Blog #19 - Ross Neyman - Period 3 - 06/16/2020

Aim: How does “Chapter 7” of Animal Farm portray the psychology of memory and authority?

Do Now: Think/Pair/Share - What makes for a good leader? What qualities or attributes are associated with a good leader? Is there a point/degree in which a leader must forge ahead through their vision; despite the cost(s)? What cost is too great? How do you know?

Some of the attributes a leader should have are to be a leader and not a follower, they should be able to form their own opinion that isn’t completely based on the views of others, they should be intelligent, brave, wise, confident in themselves, have good morals, and be able to follow through with the promises they make. Interestingly, most leaders don’t follow all these attributes and tend to only make it seem that way only on their rise to power and once they achieve the power they were looking for they end up not showing good morals or following through with the promises they made to the people that put them in power. Our class agreed that the point at which a leader should stop is when they are going completely against the morals of the society or are creating too much of a danger to the people they are leading. Unfortunately, most leaders do not stop at this point and continue to push past beyond the point of following the rules in the society or the morals and don’t care about putting the safety of others at extreme risk.

How was memory portrayed in Animal Farm?

In Animal Farm, imperfect memory is exploited, for example the rules of the farm. The animals at the farm can’t perfectly remember what the rules of the farm were and only remember some of them so Napoleon uses this to his advantage and twists what the rules are and manages to convince the other animals that that’s what they always were and the animals have just forgotten. He was also able to change the facts about the events of the battle, convincing the animals that Snowball was clearly helping the humans as he fled. Memory is also used to keep the animals believing in what they are fighting for by singing “Beasts of England” to keep the animals remembering Old Major and how they successfully overthrew the humans.

How about authority?

In Animal Farm, authority is shown to be abused not only by Mr. Jones, but after the animals’ rebellion it is also abused by the pigs. When the pigs take control of the farm, they use the dogs to enforce their rule and hold their power. By creating consequences and controlling what the animals are told, the animals are not going to rebel because of what could happen to them. The pigs also create rewards for good behavior such as getting things done, which makes the animals think they can earn whatever they want with hard work and makes them continue to believe their best interest is in the mind of the pigs.

Class Discussion: What makes for a good leader?

A good leader must have both established authority and confidence. They must be able to have control over the population no matter what they do and have people follow. They must also be able to show their subjects confidence in what they are doing to keep trust from the population. When a leader does both of these things, they are able to suppress any rebellion and have a population that will follow and trust them. An example of this is how pigs have the dogs, giving them authority, and they show confidence to the other animals.

What are the updates around the world/community regarding the virus?

The world is slowly beginning to reopen after the quarantine but the virus is still a big issue. New York is expected to reopen soon but nobody knows how the different phases will happen and how likely it is that they will be put in place as they are expected to.

What are you learning about your world/community based on the reactions?

During the quarantine, I’ve learned a lot about my community. I’ve learned that the people in it are a lot closer than I thought they were. My neighbors still interact with each other, spend time together, and try to make the best out of the situation they are in. A lot of my neighbors have lost their jobs or are out of work for a while because they work in non-essential construction and it has been shut down by the government. They all pass the time by working on their cars, cleaning up their house, or just sitting on the porch and relaxing. This makes me feel a lot better about my neighborhood and the people in it as even in these conditions they do their best to stay positive and happy. 

Your own personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now.

I’m concerned about what is happening right now because no one knows if school will reopen next year or we’ll have to continue remote learning in september. A lot of people have stopped being concerned about the virus and stopped practicing safe social distancing habits. I’d like to get back to school because I miss seeing people other than my family. 

Reflection:

During this lesson I learned that memory is not trustworthy and people can easily be taken advantage of because of that. I also learned that while we want a leader to have good qualities such as fighting for the greater good, a good leader only needs two. The two qualities that a powerful leader needs are authority and confidence. If a leader has authority, they have power over the people they rule over, and if they have confidence, they can keep the trust of the people they rule over. When a leader has both power and the trust of their people, they can stop pretty much any rebellion.

Blog #65 - Maya Zhorov - Period 1 - 6/13/2020

Blog #33

June 11, 2020

Maya Zhorov Freshmen Period 1

Aim: How can an analysis of both Aristotle’s definition of the “tragic hero,” and an evaluation of the main themes found in Julius Caesar, be applied to the character’s in the play?

