- What role does Big Brother or Emmanuel Goldstein have in the book? Do they exist? Must they exist? How do they affect Winston? Is Winston’s obsession with Big Brother really the same as his obsession with Goldstein?
- Take a look at the ending of the book. Now reflect upon statements that Winston has made about accepting Big Brother, torture, and other foreshadowing elements. What has happened to Winston? Has he truly accepted and love Big Brother? What may be implied at the end of the novel?
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
1984 Post 2
Answer the following in at least 2 well developed paragraphs. Be sure to use evidence from the novel and support your analysis. (20 points)
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The Role of Big Brother in the book is that he is the face of the society and he has to keep everything and everyone in order. Big brother is only the face of the party no one actually knows if he exists or not. It is not necessary for Big Brother to exist because if he has followers then he basically does exist. Winston's obsession with Big Brother is not the same as his obsession with Goldstein because Winston he influenced Winston to rebel against the party.
ReplyDeleteWinston was tortured to make him forget about Julia and his reasons for rebelling against the Party, after he finally accepts it they let him go. I believe that the Party brainwashed Winston but I believe that he still hates Big Brother but he is not trying to show it. Winston does not like Big Brother. At the end of the novel I would say that he would be willing to rebel again but this time with more people from the society.
I agree with your statement that Big Brother is merely the party, not an actual individual. Big Brother is used as if it were a male adult, but I believe it is in reference to The Party as a whole. Although, I disagree with your statement about how Winston still hates Big Brother. I believe they truly broke him and took away all rebellious intention that he had. I also believe that Winston would not be willing to rebel again because he was murdered, in my opinion.
DeleteI also agree with Jesus in about the statement about Winston having hate towards Big Brother. At the end of the novel, Winston is crying and saying he loves Big Brother. Though I do agree with your first statement that Big Brother isn't just a individual person but like you say the face of the party. The party acts on behalf of Big Brother so therefore (the party = Big Brother?)
DeleteBig Brother and Emmanuel Goldstein play a prominent role in 1984. The novel really never makes it clear that the two truly exist, although they do seem to affect Winston. The fact that the Party controls everything makes them exist no matter what.
ReplyDeleteWinston, after being beat, has accepted the existence of Big Brother. I don't believe that
The novel never actually says that the two exist, but I do believe they do exist just in a different sense than what Winston describes in the novel. Winston never truly wants to accept big brother, and I feel that he never does. Winston, at the end of the novel, basically says that he would rather die then completely accept what the party is telling him no matter how bad the torture.
Delete** I don't believe that he truly wants to accept him, but is just doing so to keep the Party off his back, and escape more torture
DeleteBoth Big Brother and Emmanuel Goldstein both are figure heads for an idea. Neither of them actually exist but are believed to be real people by the common citizen. Big Brother represents the party, obviously, and Goldstein represent freedom and free thought. They must exist to cement the ideas they stand for and are used to enforce the law of the party. Winston is more so affected by Goldstein at the beginning than Brother but dramatically shifts near the end. He is more interested in Goldstein in the beginning because of the promise of change. Big Brother, on the other hand, he hates and is obsessed with taking him down.
ReplyDeleteWinston has not truly "accepted" Big Brother but is afraid of not being accepted by him. Winston is forced to like Big Brother and, therefor, could not love him truly. Winston was tortured to his limits until he believed that he loved Big Brother. It is implied that Winston was "disposed of" after the incident and no longer has to worry about Big Brother any more. So at the end he died sad and alone, best described by a quote from a well known actor. "I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel alone." -Robin Williams
I did not think of big brother or Goldstein as just an idea until I read your post. It is kind of sketchy for me to think that this entire time that big brother never actually existed. Although, I agree with most of your post I do not agree with your statement-- "Winston is more interest in Goldstein" in the novel because I did not pick up on that. I feel as though Winston was more interested in big brother because he wanted to understand why things were the way they were.
