I have reached the halfway point in the book. I am at the point in which protagonist Winston Smith and Julia (the dark-haired girl) have launched into a secretive affair. It must be secretive because Big Brother and the Party have done their best to stamp out love (which will provide fodder for a later post).
While these two party bureaucrats have clandestine rendezvous, they continue to work in the Party apparatus. Both have decided to chance being "disappeared" for their private behavior, while concurrently keeping up their appearances of propriety in their public lives.
On one level, since both despise the Party, it would seem that they should refuse to be a part of Big Brother's evil machinations. However, if we look at this issue from the lens current society, we each make our own uncertain compromises in our daily lives.
I once had a friend who was head of a group called the Northwest Boycott Committee. In any given month, his group promoted boycotts against some of this world's biggest and nastiest corporations. He used to get on my case because I would support some of the boycotts and not others.
I tried to explain to him that, if I boycotted every ruthless corporation, it would be next too impossible to live in the modern world. I would have to swear off use of gasoline, electricity and natural gas. There would be little for me to eat or drink. I would have to walk around naked all day and I probably couldn't live in a house, apartment, camper or tent either!
We each make compromises everyday. It is the price we pay for living in this type of civilization. It might be nice to think that we could return to living off the land by our own devices, but we know in our hearts that we're too spoiled by modern conveniences. So, we draw lines in the sand that we dare not cross and yet we knowingly or unwittingly cross them time and time again.
Just like Winston and Julia.
This series of posts based on George Orwell's novel, 1984, will be rather avant-garde. My focus will not be to explain Orwell's premises or what HE meant -- it is more about what his prose stirs in me, often in relation to the way I view the world today. Some of my observations may fall in line with Orwell's intent, but others will go off in a wholly different direction. To read my intro to this series, go here.
While these two party bureaucrats have clandestine rendezvous, they continue to work in the Party apparatus. Both have decided to chance being "disappeared" for their private behavior, while concurrently keeping up their appearances of propriety in their public lives.
On one level, since both despise the Party, it would seem that they should refuse to be a part of Big Brother's evil machinations. However, if we look at this issue from the lens current society, we each make our own uncertain compromises in our daily lives.
I once had a friend who was head of a group called the Northwest Boycott Committee. In any given month, his group promoted boycotts against some of this world's biggest and nastiest corporations. He used to get on my case because I would support some of the boycotts and not others.
I tried to explain to him that, if I boycotted every ruthless corporation, it would be next too impossible to live in the modern world. I would have to swear off use of gasoline, electricity and natural gas. There would be little for me to eat or drink. I would have to walk around naked all day and I probably couldn't live in a house, apartment, camper or tent either!
We each make compromises everyday. It is the price we pay for living in this type of civilization. It might be nice to think that we could return to living off the land by our own devices, but we know in our hearts that we're too spoiled by modern conveniences. So, we draw lines in the sand that we dare not cross and yet we knowingly or unwittingly cross them time and time again.
Just like Winston and Julia.
This series of posts based on George Orwell's novel, 1984, will be rather avant-garde. My focus will not be to explain Orwell's premises or what HE meant -- it is more about what his prose stirs in me, often in relation to the way I view the world today. Some of my observations may fall in line with Orwell's intent, but others will go off in a wholly different direction. To read my intro to this series, go here.
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