Today’s lesson was the analysis of Julius Caesar’s play and Aristotle’s definition of the “tragic hero”.  We started off the lesson with a do now asking why do you believe that some author!s like to utilize having a tragic hero in their stories.  I believed that a tragic hero can make the storyline more entertaining and appealing to audiences.  Secondly, a tragic hero can show character growth which gives the plot story more depth.  After, we discussed the literal definition of a tragic hero and how it can be interpreted in different ways as some conflicts that heroes face are internal while others are external.  We had a class discussion on how a tragic hero isu destined for failure in certain situations, however, the point of one is to portray the lessons the main character learns after dealing with the terrible situation.  It teaches the audience that sometimes you need to have bad experiences to teach you and prepare you for anything to come in your life.  It also teaches people about strength, internal and external, and how you have to be determined and strong throughout any situation to get through it.

There are a lot of comparisons between a tragic hero and Odysseus because Odysseus was born into nobility as he was Ithaca’s greatest and mightiest and he had a beautiful wife and amazing sin.  He did have a tragic flaw as at first he was too overconfident and was not humbled.  Then he embarked on a journey that had its ups and downs, he lost six of his loyal crew mates and became humbled in the process.  He protected all of Greece and returned back to his wife Penelope, and son Telemachus.

Our Classwork started with discussing the characters Brutus and Caesar and their roles of justice and their influences on each character’s choices when analyzing “judgment error”.  This officially began our topic of Julius Caesar.  I think that their judgment was wrong as they had bad intentions and wished ill upon each other.  Their competition and hope for failure of each other drove them both to a terrible fate.  This play teaches the audience about how you have to support and wish success upon your friends no matter what and know your morals of right and wrong.  After this question, we had to fill out a chart of the character’s characteristics and actions to determine which characters fit under Aristotle’s definition of a “tragic hero”.  I believe that a “tragic hero” doesn’t have to be completely innocent but has to be morally right, and Caesar and Brutus did not fit under my interpretation.  However, they did make decisions that led them to have a terrible fate which taught the audience a lesson.

Then we learned of how themes are incorporated in these literary works and their purposes.  I believe that a person should benefit spiritually from watching a play or reading a book and should learn something that will make them become a better person in all.  In the Odyssey, you learn how you have to be humble and mental strength plays a big role in being a hero.  After, we had a class discussion on the definition of a theme and how it applies to literary works and even real life.  We had a class activity to learn and apply our knowledge of themes to Julius Caesar.

Reflection:

I found this lesson really helpful as not only did we start analyzing Shakespeare’s work, Julius Caesar, but we also learned about topics that can be applied to other literary works like the phrase “tragic hero” and themes.  Then we had a homework assignment to watch Julius Caesar, the movie, or certain clips of the movie and analyze the actions of the characters to learn about themes and the different roles each character played.  This activity helped us think a step further into really grasping the topic and incorporating it into certain situations and circumstances.

To reflect on our current situation of the Corona virus and remote learning, I would say that it has been a challenge keeping up with school work and still having additional time to do out of class activities like preparing for exams and projects.  I found out that it is much more helpful to have a schedule where I dedicate time to each activity so I have time to do schoolwork, workout and spend time with my family.  Also, having deadlines for myself helped me organize my schoolwork and have time to complete everything.

Blog #44: James Gian: Period 7: 6/14/20

June 14th, 2020       James Gian, Period 7

Aim 1: How is connotation, denotation, and paradox explicated through

Orwell’s “doublethink”?

Do Now: Analyze the images below. Record the feelings you have/associate/identify with each of the “6” images.

Discussion: First, the class had to discuss the difference between connotation and denotation. Connotation is the various social overtunes, cultural implications, or emotional meanings associated with an object. Denotation is the explicit or referential meaning of an object. Then, after the Do Now, we discussed Paradoxes. Paradoxes are statements that appear to be self-contradictory or silly, but may include a latent truth. We went over a few such as War is Peace in 1984, and Fair is foul and foul and fair in Macbeth. Then, we went over a paradox called Sara’s Certain Death Riddle. It is a paradox where two guards guard two doors, where one door leads to certain death and the other doesn’t, and one guard will lie and one guard will tell the truth. Sarah then proceeds to ask a series of yes or no questions to figure out which door is the correct one. 

Individual Activity: We had to make a fictional advertisement for The Oceania Times.

Class Discussion: Consider all of the emphasis we have been placing on “Doublethink.” Do you believe that George Orwell would think we were crazy or just wasting a great deal of time focusing on this topic? Why/Why Not?

