Connector

Section 1: Part 1 (chapters 1-5)
Beth Larmand

To the Essay Topics:

How does the quest for truth and justice shape the life and decisions of the protagonist? Is that his/her main concern or is there another motivation at work?

Winston lives in a government filled with lies, deceit, control and propaganda. During the Hate we see some of Winston’s views come to the surface and we can see a glimpse of his opinions and what he thinks. We learn that he does not agree with the Hate time each day, which he knows there must be or must have been a better way. We can see his lust for justice and equality for the people and the government at the same time, not a communistic controlling government. We can see his desire for this change in his inferences of the Brotherhood, that there are still people out there fighting against Big Brother. Also his impulsive conclusion that O’Brien must have the same opinions of him from the split second of eye contact they shared. This longing for impartiality is shown though his rebellious attitude. From hiding, owning, and writing in a book of his own opinions he is breaking the social standard made by Big Brother. You can see that this idea of freedoms is something Winston struggles with and is thinking about and considering. Orwell builds up the potential of this small idea that is just being planted in his mind is already blooming.

To the Other Literature Circle Novels:

A main theme that I found was in most of the novels that are being studied in class is control.

In A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini contains a father-daughter relationship where the father calls all the shots. The daughter is in awe of her father and she thinks that he is an amazing person who does everything for her. He comes to visit her and is a very happy man, or so he seems. She travels to his cinema, and he disregards her, in public he ignores her and he also forcers her to wear a burka. He controls all her decisions and keeps her isolated from the rest of society out in a rural area. Just like Nineteen Eighty-Four, there is a controlling figure that seems wonderful and there is lies and deceit of what life is like.

Brave New World written by Aldous Huxley also contains the theme of control. Babies are created in bottles and their ‘fate’ is picked out before they even are born. Each ‘child’ is given a special lever of smarts according to four categories, this occurs with many traits that can help or hinder a person. No one has a say in what they become and they must live with the decisions that the lab made for them and they must abide by the rules that are made. This is like Nineteen Eighty-Four because other people decide what is right and wrong and what is going to happen in the future, and the citizens have no say against this. Along with control, these books are similar because they target children ‘brainwash’. In Brave New World, the children that are saved for their hormones to create other life are made to do neurotic dances and games, this is to increase their hormones. By exploiting these children they are able to get into their brains, convince them that acting like this is normal and make the kids do what they want. In Nineteen Eighty-Four, children become something to fear from their parents. Big Brother gets to them in order to cleanse the final corrupt generation that may have been still alive during the ‘old times’. Because of the Spies, the children think that living loyal to Big Brother is a glamorous game, with songs, banners, hikes, drills with pretend rifles, and chants they are able to worship Big Brother. This made the children unbearable for parents, they could watch their parents night and day for anything that proved to be unorthodox. They became ungovernable but still loyal and with no urge to revolt against the Party. By brainwashing the children, this ensures a 100% loyal and dedicated generation to come.

Lastly, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury deals a lot with control. The idea to burn any books that may change the thinking of a person was no ok, this became the normal for society. There are a few people, her and there that try to revolt or have rebellious tendencies but they are taken care of fast. The government censored and control knowledge this way. Nineteen Eighty-Four had events that carried in much the same way. In the Appendix, it talks about Newspeak, how it was made, why it was made, how to speak it and what things occurred in it. In one of the final pages, we learn that the Party decided to censor novels, non-fiction writing and political writings. Many times when summarizing or translating the literature into Newspeak, idea could be summed up into one word. Once summarized then the literature is burned so no one can make ideas that go against the government or even think with brain power and not impulse.

