Selina Zheng
6/10/2020
Period 9
Sophomores 2020
Blogger #68
Aim I: How are the readers of 1984 warned about the power of manipulation?
Do Now:
In our do now, we had a think/pair/share, or a whole class discussion centered around 2 questions: “Can you alter your own feelings by force of will? Why/Why not?” and “Can someone else alter another person’s innermost feelings?”. In my opinion, yes, I think you can alter your own feelings by force of will because when I was was on debate team, when someone had anxiety around public speaking, the way they learned to enjoy or at least get over it was by forcing themselves to participate, even if it was difficult. Also, I think someone else can alter someone’s innermost feelings because emotional manipulation exists. There have been awful stories about how gaslighting can easily cause a person to doubt or suppress their own feelings. Christina also thought that feelings could be altered by force of will based on psychological studies she had read, but Sarah thought that it would be difficult to change someone’s innermost, core feelings. Mrs. Peterson shared with us the biological factors that govern a person’s emotions, and connected it to novels we have read before. For example, Lady Macbeth was able to manipulate Macbeth, but he still harbored inner doubt and she could not change his innermost emotions, and in Lord of the Flies, the boys dealt with the flight or fight tactic.
Lesson Notes:
Then the class had questions which everyone was able to answer. Nicole wanted to know what was the point of having the prole woman singing outside? I thought she was driving the point home, that the proles were powerful - but ignorant and unable to rise up. Alan thought she was a spy. Russell predicted that they might meet Big Brother, but Angie thought that Big Brother might not be an actual person, but a figure head or scare tactic, representative of the police, and Alan wanted to know if it was possible to have 1984 today? Mrs. Peterson wanted to know if the thought police could actually read your thoughts. Christina thought that it was very unlikely that they could because “they cannot put a chip in your head”. It was decided that rather than being able to actually read minds, the world in 1984 has been set up so that everyone conforms. When there is a pattern or rebellious or unorthodox behavior, then the thought police can tell what someone is “thinking”. The questions I came up with were: Can we trust O’Brien? If Big Brother and their government is so good at controlling children and brainwashing them, how is it that Julia is so uncontrollable? Can Julia be trusted? How is Julia so much better at evading Big Brother than Winston? How is it that Winston has built Big Brother up to be an inescapable figure when Julia evades him so easily and so often? What will happen to the diary when Winston is caught? I also wondered about the significance of the rat. Why was Winston so shaken?
Then we discussed Julia, Winston, and their similarities and differences.
I thought that Julia was a very capable person, she’s very energetic and participates in many activities that Big Brother would approve of, while avoiding detection of how internally rebellious she is. Nicole thought that Julia is capable of, but does not care about wide scale rebellion - she just wants to survive. Gabriel felt that Winston was born before the revolution, so he believes in wide scale rebellion, but Julia was born afterwards, so she sees Big Brother as an inescapable, internal force. They both want to rebel to some extent, are both outer party members. Mrs. Peterson said Julia was a promiscuous, vibrant woman, and an excellent actress. She seems orthodox, but is aggressively rebellious, and she is predominantly concerned with her present life. Also, Winston and Julia have a big age gap (she’s 26 and he’s 39). Mrs. Peterson began to talk about how manipulation might be demonstrated here. Even though he isn’t “robbing the cradle”, he is much older than her, and from Mrs. Peterson’s own experience, the difference between someone at 26 and 39 is enormous. Isn’t this setting Julia up for manipulation? Even though Julia is a very capable girl, just by being with Winston, she is making herself vulnerable. I worry that especially because Winston previously despised her, and has a tendency to hate women, that something will happen to her. She shook off Winston’s admission of his desire to rape and kill her suprisingly easily - where is her survival instinct?
Then Mrs. Peterson asked us to record what happened last Friday.
We discussed why there was such difficulty recording what happened, why is it so easy to forget what transpired, even though only a few days had passed, and how can forgetting leave people vulnerable? Nicole Reyblat said that it was because nothing noticeable happened, therefore we wouldn’t remember it, because every day is the same. Russel said forgetting can leave people vulnerable because if you allow people to change your past, they can change your future, and how you perceive the world. For me, I barely remembered anything about that day, except what was routine for me, like toast for breakfast and waking up at 8. Finally, we wrapped up class as usual, by referring to the aim.
Write about your thoughts regarding the reading.