Discussion: We discussed this question, and some of us thought that the emphasis we have been placing on Doublethink is justified due to the lack of truth in the media, and the fact that to get accurate knowledge on a topic, it is best to look it up yourself and get your own facts.

Aim 2: How can we analyze the symbolism in Winston Smith's name?

Turn and Talk: Winston Churchill and Winston Smith compare by having the same first name, and they both spoke out against forms of government they did not like, with Churchill speaking out against Communism and Smith against Big Brother.

Group Work: 1) We discussed that Orwell combined Winston and Smith together, because Winston referencing Winston Churchill, and Smith being a very common name, showing that the common man can become a Winston and rise up to the occasion. 2) We discussed that his message to the reader is that the common man can become a Winston and rise up to the occasion. 

Blog #60 - Rachael Zeng - Period 1 -6/13/20

Blog #60, Rachael Zeng, Period 1, 6/13/20 

Our aim for today was “How can our examination of Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey expose Odysseus as an archetypal hero?” 

For our Do Now we had to interpret the quote “A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder. Fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won.” and apply it to Odysseus somehow.

During our lesson we discussed the Monomyth, which is also commonly referred to as “The Hero’s Journey”. We also discussed archetypes, which are common patterns of symbols, characters, themes, settings, and more. Some archetypes appear in The Hero’s Journey.

After this, we watched a video titled “Netflix’s Myths and Monsters”, which explained The Hero's Journey and how it was present in Star Wars. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwnxYXOTy94&feature=share)

This chart was given to us as an example of more archetypes, and we were asked to connect two or three of them to characters in the Odyssey. From here, we learned that a lot more of these connections could be made to countless characters from other types of media as well, reinforcing the idea of the Monomyth.

As a conclusion, we watched another video titled “The Hero’s Journey in five minutes”, which quickly summed up the monomyth and how it was present in the plotlines mentioned in the video. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siulX5JkIwI&feature=share)

Today, I learned about the Monomyth and how it was present in a large number of popular media, such as the Maze Runner and Star Wars. This will most likely influence how I watch movies or read books, as I may consciously or unconsciously begin to notice, “Oh, this is the Call to Adventure” and so on. 

Working at home is very bland, but I would rather stay safe than risk infection. It’s been very tough the past few weeks, but hopefully I’ll be able to get through it and have one less thing to worry about. I’m hoping that everybody that is currently out for protests (whether it’d be a police officer or a protester) is staying safe and exercising proper safety techniques, like wearing a mask, as the COVID-19 pandemic has not ended yet and we still must make sure we are not allowing for the virus to start infecting the large crowds of people. Unfortunately, I cannot say much otherwise about the protests due to the position I’m in, but I am very glad that the communities that are currently in bad situations are able to support each other.

Blog #49 - Guang Li - Period 7 - 6/8/2020

Sunday, June 14, 2020

Guang Li

Period 7 Sophomores

Blogger #15

Aim: How are the readers of 1984 warned about the power of manipulation?

Do Now: THINK/PAIR/SHARE

Winston thinks, “They could not alter your feelings; for that matter, you could not alter them yourself, even if you wanted to.” Think about and discuss the nature of feelings and emotions.

1) Can you alter your own feelings by force of will? Why/Why Not?

2) Can someone else alter another person’s innermost feelings?

Notes:

The class was asked to think about what feelings are, and whether we, or anyone else, can control our feelings. We had to consider different feelings we feel, and how and whether we could change them. For example, anger. When you’re feeling angry, you might do some exercises or breathing techniques to calm yourself down, which is essentially taming your feelings. 

Tell yourself to calm down. ...

Force yourself to leave the situation. ...

Use visualization to calm down. ...

Count to 10 (or 50… or 100) if you feel like you're about to do or say something harmful. ...

Splash some cold water on your face.

Slow down and focus on your breathing.

How to Control Your Anger

https://youtu.be/sfaeD-50rMs

How to Control Your Emotions

https://youtu.be/hYZmK46--Mc

However, this is far from foolproof. You know the feeling when you just have a breakdown, and the emotions come pouring out? When you erect a tiny wall which gets swept away. Therefore, it is arguable that we can’t really control our emotions, but manipulate them to an extent. However, there are many who believe it is possible to be in full control of your emotions, and that it comes with time or age. However, I came across this quote that stood out to me:

“If you think that emotions are completely controllable all the time, imagine how stressful that must be in moments where you aren’t able to reign in your emotions.” -Dr. Ford

And if we can control our emotions, what about depression? Is it something due to inability to control our grief?