To Other Literature:

Many dystopian books outline similar ideas, so when searching for connections I found that many books involve the basic ideas of control, demising the weak and rebels. I found this book similar to Divergent, in the way that the social pressures to be perfect is higher than rules. In Divergent, though there is the freedom to choose your own fraction, it is not always looked up on. Once you are in your fraction, you must perform how they act and stay in the cookie cutter mould of society. Much like Nineteen Eighty-Four, we can see that though there are not laws, the people are governed by the social powers that are made. If they step out of line there are consequence. I also connected this novel to The Maze Runner, in the way that they are constantly being watched. This made me think that if Big Brother or the police are always watching then would they not see the patterns of people who seem to revolt. Just like in The Maze Runner, would they not see variables of tendencies that would allow the Thought Police to take out blimps in their system?

Connecting the Language:

The Word Selected	Page and Quotation	Definition	Why I chose it/ What I want the group to know
Newspeak	Newspeak was the official language of Oceania and had been devised to meet the ideological needs of Ingsoc or English socialism… It was expected that Newspeak would have finally superseded Oldspeak…by about the year 2050… The purpose of Newspeak was not only to provide a medium of expression for the world view and mental habits proper to the devotees of Ingsoc but to make all other modes of thought impossible (Orwell 312)	Ambiguous euphemistic language used chiefly in political propaganda.	With the development of a new language that limits in a world where you do what is socially acceptable, I thought it was important for our group to be able to understand the definition and motive of the uses of this medium. There is a reference to the Appendix when this process is first mentioned, so I inferred that it would have an importance to the plot and story line. The novel also includes many words that are from this way of thinking/speaking so to understand what the language outlines and where the words are from.
Ingsoc	Down at street level another poster, turned at one corner, flapped fitfully in the wind alternately covering and uncovering the sing word INGSOC. (Orwell 4)	Political ideology of the totalitarian government.	This ideology was important to understand to see what political opinions the Party has, and what they follow. It was referred to many times and as we can tell, will continue to be thought and talked about.
Thoughtcrime	Thoughtcrime does not entail death: Thoughtcrime IS death. (Orwell 30)	Unorthodox or controversial thinking considered an offence or socially unacceptable.	Winston mentions that that there is no laws, just if you do things wrong then you die. This idea of law is supported by this statement that if you betray the Party or Big Brother then you are as good as dead. The idea of Thoughtcrime is important because it means that people have different views or opinions than those of the state. As a group we discussed that this way of government punishes those who do not agree, which is an important theme already in the novel.
Unorthodox(y)	Another year, or two, and they would be watching her night and day for symptoms of unorthodoxy (Orwell 26)	Contrary to what is usual, traditional or accepted.	Even though this is a commonly known word, I thought it was important to have a good understanding of the meaning in reference to this novel. This word is referred to many times in the first section and describes a crime punishable by death. This is not just the opposite of things like morals but is any regard of even thinking or actions in a way that is not encouraged by Big Brother.
Discounted	(‘Mrs’ was a word somewhat discounted by the party – you were supposed to call everyone ‘comrade’ – but with some women one used it instinctively.) (Orwell 22)	Refuse to approve	I thought this was an odd synonym of ‘disregarded’, so with a little bit of research, I picked this word to make sure it made sense in the sentence.
Periodicals	There were the armies of reference clerks whose job was simply to draw up lists of books and periodicals which were due to recall. (Orwell 45)	A publication that appears at a fixed intervals.	I defined this word to have a better understand of the noun used in this instance. There are references to the burning of literature from years past in the Appendix and that is what this noun is referring to, which helps us better understand the sentence.
Aloofness	There was something that he lacked: discretion, aloofness, a sort of saving stupidity. (Orwell 58)	A state of being distance, remote or withdrawn.	I defined this word to better understand what was going on in this moment.

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Section 2 (chapters 6-part 2)
Julia Loewen

To the Essay Topics:

I connected this part of the novel most to essay topic #5 (How does the quest for truth and justice shape the life and decisions of the protagonist? Is that his main concern or is there a different motivation at work?). Winston is searching to find the truth of what the world was like before the revolution, and believes the answer lies in the proles. He is willing to risk everything (including torture and death for thoughtcrime) to find this truth. His search causes him to go to a prole pub and try to ask an old man about when he would rather live- before the revolution or after? He also subconsciously walks back to the shop where he bought the diary, showing that even his subconscious is only motivated to find the truth. Both of these actions could easily result in his death if he was caught, but he cares more about his search for truth than even life itself.

