Works Cited
"A Little History of Ireland - The Curse of Cromwell." Irelandseye.com - The Folklore, History and Tradition of Ireland. 02 Apr. 2009 <http://www.irelandseye.com/aarticles/history/events/dates/cromwell.shtm>.
"The London Blitz, 1940." EyeWitness to History - history through the eyes of those who lived it. 01 Apr. 2009 <http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/blitz.htm>.
"Oranges and lemons rhyme." Nursery Rhymes lyrics, origins and history. 01 Apr. 2009 <http://www.rhymes.org.uk/oranges_and_lemons.htm>.
"St. Sebastian - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online." Catholic Online - Breaking News, World, U.S., Catholic, Diocese & Video News. 01 Apr. 2009 <http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=103>.
"Study Guide for Rumpelstiltskin." Index. 02 Apr. 2009 <http://www.marilynkinsella.org/Study%20Guides%20and%20info/Study%20Guide%20for%20Rumpelstiltskin.htm>.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Oliver Cromwell
"In the street in front of it there was a statue of a man on horseback which was supposed to represent Oliver Cromwell." (Orwell 114).
Winston sees this statue of Cromwell in "Victory Square." Oliver Cromwell prosecuted and killed many non-Protestants, especially Roman Catholics in Ireland. His want for power possessed him to do these evils deeds, along with anything he needed to to get ahead and have control. This is very much like Big Brother. Orwell added this Cromwell allusion to another cruel leader to add to the character of Big Brother. The fact that people like Cromwell are idealized in this society shows their pure want of power and nothing else.
http://www.irelandseye.com/aarticles/history/events/dates/cromwell.shtm
Winston sees this statue of Cromwell in "Victory Square." Oliver Cromwell prosecuted and killed many non-Protestants, especially Roman Catholics in Ireland. His want for power possessed him to do these evils deeds, along with anything he needed to to get ahead and have control. This is very much like Big Brother. Orwell added this Cromwell allusion to another cruel leader to add to the character of Big Brother. The fact that people like Cromwell are idealized in this society shows their pure want of power and nothing else.
http://www.irelandseye.com/aarticles/history/events/dates/cromwell.shtm
Rumpelstiltskin
"On a scarlet-draped platform an orator of the Inner Party, a small lean man with disproportionately long arms and a large, bald skull over which a few lank locks straggled, was haranguing the crowd. A little Rumpelstiltskin figure, contorted with hatred..." (Orwell 180).
"Rumpelstiltskin" is a fairy tale/fable by the Brothers Grimm. It tells the story of a woman who wants to marry the King, but is told she can only do so if she spins yarn into gold. A man named Rumpelstiltskin tells her he will do it for her if he can keep her first-born child. He does, and eventually he comes to claim the child. However, he says that the woman may keep her child if she can guess his name, which he believes she will never be able to do. She does, because her husband overhears him saying his name out loud, and Rumpelstiltskin returns the child and leaves.
Big Brother is like a Rumpelstiltskin character, tricking everyone around him into playing his games and doing things his way, confident he will never be found out. Winston, and accordingly Orwell, believes that if we can find a way around these people that are trying to control us and our minds, then we will be free: all we need is the information and intelligence on how to do so.
http://www.marilynkinsella.org/Study%20Guides%20and%20info/Study%20Guide%20for%20Rumpelstiltskin.htm
"Rumpelstiltskin" is a fairy tale/fable by the Brothers Grimm. It tells the story of a woman who wants to marry the King, but is told she can only do so if she spins yarn into gold. A man named Rumpelstiltskin tells her he will do it for her if he can keep her first-born child. He does, and eventually he comes to claim the child. However, he says that the woman may keep her child if she can guess his name, which he believes she will never be able to do. She does, because her husband overhears him saying his name out loud, and Rumpelstiltskin returns the child and leaves.
Big Brother is like a Rumpelstiltskin character, tricking everyone around him into playing his games and doing things his way, confident he will never be found out. Winston, and accordingly Orwell, believes that if we can find a way around these people that are trying to control us and our minds, then we will be free: all we need is the information and intelligence on how to do so.
http://www.marilynkinsella.org/Study%20Guides%20and%20info/Study%20Guide%20for%20Rumpelstiltskin.htm
The Party did not sing.
"The birds sang, the proles sang, the Party did not sing...Out of these mighty loins a race of conscious beings must one day come. You were the dead; theirs was the future. But you could share in that future if you kept alive the mind as they kept alive the body, and passed on the secret doctrine that two plus two make four." (Orwell 220-221).
Winston and Julia see the "red-armed" prole woman outside of their window, and Winston finds her beautiful as he discusses her child-bearing hips and the fact that she must have had fifteen children at least. He sees in her a hope for the future, in her children and generations to come. He says that the ignorant people "sing," they are happy. However, he has always believed that if people were only to gain intelligence, they might make themselves free by rebelling against Big Brother. Here he sees a hope for the future in the combination of the two: happy people, willing and able to bear children who may be our hope for the future, and intelligent people to pass on knowledge and let it slowly build up over centuries.