The second part of the do now inquired whether someone else can change our innermost feelings. I feel that while they can certainly be swayed, changing one’s feelings completely is extremely difficult. A rough plan sketched out for how to encourage change in another’s feelings would be:

A) Talk about their feelings, and see what causes those feelings. If the root of the feelings can’t be changed, then encourage changing how the person perceives and feels about the situation.

B) See whether they can change, or want to change. Their ability and willingness to accept change in their emotions can be key.

However, it is very difficult, if not downright impossible, to fully change another’s innermost feelings.

TEAM WORK

Considered all that has transpired in the novel thus far. With your team, create “3” questions, and be prepared to share them with the other teams. The goal is to see if the teams can answer the questions your team created.

There are many questions to be raised, some of which can be answered or guessed at, and some of which can’t be.

What happened to Winston’s parents and sister?

Likely vanished, due to going against the party.

Who is Emmanuel Goldstein?

A traitor of the party, likely goes against their ideals.

Why does Winston hate beautiful women?

Likely something to do with temptation, and something to do with the Ministry of Love- loving anything other than Big Brother.

Evaluate the characters of Julia and Winston.

• Record Characteristics unique to each, then record characteristics that are

shared.

• How is the author warning the readers about manipulation through the

 characters?

We then had to list the characteristics of Julia and Winston, and some of the characteristics that were come up with were

Julia is a very outgoing, rambunctious person. She is cunning, and extremely intelligent. She has the courage to reach out to others first.

Meanwhile, Winston is very generic. He is your average face in the crowd, a frail, aging man. He is cautious, and often worries about being caught betraying the Party.

Similarities that both of them share is their love, and their mixed feelings about the Party. They both realize that something is wrong, and they’re unhappy with how things are and they are rebellious. This activity helps us to see how each character compliments the other, and how they fit well.

We were then asked to state what we did last Friday morning. Many of us had a vague idea of something we did, likely because it was something we did daily.

However, the individual unique details were hard to come by, and even though it was very little time ago, we couldn’t recall what we had done. Because we didn’t really pay much attention, or make an effort to remember the details, they slip the mind. We then discussed how this is a weakness, and how it links to what we were learning about. If we can’t remember details of the past, it leaves us vulnerable to revisionism, and people who rewrite the past to suit their needs.

https://www.verywellmind.com/explanations-for-forgetting-2795045 

Working from home is an entirely new ballpark than what I’m used to. While it is supremely helpful to not have 3 hours of travel time to and from school, there are whole new challenges to working at home. Mentally, we don’t associate home with school work, and getting into a working mood can be difficult. Not having to worry about being late makes us lack drive, and this can be difficult to get used to. You are also unable to receive hands on tutelage, and communicate with  your peers as freely and openly than before.

Based on the reactions to the virus, I have learned a lot about the leadership around the world. Some leaders have affirmed their inability to make intelligent decisions, and have caught the public eye with their incompetence- America, it’s healthcare system, and Trump are great examples. Nevertheless, there are those that support and defend his every action, almost similar to the brainwashed people in 1984. However, some leaders have shown great ability to utilize their resources and lead us through this crisis, such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Personally, I feel very distraught with COVID-19 going around. A global pandemic was a personal fear of mine, likely due to my indulgence in science fiction. I worry about my grandparents due to their age, and I worry about the cost of a virus on my family if we get sick. Other than that, I am extremely bored. I miss hanging out with my friends, and everything that we did.

Reflection-

Looking through today’s lesson, there is much to learn and apply to our daily lives. For example, management of emotion- understanding how we feel and how others feel. Growing up with siblings, it can be useful to not always get angry. However, it is also important to note that manipulating others is not a good thing, at least not most of the time. We learned about the importance of memory, and why it is important not to let details slip through the cracks. With memory, we are more prepared if our government, or something else, tries to manipulate us. If our knowledge of the past is limited, and our actions are influenced through our emotions, we simply become the government’s puppets. The parallels between 1984 and our present day society are shocking, and serve as a stark reminder of our possible future. By applying this information to our society, and using it to be on guard, we can possibly avoid events such as that which happened in 1984.

Blog #41 - Jason Cheung - Period 7 - 5/27/2020

Sophomore 2020

Blog #41 

Jason Cheung

Period 7

Aim: How does the setting of the novel contribute to the mood and tone of 1984?

Do Now:

Consider your knowledge of Oceania thus far. What words, which provide “tone” might you use to describe Oceania (create a list)? 

