Possible thesis: In 1984, Orwell suggests that the party solely remains in control by providing people with a sense of usefulness, from the acts of extracting the qualities that make them human. In so doing, they are provided with the last sorce of humanity-the need to belong. This is the source of the governmental power in Oceania.
security-scheduling, monitoring- sense of security
home-comfort Victory, nation, Proles,
connection- sexual connection, marriage- connection is to BB
trust- O'Brien even when tortured, the trust Winston and Julia put in each other. Betrays that trust.
Source of belonging- gives in to 2+2=5 because he belongs again
Makes rebellion impossible.
Humans rely on personal contact, social contact, and expression of emotions. Without the ability to do any of these, they are left feeling lost and helpless. In order to fulfill that need for a purpose in life, the citizens of Oceania obey and worship Big Brother and the party. Take away human wants and rights, with an alternate plan in place, an organization/government can consume all power and control of what their citizens do and not do.
Humans rely on human contact, social outings, and ways to express who they are. Without the ability to do any of these, there is a void that needs to be filled through a sense of belonging.
The citizens are living in a metaphorical jail or prison, it is not something they can escape from. The only purpose of their lives is to serve Big Brother and the party. Just as an inmate's only purpose is to serve their sentence.
Alive vs Living
THen why do they feel that torture is necessary? Trying to see the connection to part 3 of the novel.
They take away all human connection.
Sexual connection
"Of course. Hundreds of times - well, scores of times anyway" (132).
"In the old days, he thought, a man looked at a girl's body and saw that it was desirable, and that was the end of the story. But you could not have pure love or pure lust nowadays (133).
Setting
home
"Nothing was your own except the cubic centimeters inside your skull" (33).
Everyone wants somewhere to call "home". Within 1984, home is Victory Mansion. However, nothing in Victory Mansion is really their own. They are given everything that occupies those walls. The use of "Victory" portrays a successful image, when in reality, Victory Mansion is rundown and impoverished.
Room 101
Winston is completely dehumanized by the way he is treated in the Ministry, as well as specifically in room 101. O'Brien uses an empathetic approach to talk to Winston, which allows Winston to believe everything he is saying. Naturally, Winston needed that kind of connection with someone, so he allowed himself to be okay with the party "fixing him". Winston becomes changed into who the party wants him to be, because they took away all sense of his humanity and integrity, through the use of his worst fear.
"He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother" (304).
Human Connection
Paper weight
The paperweight symbolizes the life he is trapped in. The glass barrier that holds him in from living his true life, from experiencing real human ideals and experiences. It is his prison. It is see-through because he is trapped, but is able to see through the party's rules and acknowledge that it is not right.
"Do you know, that until this moment I believed I had murdered my mother" (166).
Winston was able to recognize the relationship he had with his mother and sister. He was able to comprehend this because of the paperweight. Ultimately he felt a connection with a useless item, because it gave him a sense of human connection it fills the void that he is missing in his life.
"The paperweight was the room he was in, and the coral was Julia's life and his own, fixed in a sort of eternity at the heart of the crystal" (153).
He is forced to direct all of his hope and energy towards this object, because it fills him with a sense of life, and sense of possibilities and imagination all things he is lacking.
Fear
security
Scheduling
"As he mechanically shot his arms back and forth, wearing on his face the look of grim enjoyment which was considered proper during the Physical Jerks, he was struggling to think his way backward into the dim period of his early childhood" (38)
The scheduled exercises and 2 minute hate allow them to feel as though they have something to live for. However, what they do not realize is how systematic they are being treated. The government completely tears away the human ability to participate in activities that provide happiness and provoke interests.
Constant monitoring
"There were no telescreens, of course, but there was always the danger of concealed microphones by which your voice might be picked up and recognized-" (125)
Telescreens/eyes
"He had recognized himself as a dead man it became important to stay alive as long as possible" (34).
This can also connect to Julia, she is also driven by fear. Although it seems as though she could care less about what is going on around her, she is motivated by fear. She partakes in sexual activities with many men as she has said, in an act of defiance rather than a self need or loving way.
The use of constant monitoring allowed him to be aware of his surroundings at all times. He knew that the second he bought that journal, his life was over. The party was able to threaten its civilians without physically speaking with them. Every single bit of freedom was gone, the sense of security is gone. Every thing that made him a person was taken away from him.
"Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimeters inside your skull' (33).
The forceful constant monitoring keeps the fear intact all the time.
Loyalty/ Betrayal
trust
"He was the tormentor, he was the protector, he was the inquisitor, he was the friend" (251).
Even in the midst of harming Winston, He still has trust in O'Brien. Winston's need to belong takes over all of his judgement.
"Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don't care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia! Not me!" (292).
He ultimately let go of the one thing he had left of himself, being loyal to Julia. He favored his life and wellbeing over the one thing that had the biggest value to him. This is because the Party went to such drastic measures to eradicate any hope he had left and any sense of human connection within him.
He had not stopped loving her; his feeling toward her had remained the same" (280).
Winston was lying to himself during this time. He had made himself believe that he had not betrayed Julia, however, he told them everything that happened. He was holding on to that last sense of himself, of his reason for living.
Rebellion
"Party members were supposed to not go into ordinary shops ("dealing on the free market," it was called), but the rule was not strictly kept, because there were razor blades, which it was impossible to get hold of in any other way" (13).
Majority of Winston's actions consisted of the motive of rebellion towards the party. Is this a way for him to stay true to himself? Or does having the power to rebel against the government give him a sense of security?
