1984 July 20, page 69 Q1

“If there is hope [wrote Winston] it lies in the proles.”

The lower class proles make up most of the population in 1984. Winston’s hope for a rebellion within the Party is unpromising. The power hungry Inner Party and brain washed Outer Party will never rebel. Winston’s only prospect for rebellion is the proles. This lower class group is given the minimum of what they need and left alone, as long as they behave. Their ignorance of the Party’s control keeps them from taking any action.

1984 Population Chart
http://www.netcharles.com/orwell/pics/1984/1984-social-classes.gif

Coral Paperweight July 20, pages 69-97 RR3

An antique shop in London, the city of the proles, became an outlet for Winston. George Orwell creates this shop to allow Winston to exercise his small feats of rebellion. At the start of the novel, Winston begins writing in a diary, a crime worthy of harsh punishment. Winston bought this diary at the antique shop. On a walk after work, he finds himself back in front of the shop. The proprietor of the shop becomes a source of information for Winston. A small trinket Winston finds becomes a symbol of the past. It is a glass paperweight, and what Winston likes most about it is that it has no real purpose. The coral in the paperweight is a representation of the undemanding, leisurely past, protected by the thick glass. Mr. Charrington, the proprietor, inquires if Winston would like to rent the room above the store. The author offers this opportunity to Winston as the ultimate form of rebellion, to have a private life of his own. Everything in that room provides a window into the world that Winston has always desired.

Glass Paperweight http://cdn1.ioffer.com/img/1118300400/_i/7081598/1.jpg

Meeting Winston July 18, pages 37-69 RR2

Winston Smith’s job in the Records Department at the Ministry of Truth represents the mental control the Party has over the public. The main purpose of the Records Department is to change any past document so that the information reflects where the government stands at that particular time. George Orwell has Winston work in the Records Department as an ironic scenario. Since documents can be distorted, the government can orchestrate facts and brain wash its people. The irony is that Winston works to create the very control he loathes. In addition, the author uses the Ministry of Plenty as a tool to demonstrate the mental control the Party has. The Ministry of Plenty puts out a forecast for the goods that are going to be produced, and then after all products are completed the forecast is changed by the Records Department to make the claim that the quota had been overfilled. Orwell creates this situation to illustrate that the public has no way of telling if the Ministry of Plenty has made any goods at all. The Party can declare any quantity they want, but not have to validate their statement. They deceive the community into thinking whatever they like.

Dark Future July 16, pages1-37 RR1

George Orwell paints a picture of a dull and depressing future. He shows a world oppressed by three omnipotent governments. These governments control almost every aspect of their subjects’ lives. The public seems to be obedient to all of the unspoken and unwritten laws and regulations. No one questions the authority of these all powerful governments. The author uses these governments as an example to show readers the evils of fascism, socialism, and imperialism. Orwell’s youth in British ruled India led him to hate totalitarian governments and those that practiced imperialism. These feelings are reflected in his depictions of the future world. He shows a distraught Winston who despises the controlling nature of the Party. He does not know if he is alone in his thoughts of rebellion and silently searches for others who feel the same. Orwell uses Winston as an example of what he feels to be the indomitable human spirit. He felt the human spirit yearned for freedom and detested oppression.

1984 World Map http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/1984_Orwell_arrows.PNG