- Tyrannical

- Repressive

- Manipulative

- Deceiving

- Cruel 

What is Tone and Mood? How do they differ?

Tone - Tones demonstrates how the speakers feel

Mood - Mood demonstrates the reader’s feelings

(Note: The speaker is not always the author; it can be a narrator.)

 

Class Discussion:

How would you compare Winston’s tone to the reader’s mood?

Winston’s tone in 1984 shows that Winston is extremely observant over the actions from the ministries and despises all the lies they tell and they’re manipulation over the crowd. It also reveals that Winston is in fear as he had numerous thoughts of him being caught for thoughtcrime. This would be similar to the reader’s mood as the readers are also observant over the situation in Airstrip One and the oppressive lifestyles of the citizens there

 

How does his tone compare to the rest of Oceania?

The tone of Winston and the rest of Oceania greatly differs. Winston is extremely wary over Big Brother and the large telescreen that watches over him as he fears that he will be caught for thoughtcrime. He can also see through the manipulations from the other ministries and dreams of being free. In contrast, the rest of Oceania believes all of the lies and obeys the Big Brother while ignoring their lack of freedom

What is Setting?

 Setting is the time, place, physical details and circumstances in which a story occurs. They include the background, atmosphere, or environment in which characters live and move, and usu. include physical characteristics of the surroundings.

 

Class Discussion:

Why is SETTING important?

Setting is very important when it comes to establishing tone and mood. It provides physical descriptions through the perspective of the narrator or speaker and would provide the readers with a feeling towards these descriptions, such as a dreary setting in 1984. 

 

How does it contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole?

The setting is a major player when it comes to contributing to the meaning of the work. It provides the story with vivid descriptions of the type of world the characters are in, the type of conditions that they go through, and the thoughts of the characters. 

 

Vocabulary

Palimpsest (Noun): A manuscript or piece of writing material on which the original writing has 

been effaced to make room for later writing but of which traces remain.

Student Reflection:

I learned about the importance setting, tone, and mood has when it comes to establishing a story. When a writer starts to establish a setting, it would give life to the story in the reader’s mind through the usage of tone. If a story lacked both a mood and tone, the entire plot would become very bland and monotone. With this knowledge, I can use it to question what type of emotion the author is trying to establish through the descriptions and what is the importance of the setting to the entire story

Write about your thoughts regarding the reading.

To me, the story was very fascinating and unique. 1984 tells the story of a man who has an actual brain and can think for himself in a manipulative dystopia. This concept is very interesting since it really shows the potential a totalitarian government that has been in root for a few decades has on the crowd.

 

What are the updates around the world/community regarding the virus?

Currently, New York is still number one in cases in the USA, with double the number of confirmed cases compared to the number two spot, New Jersey who has 160k confirmed cases. According to WebMD, there are more than 160 potential vaccines for COVID-19 under study. 

Your own personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now.

Personally, I am starting to miss being able to go outside. To me, I would occasionally go outside and go to restaurants, pizzerias, or other activities with my friends. Not being able to do that when I am starting to crave for some food is starting to get to me. Once everything begin settling down, me and some friends planned to get some Korean BBQ, something I really wanted to try so I’m hoping that it will be over soon. 

Blog #52 - Samantha Mekhael - Period 9 - 6/13/2020

Blog #52 (Sophomores 2020)

Samantha Mekhael

Period 9

6/10/2020

Aim: How are the readers of 1984 warned about the power of manipulation? 

Do Now: 

Winston thinks, “They could not alter your feelings; for that matter, you could not alter them yourself, even if you wanted to.” Think about and discuss the nature of feelings and emotions.

Can you alter your own feelings by force of will? Why/Why Not? Can someone else alter another person’s innermost feelings?

Per our class discussion, many believed that propaganda was the main source of confusion among what people perceive to be their own memories. While one can alter their own emotions through a change of air/perspective; ie: optimistic life-view; cup half empty/full, it becomes harder to control your emotions when someone else is in the head chair, conflicting what they want you to believe against what your previously conceived reality is. When the truth & fiction blur together, it’s hard to truly know what to think. Feeling is an output of what you’re putting into your head; thus, having control of your emotions is merely a culmination of having control of what you expose yourself to. When you don’t have authority over what you subject yourself to, you don’t have authority over your emotions.