DeleteMegan, you think that the idea that Big Brother isn't real is sketchy? Really? The entire government is based on doublethink. Freedom is slavery. War is Peace. Ignorance is Strength. The whole government is sketchy. The government purpose is to recreate the human identity and bend it to their liking. Creating a fake person such as Big Brother to represent and symbolize their government is something believable that they would do. Don't you think?
DeleteI agree with you completely. They do not exist, but are a mere idea as to what the party wants them to believe in. However, in the novel, it seems as if Winston's obsession is more towards Big Brother than Emmanuel Goldstein because of the way he talks about Big Brother and how strongly he talks about him.
DeleteI agree with you that both Big Brother and Goldstein are not real people in 1984's society. Goldstein could have at some point in time been a real enemy the party fought with. But because the Party's sole purpose is to have control and power, they continued to use him as a public enemy to get the people's support of what the Party was doing for them. The Party was "protecting" their members from the enemy. Big Brother is just a front for the corrupted government that the Party is forcing on the people of Airstrip one.
DeleteBig brother plays an enormous role in the book. The book begins with Winston seeing a poster that reads: “Big Brother is watching you.” Big brother controls everything. Big brother has had books and records rewritten so that they can say this is how things are and how they have always been. Big brother has to exist because if not there would not be a plot for 1984. Winston is affected by big brother because he tries to rebel against them and it backfires. Winston is not allowed to have a relationship with Julia when he wants to. Winston also buys items that big brother does not allow off of the black market. Big brother causes Winston to be secretive. Winston also lives with Julia for some time until big brother finds them and begins brainwashing him. Winston’s obsession with big brother is the same as his obsession with Goldstein. Winston is simply curious to why big brother is doing what they are doing.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the story Winston feels that he would rather be dead than to accept the ideas and brainwashing of big brother. Even though Winston follows big brother’s rules now and does what they say he still does not want to completely accept big brother’s ideals. Winston has not truly accepted big brother nor does he love big brother. It can be implied at the end of the novel that Winston as died, but he has not physically died but his spirit has.
I also agree that Big brother is a huge role in the book. I also believe that Winston feels like his sole purpose in life is to rebel against Big Brother, which is why he is so important. I also agree that Winston is very curious about big brother. However, I disagree with your statement that Winston did not die physically. As chapter 3 states, it is almost crystal clear that Big Brother has plans to kill Winston after they break him.
DeleteI agree that Big Brother is a big deal but I don't think he's as important as you think. I think he's just a face and a name to put on a poster to give the general public someone to fear and someone to be unified under. It isn't one person doing all of those things, but the party and the citizens (Winston, included.) "Big Brother" is the society. It was the society that was watching him (remember the spies?) and it was the society that brought him down. In book 3, chapter 4 Orwell wrote, "To die hating them, that was freedom." I don't think Winston ever achieved freedom.
DeleteWhat is death? What is life? What is--but seriously, Winston is pretty much dead. It wouldn't make sense on letting the poor bastard live. I agree with Jesus. It's pretty clear that Winston is going to die after they break his spirit. "No one who has once astray is ever spared." Winston is dead. At the end, Winston cries and loves Big Brother. Winston completed his torture. Winston is executed.
DeleteI agree with Megan about the Big Brother big deal thing. I disagree with Victoria, though. O'B said "Of course he exists. The Party exists. Big Brother is the embodiment of the Party." If Big Brother is society and the party, Big Brother is the representation of the society Winston lives in. Therefore, Winston is against Big Brother.
I agree with you. Obviously Big Brother is the biggest symbol throughout the novel. Also, Winston's main goal in life was to rebel against Big Brother. I think that although it states in chapter 3 that the Party has plans to kill Wintson after they break him, I think the novel ends with him alive. Just because it is stated that he will be killed, doesn't mean it happened in the novel. Also, it could've been interpreted as Wintson's psychological death rather than his physical death.
DeleteI disagree with you that Winston does not die. O'Brien basically tell Winston that he is going to be murdered. Although it is not stated directly, I think that Winston is executed by the Party so that his rebellious ways never surface again.
