1984 Quote Analysis
“We control matter because we control the mind. Reality is inside the skull. You will learn by degrees, Winston. There is nothing that we could not do. Invisibility, levitation-anything. I could float off this floor like a soap bubble if I wish to. I do not wish to, because the Party does not wish it. You must get rid of those nineteenth-century ideas about the laws of nature. We make the laws of nature.” (p. 167)
This quote comes from close to the end of the novel as we
are reaching the climax of the story. O’Brien, an Inner Party member who caught
Winston committing a thought crime, was further explaining the purpose of the
Party and how it could accomplish absolute power over everything, even matter,
by having the power over the human mind.
The quote’s relevance is of present-day importance.
Brainwashing can be subtle, we see this in marketing when we hear a certain
jingle or see a specific symbol. “Alternative facts” are a part of our reality
now. Kellyanne Conway, an adviser to President Trump, coined the term herself
after being questioned about the press secretary’s comments about the size of
the inaugural crowds.
The quote, and what we are experiencing today, should help
us to realize to be more analytical, understanding that there is bias in much
of the world as everyone or every group or every party has their agenda. It isn’t
that we must speculate everything being heard or seen, but that we must take a
more critical approach into why so
that we may always find the truth.
I like your connections, but remember to be careful when mixing politics with school. You might find yourself in a conversation with a very angry parent or administrator....make sure you have tenure first :)
ReplyDeleteI figured as much. I couln't help myself with this novel, but I am sure I would not take such a strong approach, just hope the students would make that decision for themselves. I was trying to get both sides of the story as well. The media side and the Trump administration side, but I feel that this can be challenging in walking such a fine line.
ReplyDeleteChallenging yes, but you could be the mediator and keep the ball rolling...I think that the students would love to talk about it. i just wanted to warn you about possible push back at some point.
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