Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength

I read Mr Wee's comments on the above slogans and to cut short, I won't look at the juxtapose meanings that the two words in each phrase carries. Instead, I'll try to delve into my own analysis.

Freedom is Slavery.....
Yikes! Who'd ever thought of that?

I think it probably inclines more towards the Party's favour (of course! what's new.)
Ok, we all know the Party controls almost every asset Oceania has, and every possible outlet for information to leak. And it is known that the citizens of Oceania are somewhat dehumanized. Distanced, with no feelings whatsoever. This is evident in their complete switch of mindset when it was announced that Oceania was actually at war with Eastasia and not Eurasia. (Actually, its the daily activities that they obliviously carry out that made me wonder whether they have senses or not).
With this disillusioned acts and obligation towards the Party, it seemed that the workers in the different ministries are actually becoming slaves for the Party's needs to limit information and to keep a constant watch over the people. Hence, when they are able to turn the workers in working towards their main motives, it results in FREEDOM for the Party.

Why? Cos they are able to do whatever they want to Oceania and its citizens. Therefore, complete dominance.

Ignorance is Strength.....
(Err..come again?)

Actually its just a similar meaning of the former slogan. I tend to interpret in a sense that the people's disillusionment leads to ignorance, due to lack of true information of history and the actual state of wars. The Party then capitalizes on the people's disillusionment and hence garnered strength to control the people's mind and general knowledge as well as emotions.

:)

His dreams...

Hmm...to answer my own question, that sadly no one tried to help, i'll try to get this straight.

I've always wondered why Julia and Winston were probably the only ones who managed to escape from the great influence and propaganda of the Party and Big Brother. Then as i flipped through the pages of 1984, I came across Winston's dream.

Winston recalled back his dream where his father had disappeared and he was ultimately left with his mother and baby sister. They had a shortage of food and supplies, and were living in a dinghy, dark room. Being a child he was, Winston was more than stubborn. He was spoilt, even reflecting the sorry state they were in. The touching moment, was that Winston's mother, was loving and affectionate enough to tolerate his selfish demands for example, giving part of her food ration to him. But then came a part where they were given chocolate rations and Winston swiped it away from his baby sister's hands.

HIs sister's cries had probably grounded Winston to his senses now. This is somewhat dramatic, but his sister's cries might have constantly remind him of his family.The thing is, I believe that Winston was able to 'escape' from the Party's great influence and the 'dehumanization' state the other citizens were in, was probably because of the love of his mother and the guilt he had felt from stealing his sister's chocolate (yes), abandoning them and mysteriously not being able to see them again. That guilt and constant curiousity of his family's disappearance had probably played a part in keeping Winston on his toes; and becoming more acutely aware of the Party's propaganda, hence instilling hate in him towards the Party and Big Brother (Down with Big Brother, remember?)

For Love or For...?

I think Julia is a big fake.
As well as her claim of love towards Winston.
Julia seemed to have a silent agenda of everthing she does.
Maybe I'm just being biased, because Winston is almost as bad as she is, but still she just seemed to be , yes, fake.
My analysis:
I think Julia knew that Winston was against the Party all along. With that, she sent Winston a slip of paper, boldly claiming 'I Love You'. Yet, Julia was probably just relieved knowing that there was someone elso who shared the same beliefs as her. That slip of paper was the first step that brought both of them together. With Winston on her side, Julia was now more able and bold in rising up (or rather go against) the Party. She was maybe using Winston as a tool to carve out her plans against the Party. That is not necessarily bad, but the thing is, I cant stand the fact that she manipulates Winston by using sex and 'love'. Winston was probably more passionate about the entire rebellion stuff against the Party, knowing that he took great concern in and had sincere passion towards the Book by Emmanual Goldstein; as compared to Julia. Julia seemed to be reliving in the fact that she had an assured counterpart by her side.

- (If Julia is a fake, than Winston is naive. How could he possibly think that both of them could plot well to drop Big Brother and the Party, even with the so-called support of O-Brien. He knew well enough that Party in Oceania could not be trusted, even working with them and all that. He knew information was being altered, the language limited to prevent the poeple from knowing the absolute truth of the rather dictatorial power the Party had over its people.)