To Other Literature Circle Novels:

I connected this novel to Fahrenheit 451 in the way that they both have a very controlling government that seems to have wiped the minds of the people so that none of them know what life was like before that government was in place. The main characters in both of the novels are starting to realize that life was not always like this, and that the government is not telling the truth to the people. In Brave New World, I connected the proles to the lives of the people of lower rank. In 1984, the proles are expected to accept their situation and be happy in it in the same way that everyone in Brave New World is expected to be happy with their position and rank, even if they are treated badly.

To Other Literature:

I connected this novel to Les Miserables, when he confesses to having sex with a prostitute even though she was an old woman. This reminds me of Fantine's desperation and made me relate the lives of the proles to the lives of the common people in Les Miserables. I also connected this to the Hunger Games, due to the controlling government that uses fear to control the people, and also the shop Winston goes to, to buy the diary reminds me of the black market where the Katniss goes to sell what she catches.

The Word Selected	Page and Quotation	Definition	Why I chose it/ What I want the group to know
Aquiline	"She had a bold, aquiline face" p.69	Having the characteristics of an eagle.	This helps describe Winston's wife (or ex-wife) Katharine.
Ermine	"the judges in their ermine robes" p.76	A weasel whose fur turns white in the winter.	Describes the riches and wealth of the judges.
Axiom	"he was setting forth an important axiom" p.84	An established, true statement or proposition.	This helps us realize how confident Winston is in his belief and statement that he makes in his diary.
Altercation	"two of the men were in a violent altercation" p.88	A noisy argument or dispute.	Describes what the two men were doing and why they were close to a physical fight
Sordid	"the sordid swarming life of the streets" p.88	Dirty, filthy or immoral.	Gives a better image of the lives of the proles.

Incongruous	"an even more incongruous possession" p.103	Out of place or inappropriate.	Gives the understanding that Winston should not have these objects, and could get caught for them.
Lassitude	"a deadly lassitude had taken hold of him" p.105	A state of physical or mental weariness.	Describes why Winston needed to get home at that moment.

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Section 3:Part 2  (Chapters 1-8)
Allyson

To the Essay Topics:

1. How does the society of the novel impact key relationships? How do characters deal with the society's pressures/values/responses? Can they overcome the obstacles to their personal decisions or fulfillment?

The society of the novel restricts all relationships to that of "comrade", a term applied to all and to mean that one is allied to you through your mutual love of Oceania; all other forms of intimacy are prohibited, and punishable by death, to which you are vaporized and become an "unperson". Because of this, love has become an unused emotion, and not important in family life, romantic relationships or friends. Winston Smith, the main character, deals with this inhibition by accepting the proposal his supporting character, Julia, makes, when she professed her love for him via secret note (more to gain attention while being concise, then anything else), which was a necessary means of communication, less she be caught and punished. Years in which emotions such as these have been bottled up result in a desperation felt by the characters, to which they are willing to risk their lives in order to escape the loneliness and repressed desire inside. They live day to day in anxiety, fearing of the Thought Police obtaining evidence of their illicit relationship, and yet accepting that death is inevitable, chances of escaping impossible to imagine, much less believe in. Unless The Party is overturned, they have no hope to get past this dire obstacle which impedes them from reaching a fulfilling relationship and dodging a painful death, which is unlikely to happen in their lifetime, much less the estimated time before they are captured.

To the Other Literature Circle Novels:

Brave New World: This novel, as well, tries to control relationships among its populace, so as to devalue love relationships. Curiously, however, they do this not by obliterating sexual relationships, but by instilling open polygamy within a sterile community. They both wish to achieve the same end, the abolition of love, but do so using different means; with Brave New World they use polygamy, with 1984, a platonic monogamy.

