PART TWO
10. Character: In what ways are Julia and Winston alike? In what ways are they different?
-) Julia and Winston share a few similarities. They are unwilling to fully obey and follow the party's teaching. Despite the fact that having an love affair in Oceania is considered to be a criminal offence that can result in torture and death, they still enjoys to indulge in human pleasure to fulfil their sexual desire.
Apart from their similarities, Winston has suspicion of the party. He would question the party's principles and tries to understand how a society should be. On the other hand, Julia is satisfied with her daily life style and tries to make the best of her life. She is some-how more self-centred and only has interest in gaining pleasures for herself. Furthermore, there are also major physical differences between Winston and Julia. Winston is an older man with a less impressive appearances but he is more intellectual while Julia is in her twenties, who is much younger than Winston and is more attractive.
11. Theme: Why does the party permit couples to marry but discourage love?
-) Since sex instinct is part of the social basis of human (and animal) behaviour, it is a natural response to ensure the development of humans, socially and genetically. In spite of the fact that the Party permit couples (who are members of the party) to marry, they strongly discourage love in marriage. Marriage must be approved by the party. Other love relationships would result in torture or death by the Ministry of Love. According to the novel: "Ideally, the party would prefer complete celibacy, which would mean that men and women would forge fewer bounds of individual loyalties and children could be produced artificially. Failing this, it tried to present the sex act as a rather disgusting preliminary necessity."By doing so, it can sustain the strength or loyalty to the party. Couples must produce children for the Party.
12. Plot: OʼBrien asks Winston and Julia what they are willing to do for the Brotherhood. What are they willing to do? What is the one thing they are unwilling to do?
-) As stated in the novel, Winston and Julia are willing to commit murder, suicide, acts of sabotage, betray their country to foreign powers, give up their identities and a series of immoral action, such as "throwing sulphuric acid in a child's face." Aside from these things, they refuse of being separate for the rest of their lives.
13. What types of things does OʼBrien tell them they might have to face as members of the Brotherhood?
-) Obrien states that Winston and Julia must always follow and obey the orders from the Brotherhood without knowing the reason. Other than that, they need to be ready to abandon their current identity to preserve the Brotherhood's secrecy. Furthermore, Obrien also tells Winston and Julia not to expect any reinforcement from other members of the Brotherhood since members have no way of recognising one another.
14. Irony/Paradox: Julia tells Winston that even though the Party can torture a person and make him say anything, they cannot make him believe it. How do you feel about this statement?
10. Character: In what ways are Julia and Winston alike? In what ways are they different?
-) Julia and Winston share a few similarities. They are unwilling to fully obey and follow the party's teaching. Despite the fact that having an love affair in Oceania is considered to be a criminal offence that can result in torture and death, they still enjoys to indulge in human pleasure to fulfil their sexual desire.
Apart from their similarities, Winston has suspicion of the party. He would question the party's principles and tries to understand how a society should be. On the other hand, Julia is satisfied with her daily life style and tries to make the best of her life. She is some-how more self-centred and only has interest in gaining pleasures for herself. Furthermore, there are also major physical differences between Winston and Julia. Winston is an older man with a less impressive appearances but he is more intellectual while Julia is in her twenties, who is much younger than Winston and is more attractive.
11. Theme: Why does the party permit couples to marry but discourage love?
-) Since sex instinct is part of the social basis of human (and animal) behaviour, it is a natural response to ensure the development of humans, socially and genetically. In spite of the fact that the Party permit couples (who are members of the party) to marry, they strongly discourage love in marriage. Marriage must be approved by the party. Other love relationships would result in torture or death by the Ministry of Love. According to the novel: "Ideally, the party would prefer complete celibacy, which would mean that men and women would forge fewer bounds of individual loyalties and children could be produced artificially. Failing this, it tried to present the sex act as a rather disgusting preliminary necessity."By doing so, it can sustain the strength or loyalty to the party. Couples must produce children for the Party.
12. Plot: OʼBrien asks Winston and Julia what they are willing to do for the Brotherhood. What are they willing to do? What is the one thing they are unwilling to do?
-) As stated in the novel, Winston and Julia are willing to commit murder, suicide, acts of sabotage, betray their country to foreign powers, give up their identities and a series of immoral action, such as "throwing sulphuric acid in a child's face." Aside from these things, they refuse of being separate for the rest of their lives.
13. What types of things does OʼBrien tell them they might have to face as members of the Brotherhood?
-) Obrien states that Winston and Julia must always follow and obey the orders from the Brotherhood without knowing the reason. Other than that, they need to be ready to abandon their current identity to preserve the Brotherhood's secrecy. Furthermore, Obrien also tells Winston and Julia not to expect any reinforcement from other members of the Brotherhood since members have no way of recognising one another.
14. Irony/Paradox: Julia tells Winston that even though the Party can torture a person and make him say anything, they cannot make him believe it. How do you feel about this statement?
-) I partly agree with Julia. Firstly, I support the statement that the party can make people to say and act anything they want through torturing. Yet the party cannot simply control people's mind and make them to believe it. After studying few major historic events, I believe children or young adults are most vulnerable to "Brainwashing". We can take Hitler's rise to power as an example. After turning Germany into a totalitarian state through the "Enabling Act" in 1933. Since Hitler wanted to cultivate a loyal following for his Nazi Regime, they changed the whole education curriculum and spread his Nazi ideals to children through education. By doing so, he successfully brainwashed most of the population. In conclusion, I believe it is possible to brainwash people in their teens through education in harsh conditions.
15. How easy is it to brainwash a person? Do you think governments actually use brainwashing? Discuss.
-) In my own opinion, I believe it is easy to brainwash a person through torture and education from an early stage. Since there are too many records of government agencies using brainwashing, there is no denying the fact that some governments still uses brainwashing on their people nowadays. As I have stated earlier, the government has control over their education system, the government can simply instill misleading concepts into children and young adults. As a result, the government can exert much greater control over the people.
16. Plot: Why are the three superpowers always at war according to the Brotherhoodʼs handbook?
-) According to the "Theory and Practise of Obligatory and Collectivism", written by Emmanuel Goldstein, the three superpowers Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia are constantly at war with each other because of their international relationships and strength of each superpower. Since all these superpowers have a similar ideology and level of military power, it is very unlikely for them fight or conquer each other. Instead of going to war with each other, they believe keeping their regime in place is more important. Therefore, they use the danger of war to sustain their strength and territory. Consequently, the party can unite the people together by the fear of war.
17. Plot, Irony/Paradox: How are Winston and Julia betrayed?
-) Winston and Julia were betrayed by Mr Charrington. A member of the Thought Police in disguise of an old shop keeper in the Prole District. He sold Winston a diary and rented a "Secure"room for them, a small living space without any telescreen and security cameras. But it turned out to be a lie as a hidden telescreen is installed behind a picture in the room.
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