War is Peace

War is Peace
As we all know, wars in 1984 are continuous and there exist no such thing as victories nor defeats. War has become a huge part of the people's lives, such that they are constantly being reported or shown on televisions as well as banners, newspapers, all those possible propaganda sources. What made me really think was when i noticed this sentence: (pg207) "War, it will be seen, is now a purely internal affair."
The Party is Oceania is absolute - dominant. Hence, to retain their absolute power and total control of the citizens, the Party needs to control all documents or sources that can easily influence the citizens from realizing the state they live in are similar to the residents of Eurasia, Eastasia. Hence, to prevent them from knowing too much or becoming more conscious of the controlled state they're in, there comes a need for a continuous war.
Hmm..i tend to assume that Eurasia and Eastasia come under a similar absolute control of their government. When there is war and when it is widely broadcasted or reported as in Oceania, it instills hate in the citizens towards the enemy- the other countries. When hate becomes pervasive among the people, in this case, the citizens become rather disillusioned with the war state that they are in, that they dont even try to stop, think and rationalize the entire situation. It never occured to them why they are in a war, it just happens to HAPPEN. The sad thing is, the citizens of Oceania believe and accept it the way it is. And it doesnt help either that the Party try absolutely
everything they can to limit the people's knowledge through language(Newspeak), and their knowlege of history (Ministry of Truth and so forth.)
Therefore, when the citizens become disillusioned, the Party can now be assured that their citizens would remain loyal towards the Party, knowing that there can be no possible influence to make them rise against the Party itself. There is PEACE in Oceania.
In conclusion, war is peace. For the Party, that is.

1984

1984

Totalitarian

of course, a totalitarian state u would say..
but let's trace back to the basics of a utopian society and that is..to have a desirable state.
not really sure for whom but definitely desirable.
in order for this desirability to be achieved, comes in control. Not subtle control, but totalitarian.
but i wonder, if utopia is so desired, and if utopia means freedom from whatever or wherever, then why do they need control?
hmm..a juxtapose.
ok..probably to establish control, there needs to be some sort of dominance (Alarm bell!the party itself).
I've always hated the fact that the Party controls the past as well as the present, and the fact that there's complete surveillance. It makes me wonder why there needs to be complete watch-over where there's this supposed state- freedom.
The fact that there's complete control in 1984 shows the strength of the Party. They are able to write the past and eliminate any facts or figures to their own advantage. Hence from this re-writing of the past, the Party manages to brainwash the people off their minds and thoughts. Then comes in dehumanization. (How come only Winston and Julia, probably a few others manage to escape from this?)

-Is this prophesy of some kind? The chosen ones? But who chose them?

Back again, this holistic brainwash sort of solidifies the state the Party is in. So they're still in power.

-Heck, why was Winston not captured immediately even though the Party knew he was inwardly rebelling against them?
I personally feel that they knew he wouldnt change his mind against them(till the last part that is), but why do the Party allow such rebellions to take place. Aren't they not afraid of any influence that might corrupt the entire state they have supposedly developed.?
I get these thoughts everywhere and i'm really confused. no wonder i failed the paper

Help please!!!

first entry

i absolutely have no idea where to begin, not that i have much to talk about(yet).
K whatever it is i'll just kick start with this similarity that i noticed both 1984 and Total Recall share. at least its a beginning.
Total Recall and 1984 do not exactly share the same storyline, but the similarity actually lies in the subtle parts of the story that creates the essence of the entire plot.
Ok first of all, there's a hero and heroine who rebels. In TR, Schwarneggar(wrong spelling?) and this lady whom i forgot the name, sorry, rebel against the authority and that is the government. Yet however, it only happened before Arnie was totally captured and 'renewed' by the government. The thing is, both Julia and Wilson, as well as the duo in TR, work underground in protest. So that's a similarity.
Next comes, the endless watch of the authority over the people. We know Big Brother uses enless screens and cameras in homes and everywhere to keep watch of the people. Ditto for TR. Arnie was constantly watched by the government in his home by none other than his wife and the TV screen. And we havent gone to the complete betrayal of the hero's trustees yet.
Another common theme is, as ive said, betrayal. We know Wilson and Julia was betrayed by O'Brien and each other. So that's a huge bomb. Arnie's partner was betrayed by Arnie himself(though he didnt realise that), and Arnie got betrayed by his wife who happens to work with the government. Yes!
Ok, on to the next point. This concerns a totalitarian state. 1984 is inherently a totalitarian state what with the Ministry of Love, Peace and so forth. Not to mention the different Dept of Fiction and all that where they change history and facts. Then comes the complete watch of the authority over its people. What we have in TR is almost the same.The goverment exerts its power by controlling the oxygen knowing that the people in planet Mars cant survive without. (duh).We also have the tight military and security as in 1984 that works against people who betray. Yup...

The endless tortures of Winston and probably Julia reduced them to NOTHING. It works in a way that the government want to brainwash them in believing in Big Brother. So that happens. You use torture, propaganda and strip off all human values off a person, just so you can make them succumb to your powers. In TR, Arnie was definitely a different person than the guy who rebelled against the authorities. He was a 'new' person, normal and all.
What a utopian world.

Ok, im so glad ive made a start.
next please.