Back to the Future: Reading 1984 (continued)

Useful vocabulary in a conversation about Winston’s society:

• Totalitarian- Absolute control by a ruler

• Anarchy- Lack of government

• Utopia- Perfect society

• Oppression- Unjust authority

• Omniscient- All knowing

Recently, Winston has begun to question the perfect society that he lives in and the perfect government that rules it. He has even gone so far as to purchase a contraband diary in which he dares to write down his feelings about the Party, hidden away from the telescreen that is always on in his apartment. Remember- Big Brother is always watching!

Winston has reasons to question the Party- as life in his supposed Utopia is, well, “double plus ungood,” to put it in Newspeak, the official language of Oceania. Most of his society lives in a dirty, poor ghetto called the proletarian district, ungoverned by the Party or Big Brother. Those who are not filthy, hungry, or diseased work for the party and live under the very watchful eye of Big Brother.

Useful vocabulary in a conversation about Winston’s thoughts concerning the Party:

• Ruminate- To think over

• Demur- Hesitate; refuse

• Denounce- Speak out against

• Deprecate- To hold an unfavorable opinion

• Subvert- To overthrow

Winston believes that he has made a contact in the Brotherhood, a secret underground group that threatens to overthrow the Party. During a rally, Winston believes that he has seen the same hatred he feels himself on the face of a man named O’Brien. Throughout the novel, the mysterious O’Brien feeds Winston bread crumbs of the Brotherhood – always leaving him wondering more about this powerful group.

In addition, Winston has found himself falling in love. What’s the problem with that? Love is strictly frowned upon by the party- and sex is simply an act to reproduce more party members. To pursue a romantic relationship with the lovely Julia is suicide, but pursue it he does. And unfortunately, love does not conquer all in this story.