DeleteI don't beliebe that Winston was physically executed, but I do believe that the "Old Winston" has died. He doesn't think he is "bulletproof" now and accepts that he has to agree with the Party or he will be killed.
DeleteBig Brother plays a pivotal role in this novel. Big Brother basically creates the world that Winston lives in. If Big Brother did not exist, neither would the totalitarian society that Winston lives in, therefore, there would be no story. The role that Big Brother plays in this novel is large especially for Winston because that is who he rebels against throughout the novel. He is obsessed with rebelling against Big Brother and what Big Brother is doing, that it is where he finds his identity. Winston in the end of the story it is stated that he loves big brother, but earlier in the novel, Winston spoke about when one loves Big Brother, He kills them. Therefore, I believe that Winston was murdered by Big Brother, explaining the abrupt end to the novel. Apparent evidence of the murdering of Winston is in chapter 3 of Book Three on page 274. Winston asks O'Brien how soon they will shoot him. O'Brien responds with ". . . In the end we shall shoot you." This is very blunt evidence that Winston was murdered after he was broken.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that Big Brother plays a pivotal role in the novel but I disagree completely with your statement that the totalitarian society wouldn't exist without him. I think Big Brother is a fabrication of the society, a figure-head that gives the citizens someone to be afraid and take orders from. I agree with you that Winston was executed but I disagree that he was murdered by Big Brother, again, because I do not think Big Brother actually existed. Winston was shot by someone who followed the totalitarian dogma of the society. He was shot by the society and the rules they followed, by a "we," not by Big Brother.
DeleteI agree with you that Big Brother plays a pivotal role in the novel. I also believe that without Big Brother, Winston would not be himself. Winston's whole purpose in life is to rebel against the party and Big Brother.
DeleteBig Brother and Emmanuel Goldstein have the same role but for different parties. They are the personification of party ideals. They remind me of Uncle Sam, who is a personification of our national government. Uncle Sam never actually existed (although it's believed he was named after Samuel Wilson.) I do not think Big Brother or Emmanuel Goldstein actually existed. I just think they were fabrications of the party put in place to keep citizen in order/give them someone to idolize and to give the general public an enemy, respectively. They affected Winston the way they were intended to, he was afraid of Big Brother and he passionately hated Goldstein in unity with those around him during 2-minute hate. Winston wanted to understand what was going on. Goldstein just a scapegoat of the Ministry of Love's creation.
ReplyDeleteWinston has been successful brainwashed. He has truly accepted and loves Big Brother because he has no other choice except to. This serves to create the implication Orwell intended to make by this novel, that a totalitarian regime is basically a nightmare. As Orwell wrote in Book III, Chapter 3 ,”If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face — forever. “
I agree with your statements about Big Brother and Goldilocks. They are just creations of the Party. Big Brother represents the Party. It is their mascot. It is their speaker. Everyone believes in Big Brother. Goldy is the enemy, the common enemy.
DeleteI don't think they just left Winston at brainwashed. The Party wouldn't let someone who is corrupted walk again. Winston has been executed when he finally realized he loved Big Brother. That's why it's so emotional at the end. He realizes he is going to die.
Finally I can begin this discussion post! I am so excited! Big Brother and Emmanuel Goldstein do not exist. They are just imaginary beings that represent certain ideas. They are ideas. They don’t have to exist. To begin I like to mention a quote from V for Vendetta, “Behind this mask there is more than just flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea and ideas are bulletproof.” Cue strangling. Anyways, this is what Big Brother and Goldstein are. They are masks that stand for idea. They aren’t real. Big Brother stands for the people to look up to. He is their symbol for what is right (Freedom is Slavery, War is Peace, Ignorance is Strength). Goldstein is the common enemy. Everyone is united against a common enemy. Goldstein is the freedom, civil rights, and enjoyable sex. Big Brother and Goldstein as well as the Brotherhood are tools by the Party to control and manage its citizens. Pretty ingenious if you’d ask me. Like O’B said “Of course [Big Brother], exist. The party exists. Big Brother is the embodiment of the Party.” Does Big Brother exist the same way we exist? We do not exist.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the book Orwell writes, “He loved Big Brother.” Well, there you have it. But wait, there’s more! Now, O’B told Winston that in the end Winston will die.
