The Only Things That Matter: 1984 ’s First Third

1. The Only Things That Matter: 1984’s First Third Feraco Search for Human Potential 31 March 2009

2. Life in Hell or London • From the instant the clocks strike thirteen, we know this book is going to be trouble • Either the laws of time have been screwed up somehow, or the society we’re about to study has been permanently militarized • We suspect it’s the latter when Winston enters “Victory” mansions • We also get an immediate contrast between the Party’s loudly-proclaimed and shining ideals and the harsh realities of Winston’s life • Contrast the perfect poster of Big Brother with the cabbage smell and broken lift

3. No Place to Be • Winston lives in a “dystopia” • Utopia = combination of two Greek words • Alternately means “good place” or “no place” • The impossibility of the realized dream is built into the word’s roots • Definition: A place, state, or condition that is ideally perfect with respect to politics, laws, customs, and conditions. • Most “dystopia” material from NCTE

4. An Exaggeration That’s Believed • Dystopia, on the other hand, means “bad place” • Definition: A futuristic, imagined universe in which oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society are maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, technological, moral, or totalitarian control. • Authors invent dystopias in order to criticize a a current trend, societal norm, or political system • Remember – Orwell knows this is a worst-case scenario

5. Overwhelmed and Overburdened • That said, he does a really, really good job of making sure we believe it • The sheer amount of detail he uses is staggering, and erase any doubts we have about the world’s authenticity • It’s an incredible triumph of the imagination, but the resulting darkness can be overwhelming at first • When Winston starts writing, he’s not just scared, but lost – he doesn’t know who will read it (although he figures it’ll be the Thought Police), he can’t be sure he knows the date, and he can’t be sure that the mere act of writing in the diary won’t be enough to justify his vaporization

6. The Perversion of Our Humanity • When the words do start pouring out, however, it’s a guttural expression of damaged humanity • You can’t tell if Winston’s horrified by the sights he describes, and neither can he • The Party remains in power, in large part, by damaging every aspect of humanity – our ability to long for something or someone, our desire to create and behave independently, and so on – until they can repurpose that energy for negative purposes. • We understand how they do it – but why?

7. Dystopia! • Some characteristics of dystopias: • Propaganda is used to control the citizens of society • Information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted • A figurehead or concept is worshipped by the citizens of the society • Citizens are perceived to be under constant surveillance • Citizens have a fear of the outside world • Citizens live in a dehumanized state • The natural world is banished and distrusted • Citizens conform to uniform expectations • Individuality and dissent are bad • The society is an illusion of a perfect utopian world • How many of these apply to 1984, and how?

8. Take Back Control • We see a combination of three types of dystopian “controls” in 1984 • Bureaucratic control: Society is controlled by a mindless bureaucracy through a tangle of red tape, relentless regulations, and incompetent government officials • Technological control: Society is controlled by technology—through computers, robots, and/or scientific means • Philosophical/religious control: Society is controlled by philosophical or religious ideology often enforced through a dictatorship or theocratic government • For that matter, Winston meets the qualifications of a dystopian protagonist • He questions the existing social and political systems • He believes or feels that something is terribly wrong with the society in which he lives • He helps the audience recognizes the negative aspects of the dystopian world through his perspective

9. And Now for the Deconstructions • The first chapter: • Establishes Winston as a viable protagonist • The world overwhelms us, so give us someone similarly powerless • Shows us the contrast between ideology and reality • Teaches us to appreciate beauty in small bursts while moving us into a “hunkered-down” mindset • Lays out a raw-nerved emotional landscape • Gives us glimpses of daily life – both the routines (Two Minutes’ Hate) and social conventions • We see who thrives – and the dangers that threaten survival • Outlines Winston’s first real risk • Foreshadows a ridiculous amount of the book’s final chapters

10. The Philosophical Battles We Lose • The second chapter is comparatively mundane – but, as usual, the plot’s merely supporting everything else • So much of this book takes place in Winston’s head that I, as a reader, get startled when the action takes place externally • It’s not like the book is ever boring, or that the story isn’t fascinating • But the reason I love this book is because of its observations regarding humanity and philosophy • Orwell presents Winston with several tough choices, and I’m not sure I could always make the right ones were I in his shoes

11. What We Create • The second chapter • Establishes some more social structure – youth organizations, family systems, and so on – as well as explaining more about thoughtcrime, slogans, etc. • Includes devastating social commentary – our desire to “re-savage” our young in order to mold them into ideal citizen/soldiers comes back to destroy us, because children can’t be trusted • The hatred displayed by the Parsons children crystallizes Orwell’s feelings regarding the demonization of foes • Winston is “already dead” – when better to start living than now?

12. What Dreams May Come • The third chapter • Gives us hints of Winston’s past • The “dream” will eventually reveal a great deal about what Winston won’t acknowledge • It’s our first real hint of pre-Revolution life’s actual nature • Further examines the Ingsoc dystopia, deconstructing the methods used to keep the populace in check • Helps reinforce the “dehumanization” motif that’s present in everything the party does

13. Down the Memory Hole • The fourth chapter • Gives us a more well-rounded picture of Winston’s purpose, and fills in the “sketch” we’ve formed of him through the first three chapters • Helps us understand what the Ministries do (or at least hints at their true purposes) • Shows exactly how history can be “written” rather than recorded • Reveals a great deal about the Party’s “psychological profile” – its pathological need to be flawless, its all-consuming and unceasing hungers, its blatant contradictions and inefficiencies, and its need to dominate

14. Thoughtcrime Will Be Impossible… • The fifth chapter • We meet Syme and Parsons, which gives us a spectrum-wide view of the people the Party controls • We begin to really understand Newspeak’s nefarious nature • Winston continues ruminating on the bizarre reality of Oceanian existence – the false faces they wear and the false stats they swallow • We start seeing hints about how life was before the Revolution • The girl is back…

15. How Seldom He Thought of Her • The sixth chapter • Provides with more insight into Winston’s psychological profile • We’ve wondered why he seems so obsessed with sex and love; now we understand why he’s deeply lonely • Paints an explicit picture of the way the Party has twisted human instinct, particularly when it comes to love and sexuality • Still more confusion about why the Party actually bothers to do all of this • Katharine’s not dead, but she’s not here

16. They Could Never Shout Like That About Anything That Mattered • The seventh chapter • Gives us more information about the proles, who have received cursory mentions previously • Also goes back into life before the Revolution • The chapter – along with the next one – is one of the most important in terms of foreshadowing • Everything from the song playing in the Chestnut Tree Café to Winston’s quotes – “I understand HOW…” – is incredibly critical, and should not be forgotten or passed over

17. It’s a Beautiful Thing • The eighth chapter • Takes us into the Prole village, and all of its weird quirks – its exposure to war, its lottery and trivial concerns, its connection to a past that obsesses Winston but seems unimportant to them • Essentially allows Winston to try his hand at time-traveling • Some attempts are less successful (Old Prole Man) than others (Charrington’s shop) • Winston also finds the paperweight, an important symbol of a lost heritage – one last piece of beauty in an ugly world

18. That’s All for Today! • More details available courtesy of your Army of Experts! • Prepare yourselves for war…