One who has control of their brain’s input may look at this & think, “Join the War for Peace?” That is an oxymoron, & is clearly propaganda. However, the more your brain is conditioned to believe what “they” are telling you, the more you feel a numbness surrounding ideas that are clearly ridiculous, such as a war in the name of peace, the more “they” can control your brain further. Controlling your emotions is merely an effect of controlling what goes into your head.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H9ipRaLa4Jw

I think this Crash Course successfully explains the concepts of control of subconscious & retaining individuality under the confines of totalitarian government, as pertaining to 1984 as a whole. 

TEAM WORK

After a discussion of the Do Now, we considered the novel’s events in creating 3 questions about the novel. For instance:

How do the Thought Police know about your committing thoughtcrime?

The class determined that “punishment of thoughtcrime” was a trick used by the government to make sure you didn’t commit thoughtcrime, which is a circular argument in actuality. We thought that there was no way for the Thought Police to listen in on your thoughts, so they acted as a scare tactic to make sure you don’t freely question the government. Obscuring it’s subjects' reality, so as to not allow them questioning of authority acts as a very strong analogy for the regime of the IngSoc.

Does Big Brother really exist in the novel?

The class believed that, because Big Brother is never seen for the duration of the novel, he is simply a fragment of implementing control. He never really exists, but acts merely as mitigation, making sure that the government has a “head” to lead it, and to act in propaganda posters as an “all seeing eye,” almost akin to Uncle Sam in his representative nature.

GROUP WORK

During this time, we had to evaluate the characters of Julia and Winston and record characteristics unique to each, then record characteristics that are

shared.

The class discussed its answers post- group time & had similar answers in terms of their independence, questioning of the government, lust, & their almost incentives to quickly disobey the government, even subconsciously. Unique to them, however, we discussed Julia & Winston’s age difference, 26 & 39 years old, respectively, & the fact that Winston seemed to be more afraid of the government than Julia. He didn’t know how many others government questioners there were, & was surprised to find out how many disobeyed the government in sexual acts. Julia however, is less paranoid, having a primary perspective on just how many men had disobeyed the government.

This analysis I found goes into further detail on the similarities & differences between Julia & Winston: 

https://summarystory.com/1984/julia-and-winston-from-the-book-1984-by-george-orwell/

QUICK WRITE

Record what you did last Friday morning.

Mrs. Peterson wanted to test our memories, or what we thought were our memories. One may think, “Friday morning, I most likely had breakfast, like every other morning.” While that may be true, but are you confident in what you had? It was difficult to pinpoint the details. This was a strong analogy for the weakness in people’s perception in 1984. Sure you can remember you ate breakfast, but if you can’t remember what you ate, someone else can “remember” for you. This “blind spot” can be filled by what an authoritative figure wants you to think. If your mom, whom you trust, told you that you, in fact, had waffles for breakfast on Friday, you would believe her, because you have reason not to, being that you truly think that she has your best interest in mind. This can be connected to the “mind control” used by authorities in 1984. People learn to look up to & revere Big Brother. There’s no reason to think your “big brother” is lying, so when records are edited/destroyed, & his subjects are lied to about provisions & substance, there’s really no evidence to support thinking any other way than how Big Brother wants you to think.

WHOLE CLASS DISCUSSION

Why was there such difficulty recording what happened?

The nuances of everyday life are often overlooked, being the redundant nature of them. As a result, we don’t think that the details are important, as life will just repeat itself. 

Why is it so easy to forget what transpired, even though only a couple of days had passed?

“Last Friday” will happen thousands of more times in our lives. We can’t remember every important detail of every day, so why bother with the unimportant ones?

How can forgetting leave people vulnerable?

As previously mentioned, the act of forgetting leaves a blind spot. Anyone we trust, or are told to trust can fill the blind spot with something untrue, & because of their authority, we are taught to blindly follow them, even if it means we can be put into danger.

Here is the Wikipedia page on Memory Holes, the little blind spots that we seek to fill, & which can often be altered to someone else’s advantage: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_hole

Reflection: 

My friends & I lingered over the idea of subconscious mind control on a FaceTime call post-class. Stella connected the ideas prevalent in 1984 to a quote by Carl Segan:

“The characters in 1984 had no choice but to submit to authority. Even their questioning of everything had minimal effect, because their submission got so bad to where nothing private could be written, & records can be altered & destroyed. Once you get to that point, proving wrongdoing is almost impossible, because ideas & statistics are being fed into one ear & out the other. Feelings of fear are an overarching motif throughout 1984. The masses are afraid to think, write, & speak, & are even afraid, in their slumber, to be taken off & eliminated by their government. Living in constant fear of even having the wrong facial expression can lead to your death. These fears are a product of suppressing free speech & thought;  suppressions that could have hypothetically been eliminated had more people “questioned everything” in the early stages of manipulation. Instead, the subjects of IngSoc blindly follow those who guide them, because even broken promises can be edited to make it look like they were fulfilled; they couldn’t prove otherwise. This raises the question:

“Could this happen to us?”