“Do not imagine that you will save yourself, Winston, however completely you surrender to us. No one who has once gone astray is ever spared. And even if we chose to let you live out the natural term of your life, still you would never escape from us. What happens to you here is forever. Understand that in advance.”
Once Winston loved Big Brother, he was to die. O’B doesn’t just execute, they clean people and teach them to love Big Brother. Winston at the end began to cry. He was clean. He finally loved Big Brother. He was soon to die for his mistakes. Winston is dead.
Good post. I completely agree.
DeleteI'd like to start off by saying that I'm judging you for responding to your own post.
DeleteAnyway, I agree with you in that Big Brother and Emmanuel Goldstein are merely ideas that represent the Party and it's enemy. However, I don't know if I completely agree with you that Winston actually loved Big Brother. Does he really love him or is it just an idea he's been brainwashed with? Is there even a difference between the two?
I agree with you. I feel like I can't disagree with you because you are the smartest person I know.
DeleteI too agree that the two are just ideas and not real people. I think that he did love him, because his mind was brainwashed to do so
DeleteBig Brother does exist but as a part of the Party, but he can never die. While Goldstein may not exist but it is likely that both are merely Party propaganda. the fact that O'Brien claims to have written Goldstein's book is a good indication of this. They serve as propaganda to influence the society of 1984 and help shape the thoughts of the public. For the sake of the government they must exist because it helps control society. It effects Winston because he is works for the party. His obsession with Big Brother is different with Goldstein because Big Brother has always been influencing him ever since he was a small while Goldstein is something that could possibly been created by Big Brother.
ReplyDeleteAfter Winston was tortured and his sanity is broken he finally accepted Big Brother. Though it was through brainwashing he gave into the Party which they could do whatever they want to Winston. Which at the end after accepting Big Brother they possibly executed him which was foreshadowed by O'Brien who said everyone in the end was to be shot.
I never really thought of that Wilmer, Goldstein may be a figure of the Party to capture those who choose to rebel thinking that the Brotherhood is real. The Brotherhood and Big Brother may not exist but their symbolic presence helps control the country and its government.
DeleteBig Brother and Emmanuel Goldstein play the role of the leader of the Party. The novel does not make it clear as to whether or not Big Brother or Goldstein exists. The concept of doublethink makes Big Brother exist as an embodiment of the Party, but cannot die. This has no effect on Winston because regardless of if they exist, his entire existence is based off of the society that he lives in. His obsession with Goldstein is based off of his positive reaction to the “Brotherhood” and his longing for a leader in rebellion; on the other hand, his obsession with Big Brother is in a more negative light because he resents the control the Party has over him which is represented by Big Brother.
ReplyDeleteI think at the end of the book it is clear that Winston has come to accept Big Brother as his leader. However, I don’t think it’s because he truly believes it. He says he wants nothing more than to die by being shot, and then goes right into confessing his love for Big Brother. This shows isn’t exactly mentally stable anymore. He isn’t a free spirit because of the way the Party has controlled his thoughts. So even though physically Winston is alive, he might as well be dead.
I agree with you that Winston doesn't truly believe his feelings toward Big Brother are genuine. He does accept him as a leader but not much more. Winston thinks " To die hating them, that was freedom," on page 281. Even though he has been beaten and tortured to believe that freedom is slavery and that he should love big brother, he still thinks that what they are and what they represent is wrong. In his heart he does not feel what the party wants him to until he is faced with the fact that the past he knew would no longer live on, and neither would he much longer after being released.
