The Party's methods of control

The Party in 1984 has many means of controlling the people. The language control that we have discussed in class is one of the most intense methods that they use, but they also have things like how they change the past. This happens to be Winston's job in the novel, which is interesting. By changing the past and records, people never know the truth. They never know what actually has happened. Today, we teach history, not only becuase it's interesting, but it's important because to understand the present, you have to know about the past. And it just keeps building, to understand what is coming in the future, you have to know what is happening in the present. In this society, taking away the past, is taking away people's understanding. Which is why it is so powerful. The people have no idea what has actually happened and they don't really know what is happening right now, because the society is always lying to them and changing things. Like in the example we talked about in class, one day the chocolate ration went down to 20 grams, which was a "positive" thing, and then the next day they announced that the chocolate ration went up to 20 grams, which of course is a positive thing and no one thought there was anything unusual about it being the exact same as the day before. It's almost like the past just isn't important. The Party even uses people like Winston to go back into old articles and delete people who have been vaporized so it's like they have never even existed, and to create people that have never existed. It's a big cover-up scheme that is incredibly effective. It's hard to explain why it is so effective, but deleting the past and records of things from the past means that these things are lost forever and no one will ever know the truth.

Language Control

Winston writing in his diary is a crime because he is writing down his negative thoughts towards Big Brother and the Party. He is thinking freely, which the Party does not want because it could cause unrest. When people think for themselves, they realize what is wrong with a society and that will probably lead to protest and unrest. So by stopping the free thinking and freedom of expression, the PArty is hoping to eliminate that threat. Winston is drawn to this activity, I think, because he is starting to realize how much he dislikes the society he is living in, and he is sick of having to deal with spying children and worrying about having the wrong expression, all of which could lead to his vaporization. When a society takes away words, they are taking away the way that people express themselves. The way in which people speak is part of them, and the words they choose usually reflect their individuality. By destroying these words, they are destroying individualit and the ability of these people to rebel in any form. Once these words are gone people will lose yet another way to express themselves, since they have already lost individuality in other ways, including clothing. It gets rid of a society's culture.

Society in Airstrip One

The government in 1984 is constantly watching the members of this society. There are posters reminding everyone of this that have the face of a man and the words "Big Brother is Watching You" on it. There is very little freedom in this society. It is a crime to think certain things and especially to write them down. And if you get caught committing a thought crime, the Thought Police will get you. They come in the night to take you away and kill you. The fact that the children want to go see the mass hangings is so disturbing. It's reminsicent of medievial times when people used to watch that kind of thing for entertainment.The children are even spies in the society, constantly watching the adults and turning them in for committing "crimes." The society does a lot through the television. Not only are they watching you, they have the two minutes hate in which they see the Party's enemies and express their hatred towards them and their way of life. And they even have exercises in the morning through the TV which they have to do religiously and cannot even half do or make certain faces while doing them. Winston talks about how the slightest twitch of his eyes can give him away. It's a really scary society to think about, the adults are afraid of the children and you are constantly under surveillance. This society is so different from the Brave New World society, the people don't seem happy and overall it has a creepy and dark quality to it.