Blog 43 Lisa Gerasimova, Period 3 5/20/2020

Aim: How and why does Winston manage to resist the manipulative power of language and mob mentality?

1. What is it like working from home?
1. Working from home is very different from going to school. It would seem that you have a lot of time to get work done, but the reality is that without waking up on a schedule and having an environment specifically dedicated to working, motivation dips and it becomes harder and harder to complete work. It also is saddening to only be able to communicate with people through a screen, it isn’t the same as having a discussion in a room with people who are able to really see your emotion and your point in the discussions. It is a challenge, but we are all doing our best.
2. What did you learn in your online English class?
1. In this class I learned about how quickly a person in charge can administer absolute power over people. We were having a discussion in which Ms. Peterson was asking us what we saw while secretly watching what people did behind their screens. When I told her that people were being suspicious and kept looking up at their screens and then down, as if watching people (because that is what they were doing) she pretended to deduct points from my team for saying something she claimed to disagree with. It taught us that even if you are correct, it does not mean that those thoughts will be accepted, and you may even be penalized for them.
3. What are your thoughts regarding the reading? 
1. I think the book in general is very interesting and brings to light many issues which we may not be privy to in real life. Throughout this reading mob mentality and the manipulative power of language were touched upon. The reading gave me a weirdly existentially chaotic feeling, most of the readings do, because some of the absurdities you witness in the book aren’t too far off from what we may experience in our real lives.

Student Reflection:

1. I realized how easy it is for people in charge to use words to manipulate the world around us, to skew the views of the people below them in order to benefit themselves. I find it grounding and eye-opening to see the flaws of our society reflected in the society in the novel, and while originally you may think that their flaws are highly exaggerated versions of yours, as you read and think you come to see that the book is alarmingly similar to our reality.
2. I learned this because it is important for everyone in our societies to be hyper aware of what goes on around them and how easy it would be for all of us to be taken advantage of. I learned this so that me and my classmates don’t become sheep, blindly following the rules of society without questioning their impact on our lives and our rights.
3. I will use what I learned to be more aware of the world around me, to make sure that when something seems wrong I am able to use my voice to try and make things right. I will use this information to ensure that neither I nor anyone else is taken advantage of by people above us against our wills and basic human rights.