1984 is an important novel to read because it addresses important topics like manipulation, totalitarianism, and propaganda, but at the same time, I disliked reading it. While I appreciated the lesson Orwell is trying to impart, it is difficult to grasp how vicious that world is when Winston interrupts the plot to lambast women. While I understand that the personalities that have been cultivated by Big Brother in 1984 must be annoying, I noted that Winston didn’t say anything similar about the men. A novel that discusses freedom while simultaneously demeaning women is highly hypocritical. I could have ignored this if I felt that it was satirical or for a purpose, but once researched, it seems that Orwell is as misogynistic as his writing suggests. Especially in this time, I think that the fight for liberty and rights must be intersectional, so to read such a work of literature felt like a slap in the face.
Additionally, I feel like we are on the cusp of the climax of the novel, since Winston and Julia keep pushing the limits of their rebellion. Like Winston believes, they will eventually be caught, especially as they grow more lax and careless. I am surprised at how easily Winston was able to bribe the shopkeeper, and I think this is premonitory. This might be a leap in judgement, but I wonder if the shopkeeper is a spy - or alternatively, a member of the resistance? Another plot point that jumped out to me in this chapter was the rhyme about churches. In another lesson, we discussed how Orwell often uses repetition as a tool to emphasize certain significant events. I want to know how this rhyme will be important, since I can’t think of anything at the moment.
What is it like working from home?
After attempting to recall what I did last Friday, I was shocked to realize that my daily life varies very little. While a schedule is good, today’s class has convinced me that I need to introduce some variety in my life. I spend most of my time working on projects, which become more and more stressful as the final deadline approaches, but I shouldn’t neglect my physical health. Another thing I have realized while the school year draws to a close is how much time this pandemic has taken from us. I thought that there wouldn’t be a major change because of all the time built into the schedule for disasters, and the school’s general record of being able to adapt quickly, but as Mrs. Peterson mentioned in the beginning of class, we have lost a lot of time. This is especially clear to me now, since I never had the chance to finish certain chapters with in my AP World History class. In all honesty, it’s a little saddening for me. I despise leaving things unfinished, and while I could study on my own, it’s still very disheartening.
Your own personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now.
This year has been a rollercoaster of emotions. It feels like there’s no time for a break when disasters occur one after another. While other countries appear to be getting back on their feet, like Australia, I wonder when America will be able to, especially because we are already facing a myriad of other problems. The murder of George Floyd was heartbeaking, and the protests that are sweeping the nation have helped wake me up to my own privilege. In all honesty, I feel ashamed for not recognizing how lucky I was before, and horrified at the abysmal quality of life some people face without recognition.
Student reflection of the day's lesson:
What did I learn?
Today I learned about how manipulation is demonstrated in 1984. The thought police in 1984 are said to know your thoughts. Thinking the wrong things has become a crime. The government and Big Brother indoctrinate their citizens and eliminate all those who don’t conform with their expectations. So in class, I began to understand a different type of manipulation. The first thing that I think of when I think about manipulation is emotional manipulation - gaslighting, but it’s also important to understand that manipulation can come in many different levels and many different manifestations. For example, manipulation can be between a government and its people. Manipulation can also refer to how Big Brother weaponizes the past by erasing it.
Why did I learn it?
This is important because manipulation compromises everything about a person. To me, manipulation is someone’s control of you so that you are no longer “yourself” but an extension of them. For example, Big Brother manipulates or brainwashes citizens even from birth, so they live in conformity, and as he wishes, almost as if he were a god. As mentioned in class, manipulation doesn’t just to apply to emotions or people, but also physical, tangible things, like the 1984 government’s manipulation of the past to control the future. Learning about manipulation is important because we can then identify and prevent it from controlling us. An example Alan and Christina mentioned in class was how we are so interconnected in this day and age, that when misinformation is reported, people are quick to call it out.
How will I use what I learned?
I will use what I learned to be more aware and careful about the content I consume. 1984 proves how easy it is to doctor information. In our current age, we have innumerable technological advances that allow us to create misleading or even outright falsified information. For example, what once was considered irrefutable photographic evidence can be doctored by a tool that people easily have access to, photoshop. When we have such easy ways to change the past, we must take steps to make sure we access the right content. Even though it is easy to disprove misinformation, we must look for it. It is on us to verify claims.
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