I believe so. My friends & I discussed “little instances” of propaganda throughout our everyday lives. In 2020, there have been so many moments of history in the making, & we choose to rely on the media for an accurate representation of what is going on in the world. Putting such trust into an outlet, even a minor one like the news, is comparable to what the characters of 1984 dealt with, but on an obviously smaller scale. While we can say that the media is insignificant in comparison to being fooled by your entire system. One thing can lead to another, & before you know it, records are being edited to suggest false security.

Food for thought: article comparisons between both Trump & Obama’s America to 1984. This is significant in that it shows how many people, even those from different sides of the political spectrum, believe we are tumbling into the spiral of manipulation that George Orwell warns us about.

https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/so-are-we-living-in-1984/amp

https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/orwells-1984-and-trumps-america/amp

My Thoughts:

My emotions have been on a roller coaster the entirety of quarantine, as it seems that there’s been bad news after bad news. Working from home has been slightly more stressful than I expected it to be, being that I have to study to make up for the barrier created when learning outside of a school environment. Being in your house constantly makes for a relaxed environment, which gives way for possible procrastination. 

The online English lessons have still been engaging, as ELA is mostly reading & conferring with classmates through long discussions. I feel that my class has been particularly efficient in communicating the effect of manipulation in 1984 & its connection to our daily lives, which makes for very interesting classtime debates. We seem to naturally “question everything,” as high school students, which is exactly what 1984 tells us to do. 

In terms of that has been going on recently in the media, an APWH project in which we had to take a written journal entry of our lives in quarantine prompted me to create my own blog as a medium for my journal entries: www.sammekhael.wixsite.com/sammekhael

In it, I go into detail of my feelings on different days, & question different reports from the media on events. I truly believe that I subconsciously used ideas that are prevalent throughout 1984 to document my day to day life & the “history in the making” that we are currently a part of.

Blog #47- Christina Jayarajah- Period 2- 5/29/20

Aim: How is the theme, “”the importance of having knowledge about the past in order to understand the future,” exemplified/elucidated through Winston’s time in the Prole District?” 

Do Now:

1. What are some of the “lies/stories” parents tell their children?

We discussed that some lies/stories parents tell their children as Santa and the Tooth Fairy.  I personally had some stories my parents told my siblings and I when we were growing up that if you stepped on a book you wouldn’t be able to study properly. 

2. Why do you believe they tell these stories, rather than the truth?

We discussed how many of these lies are told for discipline and happiness. Things such as Santa Claus brings good behavior because children know they will get rewarded for it. 

 

3. What might be a history “lie/story” a school has taught/told you?

A lie school taught us in history was the first Thanksgiving. We were taught that the Native Americans and the Europeans gathered in peace together but that is not the case as discussed later class.

 

The First Thanksgiving

 

As children we were told that the meeting of the Pilgrims and Native Americans were very peaceful. We were taught that both parties came in harmony and shared food together. The real story on the other hand, was very gruesome. The pilgrims caused a major plague that killed out many of the native tribes. They would repeat this at multiple sites and some settlers would cannibalize the native people. 

 

How is history manipulated in this story?

 

In the school version of the first Thanksgiving we are taught to glorify holidays such as Thanksgiving, when in reality Thanksgiving was really a gruesome holiday and should not be a reason to celebrate.

 

Group Discussion

“In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it.”

 

1. Analyze Winston’s statement above. How do you explain his example? What are your thoughts on the matter?

Winston’s statement is an excellent example of manipulation the Party has already infused in. Since we know that 2 +2 = 4 is a hard true fact, the Party being able to manipulate facts that we’ve learned from the very beginning shows the dangerous influence people can have when they change the basis of knowledge. When less than 2% is able to control everything, even basic facts that can’t be proven wrong, the results could be very terrifying. 

2. What do you think the author’s intention or purpose is for the reader to have as a takeaway about the world you/we live in?

Orwell’s tale is to warn us about the government and question the power the government has over us. In Orwell’s time, dictatorships, such as the facist government in Nazi Germany had their methods that they used to cause a breach in information getting to the common people. The Party, in my opinion the Party is a more intense recreation of these historical governments. By showing us the harshest parts of Oceania, Orwell may have wanted to show that having information like this would get the threat of execution. 

