Blog #44 - Irene Ghobriel - Period 9 - 6/2/2020

Sophomore 2020
Blog #44
Irene Ghobriel Period 9
June 2, 2020
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
Blog Content
Write about what you learned in your online English lessons.
The primary objective to take from this lesson is that what we perceive to be true can be the
polar opposite from what really happened. This is primarily seen in history; because we were not
there to see the events unfold, our teachers and authorities can paint any picture they want in
order to change our perceptions and control how we think. Not only is this seen in the First
Thanksgiving, when the story of cruel genocide of the natives had been shifted to a peaceful
union of a harvest, but also in 1984, where the elderly of Oceania can hardly remember what life
was like before Ingsoc. The novel holds a prime example of how governments suppress
intellectual freedom by slowing simplifying thoughts through Newspeak and monitoring people’s
actions. Any means of disobedience would be punished, thus fostering a system of dull,
mindless citizens who cannot think for themselves.
What is it like working from home?
I think that working from home is a lot easier than working at school because the
assignments.due dates are much more lenient, and so it’s easier to work at my own pace. My
stress has been reduced, and so there is an appropriate balance of relaxation and productivity.
However, I also really miss school. I miss being able to work hard and study for most of the day,
as well as seeing my friends and teachers. I think the best way to describe this is that I miss the
stress being able to motivate be to study hard.
Your own personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now.
I understand that this situation is extremely unfortunate and daunting for many people. I want to
acknowledge that I’m a very lucky person to be able to focus on myself and my education and
not have to worry about much else. I want to be able to help out as much as I can, but I think that
the best solution is for everyone to do their part and stay home as much as they can.
Student Reflection
What did I learn?
I learned that we, as children, are very easily manipulated, and that what we accept to be true
can be far from honest.
Why did I learn it?
I learned it to understand why change, whether that be in environment, politics, ideologues,
etc.happens. For example, in the Scientific Revolution, we accepted that the sun revolves around
to earth, which was a belief based on Catholicism. However, as more research and
understanding occurred, we learned that it was the other way around, which broke down the
interactions between religion and the world.
How will I use what I learned?
I will use what I learn to question things that I believe to be untruthful. Just like Winston’s
perception of the proles, it’s a person’s duty as a citizen to identify flaws in his/her community
and make necessary changes in order to improve thier quality of life.