here for a minute and ask a question of you, @jenhuntsketchupp, related to the book:
Why do people lie? Why do you think they do that, ever? How do people gain from lying?
Afraid of getting caught, or in trouble. Fear mostly. Uhm, They might gain popularity, ...?
@WasCy whoops, my bad.
@jenhuntsketchupp well, yeah, the Party is. But do you see what I’m saying about controlling language? Let me put it simply: if you can’t communicate in depth and detail, it’s harder to rile people up, and it’s therefore harder to rebel. Thought is based on language, so if you constrain language, you constrain thought, and thus you control people. Newspeak is a method of controlling the language of potential rebels and thus a way that power is exerted. See what I’m saying?
@jenhuntsketchupp
Think that through some more though. You say “fear of getting into trouble”. Okay, fair enough. But how does the lying prevent them from getting into trouble? How does a lie make a person appear to be more attractive to someone? More popular?
What’s the mechanism (in the person who is lied to) that makes lies work sometimes?
@jenhuntsketchupp you are starting a literary conversation!
You mentioned Winston and Julia are fighting Big Brother (or more accurately, they are fighting the oppressive government represented by Big Brother).
How are they stopped or slowed down? What actually happens when they try to break the rules?
@WasCy I am extremly bad at explaining things. And finding words to say what I want to.
The lying prevents then from getting in trouble… like say, a little kid did something they know they shouldn’t. Like draws on the wall. And the parent comes in and asks who did it. The kid denys doing it in fear of getting in trouble. A person could lie about previous experiences, about themselves, wishing they were something they weren’t to make themselves seem “Cooler” to the other person. Like one time, When I was in 6th grade. My friend told everyone that Jennifer Lopez was her cousin. Which of course, wasn’t true. But she wanted attention, and she wanted to be liked.
@jaytkay Well they get away with it for a while. Like him writing in his journel, and the two meeting. Then they eventually get caught, taken away, and basically totured. untill they are in the “Right” Mind set.
You’re on the right track. It’s important to understand why the Party is lying. If you remember O’Brien talking to Winston during his tenure in the Ministry of Love, he tells Winston that what you perceive to be real is real. If the Party held this belief, why would it be so important to them to make themselves seem omnipotent?
Okay, @jenhuntsketchupp. What if I could convince you through various lies that I’m Bill Gates, that I really like you and that I want to give you money and do good things for you and your family.
Those lies might make me sort of popular, right?
How about if it wasn’t just me spreading those lies but friends, relatives and other people that you know, too: “Hey, this @WasCy guy is really Bill Gates, and he’s giving us all money.” Does it make me more popular or less popular in your view?
Now, since this is just a hypothetical, I’m telling you that is a lie (so you know the truth, for the purpose of this exercise – I can barely rub two nickels together). But your friends all think I’m Bill Gates, and if I hadn’t told you the truth, you could believe that, too.
What’s happening to your perception of reality as you believe more and more of my lie? Who’s got control of your reality? Your entire life, if you continue to believe the lies?
“How many lies have you believed today?” What a great essay that would make.
I can’t add much to what @Fiddle_Playing_Creole_Bastard has said but I will add this: Don’t try to judge this book right now. Keep it in the back of your mind and read it again when you’re older. I liked the book when I was a teen but I love it now. I was an idealist when I was younger and this book ground against that in way that was uncomfortable. I’m a realist now and appreciate the ending much more.
I will NEVER go into politics. One reason I’m not into the book. Just not my thing. At all. Well Now that I’ve got this stupid assignement done. I’m headed to bed at almost midnight, to get up at 5:30 for my last day of school. Then head to South Dakota. Thank you everyone SO much (:
You’re welcome. May the force be with you.
You’re welcome, future victim.
Don’t forget, you heard it here first.
I refuse to help @jenhuntsketchupp – not because it’s a homework question but because he called one of the greatest books of all time boooooring. And for using multiple O’s.
I must say that you jellies were awesome and this has been one of my favourite threads in a long time.
Now I’m sad for the future of our race. Boring indeed.
@zen I was just glad to hear that the OP read the whole book and that a teacher gave it as an assignment.
1984. One year before I was born, but somehow Big Brother lost all of his power before 1985 when I was born!! He(they) must have been (a) worse leader(s) than George Bush! lol
In all seriousness, wonderful read. I can’t understand how anyone could say they don’t enjoy it. Political intrigue, fear, mystery, slight action, romance, science-fiction! What’s not to love?
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