Winston and Julia see the "red-armed" prole woman outside of their window, and Winston finds her beautiful as he discusses her child-bearing hips and the fact that she must have had fifteen children at least. He sees in her a hope for the future, in her children and generations to come. He says that the ignorant people "sing," they are happy. However, he has always believed that if people were only to gain intelligence, they might make themselves free by rebelling against Big Brother. Here he sees a hope for the future in the combination of the two: happy people, willing and able to bear children who may be our hope for the future, and intelligent people to pass on knowledge and let it slowly build up over centuries.
Simply Intelligence
"And again, perhaps it was not even unorthodoxy that was written in his face, but simply intelligence. But at any rate he had the appearance of being a person that you could talk to, if somehow you could cheat the telescreen and get him alone." (Orwell 11).
Winston is drawn to O'Brien the first time he sees him. Here he explains why: he looks like he may be, like Winston, secretly against Big Brother, or he may be just intelligent. Winston believes that the only thing that the people of Oceania lack to get them out of their current position is intelligence. If only they, especially the proles, knew how much they were being oppressed, they too would turn against Big Brother and rebel. The Party keeps information and knowledge, and therefore intelligence, away from the people to keep them ignorant of the fact that they are not as good as they seem--"Ignorance is Strength."
Winston is drawn to O'Brien the first time he sees him. Here he explains why: he looks like he may be, like Winston, secretly against Big Brother, or he may be just intelligent. Winston believes that the only thing that the people of Oceania lack to get them out of their current position is intelligence. If only they, especially the proles, knew how much they were being oppressed, they too would turn against Big Brother and rebel. The Party keeps information and knowledge, and therefore intelligence, away from the people to keep them ignorant of the fact that they are not as good as they seem--"Ignorance is Strength."
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
St. Sebastian
"He would tie her naked to a stake and shoot her full of arrows like Saint Sebastian." (Orwell 15).
Saint Sebastian was a Saint who was killed for just being a Christian. When it was discovered he was a Christian, he was shot with arrows and left for dead. When his body was found however, he was still alive and was then nursed back to health. He was then beaten to death on the Emperor's orders.
Winston says here that he wants to kill Julia like Saint Sebastian was killed. He does not yet love her, and does not know that he ever will, although as we know it is forthcoming. She will remain alive and healthy no matter how much Winston hates her at the time, and, like Saint Sebastian, will make a comeback in his life.
Saint Sebastian was killed like many members of the Party are in Big Brother's London, in the year 1984: just for believing what they believe. A belief in Big Brother is like a belief in God in those days; all of the religious energy is transferred to Big Brother as well as the patriotism. He is an idol in all ways. If one does not believe in Big Brother and his benevolence, does not love him, they will be tortured or killed like Saint Sebastian was, simply for believing what they believe.
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=103
Saint Sebastian was a Saint who was killed for just being a Christian. When it was discovered he was a Christian, he was shot with arrows and left for dead. When his body was found however, he was still alive and was then nursed back to health. He was then beaten to death on the Emperor's orders.
Winston says here that he wants to kill Julia like Saint Sebastian was killed. He does not yet love her, and does not know that he ever will, although as we know it is forthcoming. She will remain alive and healthy no matter how much Winston hates her at the time, and, like Saint Sebastian, will make a comeback in his life.
Saint Sebastian was killed like many members of the Party are in Big Brother's London, in the year 1984: just for believing what they believe. A belief in Big Brother is like a belief in God in those days; all of the religious energy is transferred to Big Brother as well as the patriotism. He is an idol in all ways. If one does not believe in Big Brother and his benevolence, does not love him, they will be tortured or killed like Saint Sebastian was, simply for believing what they believe.
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=103
I love you.
"I love you." (Orwell 108).
This is a note that Winston is passed from the dark-haired girl, Julia. The fact that this note is passed to him by somebody he doesn't know at all and had no interaction with makes a statement about the decline of love in the Big Brother society. People are married, but the society is so stressful and all energy is translated to Big Brother, so these marriage are not in general happy ones, and disintegrate easily like Winston's. People are wanting for love, because it has not faded so entirely that it is forgotten. But it also forbidden to some degree, like Winston and Julia's love, so it must be more repressed, making it therefore more desirable.
This is a note that Winston is passed from the dark-haired girl, Julia. The fact that this note is passed to him by somebody he doesn't know at all and had no interaction with makes a statement about the decline of love in the Big Brother society. People are married, but the society is so stressful and all energy is translated to Big Brother, so these marriage are not in general happy ones, and disintegrate easily like Winston's. People are wanting for love, because it has not faded so entirely that it is forgotten. But it also forbidden to some degree, like Winston and Julia's love, so it must be more repressed, making it therefore more desirable.
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