DeleteI agree with you that he didn't truly believe in his love for Big Brother. He was simply being forced to do so, and in some way convinced himself he had to do so to survive. In page 245 on the book, he said that "he had won the victory over himself," that proved that he just convinced himself not to do so. I also do not think that either Big Brother or Goldstein exists. They are just part of the Party to control and brainwash people.
DeleteThe roles that Big Brother and Goldstein have in 1984 are very important. Big Brother is the political figure of the party and Goldstein the head of the Brotherhood.These figures are supposedly existing in the society in which Winston lives in. But there is no evidence proving or disproving their existence (the party uses doublethink). They must exist so that the party has control over the people of the outer party, to keep order. Even O'Brien tells Winston while interrogating him that Goldstein and Big Brother would exist as long as the Party wanted them to. On page 268 Orwell says," Goldstein and his heresies will live forever. Every day, at every moment, they will be defeated, discredited... they will always survive." The figures are necessary to gain and contain control over the people. Winston is more obsessed with Big Brother because he has been around him longer than Goldstein.
ReplyDeleteTowards the ending of the novel Winston is being tortured by O'Brien. The party wants him not only to accept Big Brother, but to love him. To have no doubt about what the party asked of him or told him. The last line of the story on page 298 says, " He loved Big Brother." With tears in his eyes it seems like Winston has finally come to accept his fate. What is implied that after this Winston would be vaporized. Even O'Brien says that in the end they always shoot them in the back of the neck. "Everything is cured sooner or later. In the end we shall shoot you."
I completely agree with you. On the quote from the story it does say that they will only exist as long as the party wants them to which kind of implies that they could possibly not exist. However, they are needed to contain the power that is needed in the party since the party gives them such a huge role over the citizens.
DeleteOnce again, I 100% agree with you Gloria. Big Brother and Goldstein are nonexistent characters that only are imagined to keep the lowly party members in line. Both allow the Party to maintain absolute control, and Winston is definitely more obssesed with Big Brother, as he does not know whether Goldstein is for real or not. And yes, Winston got popped immediately.
DeleteI agree with you. Big Brother and Goldstein don't exist. They are both just their to control and manipulate the people. Both of these ideas allow the Party to keep everyone oppressed and under their thumb, without most of them knowing it. I think that Winston accepted his fate because they conditioned him to. After being tortured for what he tells is a very long time, he finally accepts his fate and oppression.
DeleteBig Brother and Emmanuel Goldstein play a huge role throughout the novel. They both are the the reasons as to why the party is the way they are. They basically run the whole party and, supposedly, everyone should be afraid of them. However, they do not exist because they both never appear throughout the book. Someone could disagree and say that them not making an appearance does not mean they do not exist, but on the contrary, there is no possible quote from them; just myths that the party tells the citizens to scare them and make them obey the party. However, they must exist in the novel to bring out the impact of the way the party wants them to think. The party will make up these stories of how dangerous and horrible BB and EG are so the people of Oceania have no choice than to believe them because they have to believe everything they are told. They do have to exist though just to have and extra boost as to why they should be scared even though they are never seen.
ReplyDeleteThey affect Winston because they are both heads of the party which Winston wants to rebel against. He hates the morals that they both have, supposedly, set for the people of Oceania. BB and EG are the basis as to who they should listen to and what is wanted of the people which causes to have the citizens right suppressed; Winston is against all of that which is why he likes to rebel and writes in his diary "Down With Big Brother" which is a thoughtcrime. They affect him because he hates the party and BB and EG who are believed to be the ones who created the laws. However, Winston's obsession with BB is a bit more extreme than his with EG because he talks about BB a bit more than EG and he talks more deeply about his hate for him in a greater aspect.
Abby, you forgot the second part of the discussion. And I agree with you that Big Brother and Emmanuel Goldstein are both main parts of the Party. They both played a part in how the Party brainwash people. Big Brother suppresses the will of the people. Even among the few that want to rebel, like Winston when he wrote down "DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER (pg 19)" on his diary, the fact that most of them will turn to Goldstein will get them caught. Then they get brainwashed.