 

Group Work          

1. Winston is clearly on a quest for the truth from the past. He states, “If there’s hope, it lies in the proles” (Winston, pg. 69). Work together to assess if Winston is correct. Consider the different age groups.

The proles are the largest part of society, which means that their strength is not in their brains but their numbers. To add on, the Party is not close with the proles, because of both their numbers and the discrimination they have against the proles. If both groups worked together twitch the information they got from the elderly, the proles are Winston’s biggest hope in finding out what the Party is hiding without getting caught.

 

2. If he is/isn’t explain how things would unfold for success or failure to occur. Consider the government’s role in all of this as well.

If Winston wanted to succeed, he would have to be careful to find proles who want the same thing as he does. For example, Winston should go towards the elderly for help since they knew the truth before the Party. If he asked the youth for help he might not be getting the help he wanted because they might’ve been brainwashed already. 

 

3. Are there specific actions or events that need to occur to guarantee success/failure? If so, what?

Even though no certain specific actions should occur, it would help Winston could lower his presence with the Party. As a part of the Outer Party, Winston is being watched constantly, and because of his ability to think freely, the Party will most likely consider him a threat. Especially if he starts acting suspiciously. 

 

Whole Class Discussion

 

1. What do you make of Winston (unconsciously) finding himself back at the very junk shop where he bought the diary?

By unconsciously going back to the junk shop, Winston has accepted the fact that he has a desire for rebellion. This also represents Winston going back to his roots and going back to the place that ignited his rebellious phase. Even after spending his time in a “normal” neighborhood, it shows his fate that he will always go back to rebelling. 

 

2. Why does he appear to be so drawn to the paperweight?

Because the fragile coral is wrapped in a glass barrier, it gives a sense of safety to Winston.

 

3. What are your opinions of the room, which has no telescreen?

I believe that the fact that the room has telescreen just gives Winston a sense of safety because ironically, his safest spot right now is the old junk shop. It also gives us some foreshadowing that Winston might find a loophole in the Party’s all-seeing government. 

 

4. Why do you suppose he decides he will continue to return to the shop, despite the risks? Foreshadowing?

Winston is acknowledging that he has rebelled against the Party, and desires to know the truth. Even though he works in the Ministry of Truth he realizes that the truth is not what is given to him and will give himself over to the risk, leaving the Party values. 

 

In this lesson we learned about how the government can change our views and opinions by censoring what we are exposed to. This was shown in 1984, because Winston is finding out that there are slight loopholes from the government and how censorship can change the views on even basic knowledge. We learned and discussed this to help us see that the government can hide whatever they want and change even basic standards. Everyone can use this lesson because this same thing is happening right now during the Black Lives Matter movement. For instance we see Trump being exposed for unspeakable things yet hid that side of him from us. The rest of the country - which I believe to be most like the proles - is fighting to expose the government and get the truth out. 

 

Blog Content:

1. What is it like working from home?

I genuinely like working from home because I do most of the lessons on my own time and I can do it as fast or as slow as I would like. I also work best with music playing in the background and in school I wouldn’t be able to use earbuds but while I do my work, I play very soft music and it keeps me on task. One thing I do miss is the fact that I can’t work on things with my friends together. I do miss sharing cereal or small snacks with my friends while we work together in person.

 

2. What are the updates around the world/community regarding the virus?

One thing I have noticed is the fact that many people seem to think that the weather getting better is an indicator that the virus is gone, when in fact it’s not ! I genuinely feel as if people are forgetting what social distancing is and forgetting that they need to stay safe during this time. I won’t deny that I do go outside for walks with my family in the afternoon so we get some fresh air, but we do cover our mouths and noses with masks and are careful to walk in areas that aren’t crowded. I just wish that if people are going to see others, they wear masks and are careful in the activities they choose.

 

3. Your own personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now.

Not only are we living through a global pandemic, but we are also living through a civil rights movement. I do believe that the Black Lives Matter movement was well overdue and that we needed this in our country. The deaths of innocent black lives and the fact that the murders get away without conviction is absolutely disgusting to me. I personally cannot go to any protests, but I have signed as many petitions as I possibly could and have done as much as I can to educate others on the issues. Lots of people think that 2020 was a year that should be erased, but I think that this year opened all of our eyes to how much we took for granted and all the problems in the government. Trump has been getting exposed for all the unspeakable things he has done, which I believe was rightfully done, and he should be called out, and punished properly.