Part One Continued...

Something that struck me as odd in this book was the way that people watched hangings. When Winston is talking to Syme, Syme mentions that he went to the hanging earlier. He describes it as a good hanging and mentions that he hates when they tie feet together because he cant see them kicking. He also enjoys when the blue toungue sticks out. This is very strange. I also noticed that The Parsons children were excited to see a hanging earlier in the book. This could have something to do with ignorance. Maybe this society dosent realize how inhumane hanging is, and it is watched as a sport or as a form of entertainment. I think it is discusting that even the kids are happy about going to see someone killed. This is just one example of how Big Brother and the Party have Winston and the rest of these people brainwashed.
I also noticed how things are controlled. Every day, facts are destroyed and re-made. The government has the power to control the past, present, and the future. These people are listening to anything they are told, and there are no facts about the past to support that these facts are lies. The society seems to be comfortable with not thinking and with being ignorant. The government can do all of thier thinking for them. What the society dosen't know, won't hurt them. They are okay with being ignorant because they have nothing to worry about that way. If they just go along with what they are being told, then what can go wrong? I do not think Winston feels this way. I think he is uncomfortable with feeling like everything is erased and made up. He wants to know the truth and this is going to get him in trouble. Once someone gains any bit on knowledge and stops being ignorant and wants answers to questions, Big Brother gets rid of them. This way his society stays corrupted.

As Syme continues his convorsation with Winston, he mentions this dictionary he is working on. He says that soon, people won't even be able to understand how Winston and Syme are speaking to eachother. He says that Newspeak will be so advances, that every concept ever will be expressed by only one word. This way, there is no need for thought police because people wont be thinking anymore. People will have no thoughts. This proves how the government has corupted people. They are advancing everything to make sure that soon, thier society will be walking around oblivious and they can do the thinking for everyone.

Winston knows this and he wants it to end. He wants the proles to rebel and boycott and save this society. I like how Winston calls he brainwashing being unconcious. He says that these people will only be concious once they have rebelled. People will only realize how corrupted and brainwashed they are when they start going against Big Brother and finding out the truth.