DeleteI believe that Big Brother and Goldstein do not exist, however they are both merely political figures in Oceania. They play a huge role in 1984. Big Brother is an example of what is right and how to act, while Goldstein is the enemy of the Party. They must both exist in order to keep the party alive and well. Big Brother is a role model for the people, and Goldstein is just used to strike fear into the hearts of the people and make them support the Party.
ReplyDeleteWinston never really "loved" Big Brother, he was brainwashed. He realized that he had no choice but to love Big Brother, if not he would die. In the end Winston most likely died. This was foreshadowed by O'Brien who said that everyone is shot in the end.
You da real MVP Eric. Dat mindset be skr8 how I sees it cuhh.
DeleteBig Brother probably does exist, but it's not like a single person being Big Brother. I think it's a group of people. Just like how Uncle Sam is a national personification for the U.S., Big Brother is the national personification for Oceania
DeleteI am a bit conflicted with your statement. Big Brother was an imaginary concept, sure, but Big Brother was more of a model dictator than a example of how to act. Big Brother is a concept created just to keep the people docile and fearful of a higher power. Whereas Goldstein is created as a scapegoat to the party's shenanigans. He does, however, cause the people to support the party. And yes, Winston was popped and killed.
DeleteBig Brother is the symbol of this totalitarian society. He is the icon and highest law of the land. Emmanuel Goldstein, on the other hand, is the head of the enemies of the Party. Based on details in the book, I would say they don't exist. But it does not matter whether they exist or not, as long as they represents something, the icon they represent would spread throughout the society. Big Brother gave off a oppressive feeling towards Winston, and he didn't feel safe at times, as evident when he said "he could not help feeling a twinge of panic (pg 19)." In the story, Goldstein represented the hope of the enemies of the party, and Winston felt he was similar to Goldstein. Winston's obsession with Big Brother is different than his obsession with Goldstein. Big Brother's influence on Winston caused Winston to be interested in Goldstein.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the story, Winston finally accepted reality and accepted Big Brother. He found that it is futile to resist, and it would make his life easier to stop resisting Big Brother. It was not as matter of he changed his mind, it was more that he realize it is pointless to resist. At the end, he said that he "had won the victory over himself (pg 245)." It was more that he stop himself from thinking of rebellion instead of getting brainwashed.
I agree with you on this statement. Winston finally did accept reality and accept Big Brother. He did find it futile to resist and just accepted his fate that was upon him
DeleteI'd have to agree also. Winston was under a lot. He was having to choose over following Big Brother or simply dying. Like you said, it was pointless for to have continued to resist .
DeleteBig Brother and Emmanuel Goldstein are the leaders of the opposing forces in Oceania. Big Brother is the titular head of Oceania, and Goldstein is the leader of his opponents, The Brotherhood. Also they are very similar, Orwell doesn't make it clear whether or not they actually exist. O'Brien does tell Winston that Big Brother does and does not exist. Big Brother does exist as the embodiment of the party, but he can never die. O'Brien did not tell Winston if Goldstein and the Brotherhood actually exist. Winston's obsession with Big Brother might not be the same as his obsession with Goldstein just because he know's a little bit of information on Big Brother due to O'Brien but he has no exact information on Goldstein.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of 1984, Winston was being interrogated and brainwashed. He asks O'Brien if he's going to be executed or not. O'Brien explains that they do not just execute someone, they break them down and teach them to love Big Brother. After Winston had been forced to betray Julia, and realizes that his love for her had been destroyed, he realized that he loved Big Brother after all.