Also in this section they both speak of the need to leave society in order to feel anything, to be separate not only to show emotion, but also to experience it without the influence of their government.

Fahrenheit 451: In this society there is also the restriction of love within marriage, to which people become so detached from their partners as to barely speak to them at all, so immersed as they are in meaningless media, like 1984's society is with Hate Week, The Spies, and all other sorts of distractions.

To Other Literature:

Shakespeare: Pyramus and Thisbe  , as well as Romeo and Juliet both deal with lovers held apart by powers which restrict them, as well as the idea for a secret rendezvous in order to express their love, fragmented and of little time.

The Stormcaller: set in a medieval world in which the death of another, even a loved one, is a common occurrence, given the many battles one engages with, as well as the many treasons which transpire. 1984 also shows how readily one is to die, though the reasons are different.

Ishmael: both books tell of what the world is constructed of, how the world is run, though Ishmael's bases itself more in spirituality in concerns to culture, while 1984 looks at culture that is driven by politics.

 Connecting the Language:

The Word Selected	Page and Quotation	Definition	Why I chose it/ What I want the group to know
Farthings	“He walked slowly up to the north side of the square and got a sort of pale-coloured pleasure from identifying St. Martins church, whose bells, when it had bells, had chimed ‘You owe me three farthings.’” Pg. 120	A former monetary unit and coin of the UK, withdrawn in 1961, equal to a quarter of an old penny.	It was unknown to me when this monetary value had originated, or how much money it was comparable to, and so I thought the other members might have the same predicament and so chose to define it.
Instinct	“Not merely the love of one person, but the animal instinct, the simple undifferentiated desire: that was the force that would tear The Party to pieces.” Pg. 132	A way of behaving, thinking, or feeling that is not learned: a natural desire or tendency that makes you want to act in a particular way.	It pertains to the feeling Winston has regarding where his feelings to overthrow The Party originated from, and what is needed to overthrow it; it is the desire found in the human heart within that realizes that society is wrong, and unjust. It can also relate to how Winston and Julia came into contact; they knew each other only though brief glances in the work place, but were drawn to each other until they formed their current relationship, that of lovers.
Fragmentary	“When they met in the church tower the gaps in their fragmentary conversation were filled up.” Pg. 136	Consisting of small parts that are disconnected or incomplete.	Displaying the type of relationship Winston and Julia share, in which society restricts them so the only time spent with each other is in snippets of conversation, and they occasional hurried rendezvous.
Febrile	“Late at night, when crowds of rowdy proles roamed the streets, the town had a curiously febrile air.” Pg. 155	Having or showing the symptoms of a fever.	Represents the heated feeling the proles leak into the city as they let their emotions run free, unlike the Party members.
Rebellion	“Sometimes, too, they talked of engaging in active rebellion against The Party, but with no notion of how to take the first step.” Pg. 159	An act of violent or open resistance to an established government or ruler.	This is what they wish to engage in, what they conspire to try, but feel is impossible, restricted as they are by the dominating force of their government.
Spiritless	“When his father disappeared, his mother did not show any surprise or any violent grief, but a sudden change came over her. She seemed to have become completely spiritless.” Pg. 168	Without ardor, vigor, zeal, animation	Shows the acceptance already underway that it was common for people to disappear in their society. It also shows the admission Winston’s mother had to her own death, the knowledge that her demise was but around the corner.
Impregnable	“They could lay bare in the utmost detail everything that you had done or said or thought; but the inner heart, whose workings were mysterious even to yourself, remained impregnable.” Pg. 174	Unable to be captured or broken into.	Embodies the resilience of emotions, that despite The Party’s control on everything outside one’s self, the inside remains unchanged, that emotions will still dwell. It is the last resistance, something to keep within yourself, to remain yourself and separate from their ideals.

                                                                                                                                                                   

Section 4 (Chapter 8 to 10)
Evan

To The Essay Topics:

What is the role of minor characters in shaping the life and decisions of the protagonist?

In this section of the novel, Mr. Charrington, a minor character, has a huge role in shaping the lives of Winston and Julia. Winston thinks that Mr. Charrington is just a prole and a shopkeeper but it turns out that he is working for the thought police, and lied about the room in the back of his shop having no telescreen. He also has a huge role in Winston and Julia being caught and arrested by the Thought Police.

To The Other Literature Circle Novels:

I connected this section of the novel to Fahrenheit 451. In that novel, peoples houses are constantly being raided and burned down for having books. This reminded me of how Winston and Julia are ambushed in the Shop. 

To Other Literature:

I connected this section of the novel to "The Twelfth Imam" by Joel C. Rosenberg. In this novel there's an adaptation of the occupation in Tehran. The first section of The Twelfth Imam talks a lot about the riots and demonstrations in the street, this reminded me a lot of Hate Week and the demonstrations during the event.

Connecting the Language:

The Word Selected	Page and Quotation	Definition
Solar Plexus	Page: 232 “ One of the men had smashed his fist into Julia’s solar plexus”	A nerve plexus in the abdomen that is situated behind the stomach and in front of the aorta
Cockney	Page: 233  “The cockney accent had disappeared"	A native of East London
Oligarchies	Page: 223 “All past oligarchies have fallen from power…”	A small group of people having control over a country, organization or institution
Diminution	Page: 201 “And even technological progress only happens when its products can in someway be used for the diminution of human liberty”	A reduction in the size or importance of something.
Quasi-Instinctive	Page: 198 “It conflicted with the tendency towards mechanization which had become quasi-instinctive throughout almost the whole world”	Having some resemblance to naturally programmed behaviour
Drudgery	Page: 197 “…It was clear to all thinking people that the need for human drudgery…”	hard, monotonous, or tedious work.
Neolithic	Page: 192 “…and probably since the end of the Neolithic Age…”	Referencing or relating to the later part of the stone age.

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Section 5 (Part 3)
Katie

To The Essay Topics: 

I connected it to the first essay topic how the society in the novel impacts key relationships. The society in this novel at first impacts Winston and Julia's relationship forcing it to be secret and not really a love relationship. But later it affects Winston's and O'Brien's relationship, it shows how the party influences and gets people to trust them when in reality it's lies. Throughout this section O'Brien is his torturer but Winston sees him as his protector. It also connects to the last topic how truth and justice shape the life decisions of the protagonist. Winston's quest for truth leads him from having a normal in a sense good life to in the end being a drunk and not being happy mainly because during his quest for truth he becomes too trusting and ends up being taken away.

To Other Literature Circle Novels:

 In Fahrenheit 451 the main character was loyal to the burning of books and was the person that did it at first but later is forced to burn down his own house because he is caught with books. In the same sense Winston was loyal to the party but eventually gets caught for thought crime and is forced to forget everything he believes in. Both characters get the things they love taken away from them.

To Other Literature:

 In Persepolis the citizens are forced to follow Islamic law and the religion and those who opposed the strict laws are caught by the guardians and whipped or put in jail, they are punished for their beliefs. The same goes for 1984 because citizens are forced to believe and except what the party tells them, if they don't they are captured, tortured then vaporized.