I agree with you, BIg Brother was never truly declared as existent in the novel. Also, Winston's obsession over Goldstein may have been due to the fact that Goldstein was said to be the head of the Brotherhood. Winston at the end broke down and finally realized that he had love for Big Brother only through O'Brien
DeleteIn all reality, Big Brother and Goldstein do not exist. Big Brother is the Party's own Uncle Sam, a figure to look up to that all the people respect, although he never shows his face or proves his existence in any way, shape, or form implies that the party has simply created the Legend of Big Brother. His description is awfully close to that of Joseph Stalin, meaning the Party quite possibly just plastered the face of the long-forgotten dictator everywhere and said that it was the ruler. The same could be said of Goldstein. Goldstein is a target of the outer Party members direction. Through propaganda and lies, the Party convinces the outer members that Goldstein is the enemy, not the Party itself. Through programs like the Two Minutes Hate and Hate Week, the party reroutes any aggression from the constant bull that the Party puts its member through into an imaginary character that probably never existed. The characters do and do not really need to exist, the upper party members can accomplish the same role as Big Brother without having an absolute ruler, and Goldstein has to exist to give the party members someone to blame when things go wrong.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the novel, Winston is shot. Notice the abrupt ending to the novel. One piece of evidence leading to this is when Winston and Julia are first captured, O'Brien says "You are dead." before taking them captive. Later, while torturing Winston, O'Brien tells Winston that everybody ends up shot. The Party brainwashed Winston as a way of punishing him for his actions, and letting him know that they are still in charge. But right after his head is filled up with Big Brotherly love, the Party puts a bullet in his dome.
I agree with you that Big Brother is the Party's Uncle Sam. I really like this comparison. The party always seems to be shoving Big Brother into everyone's face while never fully showing who Big Brother is. But how can they? Big Brother is just an idea to oppress everyone in their society. I don't think that Party brainwashed Winston as a punishment, though. I think they did it to assert their power over him one last time before they executed him.
DeleteBig Brother and Emmanuel Goldstein don't exist. They are both ideas that the Party made up. The government put Big Brother into place to have a face for the totalitarianism system. If they didn't have something or someone in place as the 'head' of what they wanted, they wouldn't have succeeded in building their system. Big Brother is a very important concept in this novel: Winston is always terrified of what might happen to him if he is caught rebelling against Big Brother. His thoughtcrime and doublethink put him on edge for the greater part of the novel. It shows how powerful a thought can be if it is planted just right. The Party is always keen on reminding people that Big Brother is watching them, even though Big Brother is just an idea. This secures their power and the people's submission.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the novel, Winston is being brainwashed. It doesn't matter that he is going to end up being shot, the Party still decides to fill his mind with their ideas and concepts. Winston may say that he loves Big Brother, but in truth he is being conditioned to say these things. Winston doesn't fight back, he doesn't rebel, he just accepts the inevitable. He accepts the fact that he will end up shot for this already committed crime.
I'd have to agree with you Val, i honestly do think the party just made Big Brother up. I think they just did this to not only scare people but to also make there system work better.
DeleteI believe that Big Brother isn't just one individual, but many people. They just want to keep the people wondering whether or not this person exist. But its a party, which means it could be anyone. Regardless whether Big Brother is one person or not, Winston is still terrified of Big Brother. I think Big Brother was just brought up to make the people terrified and not wan tot go against the party. Like how they mention that Big Brother is always watching you, who is to say that really is true?
ReplyDeleteFrom going to being against Big Brother to now following his orders, I believe that Winston was brainwashed from all the torture he received. Anyone would act in such manner after being tortured and being scared.
Big Brother does not exist, he is merely a symbolic figure of authority, and he's never seen throughout the book except on posters. Big Brother must exist, he is the power source of the Party, through him, people find fear for the Party. "Big Brother is watching" Goes through the minds of the people of Oceania thus making them believe an imaginary god-like figure continuously watches over them.
ReplyDeleteWinston knew he was going to get shot, he had committed thoughtcrime. Every citizen knew that once committing thoughtcrime of any sort, you are to be prosecuted. Winston was manipulated through psychological conditioning, learning that accepting the Party's values equaled no pain. At the end of the novel, through the actions of Winston, it can be implied that Winston has been truly remade mentally. Winston now accepts Big Brother.