The Word Selected	Page and Quotation	Definition	Why I chose it/ What I want the group to know
Desultorily	"They talked desultorily for some  minutes, then without apparent reasons a yell from the telescreen bade them silent." pg 243	Lacking in consistency, constancy or visible order, disconnected.	I mainly chose this because I didn't know what it meant.
Denounced	"Who denounced you?" pg 245	To condemn or censure openly or publicly. To make a formal accusation against, to police or court.	This comes up a lot in the book. It relates to the plot because a lot of people are taken away by the thought police because someone tells on them. We also find out why parsons was taken.
Hypodermic	"At the other side of him stood a man in a white coat, holding a hypodermic syringe." pg 251	Characterized by the introduction of medicine or drugs  under the skin. A type of needle.	I knew it was some kind of needle but wasn't 100% sure. Also Winston  is injected a lot with this kind of syringe throughout his torture.
Protector	"He had the feeling that O'Brien was his protector." pg 263	A person or thing that protects; defender or guardian.	Winston uses this term to describe O'Brien whenever he sees him. It shows Winston is weak and delusional because O'Brien is really the opposite.
Cauterized	"Something was killed in your breast: burnt out, cauterized out." pg 304	Burn the skin or flesh of a wound with a heated instrument.	I didn't know what it mean. It was also how Winston described his experience when he was taken away and tortured.
Sporadically	"Now be good, and I'll buy you a toy. A lovely toy-you'll love it'; and then she had gone out in the rain, to a little general shop which was still sporadically open nearby, and came back with a cardboard box containing an outfit of Snakes and Ladders." pg 309	Appearing or happening at irregular  intervals in time; occasional.  Isolated, as a single instance  of something;being or  occurring apart from others.	The meaning of the word was unknown to me and other members of my group. It was also used in context with his mother.
Big Brother	"He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother." pg 311	The head of the party or the symbol for the party.	We never find out if he is real or not. Winston hates him but in the end his love for Big Brother is what saves him in a way from living a horrible life and hopefully leads to him finally being shot, which is what he wanted in the end.

Section 5 -Sylvana
Connections to the essay topic:

I connected this to topic one because the  fear that the society causes the citizens affects their relationships negatively by eliminating them and any that are in existence are usually ruined just like Winston and Julia's. When they were caught they both betrayed each other very quickly and this just shows how hard it was to have a relationship in this society and how no one trusted anyone.

I also connected this to topic five because when Winston trusts O'Brien this is a major decision and he doesn't really think it through, he just walks into the room and blurts out that he's against the party. And this again shows his need for someone to be like him, against the party, with similar ideas and morals. It's what he's searching for in life, it's his main motivation and what he's most concerned with, but he makes bad decisions and it backfires on him because he gets caught and O'Brien, who is eventually found to be his torturer. 

Connections to other literary circle novels:

I connected this to a thousand splendid Suns because in 1984 Winston is beaten/tortured to try to cure  him or make him love the party make him like they want him to be, when he did something that was considered bad or unorthodox. And in any sort of similar way, Mirium  is beaten when she does something that her husband doesn't like. The situations are very different of course but the similar concept of pain to change someone or pain to punish someone was there.

Connections to other literature:

I connected this to the novel Mockingjay  because Winston is torture by the party and brainwashed just like Peta is tortured and brainwashed by the capital when they get caught.

Words I have selected:

Mastodons

Page 278

A large extinct elephant like animal

I chose this word just because I didn't know it and I thought it would be interesting to know. Also because it was something that O'Brien was relating a torture session to.

Doublethink

Page 278 but used throughout the book

Two contradictory ideas about the same thing that are each excepted in different circumstances but are not necessarily true in which ever circumstance. 

I chose this word because for a person to be considered sane  the party thought  that they needed to have doublethink, so that they would except whatever the party told them. 

Lunatic

Page 260

Someone that is crazy, absurd and very eccentric  with an insane sort of  behaviour.

Winston uses this word to describe the party and their ideas and to describe a glare in O'Briens Eye that intrigues him. I thought it was interesting that he used it to describe an eye and not really the person.

Human nature

Page 295

Actions and ideas and behaviors that humans naturally express. 

I chose this only because it was interesting that the party expressed that they believe there was no good side of human nature and that it didn't exist.

Room 101

 page 298

A torture room where people are exposed to their worst fear

This room is talked about a lot throughout the novel and we don't find out until now what it is, but it is important because it changes how Winston and everyone else that experiences it, behaves and interacts. 

Rats

Page 297

A furry rodent

I chose this word because it's Winstons worst fear which makes it an important thing. It's also what causes
him to betrayed Julia.

Control

Used throughout the book

The power or ability to direct people's behavior in every event.

I chose this because this is what the party wants in general, they don't delude themselves by thinking they make society better. All they want is power and control.