Ultimate Sacrafice

Literature Question:

            In the novel 1984, what does George Orwell point out about the amount of sacrifices people will make for their loved ones?

Thesis:

            In George Orwell’s novel 1984, Winston and Julia develop an attraction for each other, then soon start facing different obstacles and hardships to keep their relationship on going.  They had to hide their tracks, make sure no one is spying on them, see each other for so little time, stay in unsanitary rooms, and had to constantly be on the move.  In Oceania, “All marriages between party members had to be approved by a committee appointed for the purpose, and –though the principle was never clearly stated-permission was always refused if the couple concerned gave the impression of being physically attracted to one another”(Orwell 65).  No one had the freedom to be with who they truly want to be with or love.  As for Julia and Winston, they realized that it is possible to have this affectionate feeling without being caught and punished for it.  They would rather have a few minutes with each other every now and then, and keep their relationship going; rather than ending their relationship and leaving this feeling behind. As George Orwell stated, despite how the room looked like, it felt like paradise to them.  It was their time to feel freedom again; they didn’t have to hide their true thoughts, their feelings, or themselves.  The room was the only place they can be their true selves again(150).

            Winston and Julia would go miles for each other, and sacrifice whatever they needed too just to continue seeing each other.  There sacrifices they’d make for one another had no limitations.  Just as parents have no limitations to support and protect their own.  In the Philippines, there are many mothers out there that work abroad (usually Dubai, Japan, or Middle Eastern countries) just to make money and support their families back home.  The jobs that they’d encounter in these places would usually be maids, or a caregiver.  Filipino’s adore their families, and show a huge significance in them, just as Julia and Winston adore the feeling they get when they’re with one another.  What people don’t usually know is that there are many cases where the mother is getting abused, beaten, raped, etc.  Mothers would continue to work for these people, even after getting beat numerous times; just to continue making money and support their families.  What was happening to them abroad would hurt them physically, and mentally, but the sacrifices these mothers made also had no limitations.  Some mothers get beaten nearly to death, and will still work till the hour for their families.  Mothers will sacrifice as much as they need to just to have their family together, just as much as Julia and Winston will sacrifice for each other.

Where is happiness?

In 1984 George Orwell said, “All marriages between party members had to be approved by a committee appointed for the purpose, and-though the principle was never clearly stated-permission was always refused if the couple concerned gave the impression of being physically attracted to one another”(65).  A relationship with one you love is not allowed in Oceania.  Every decision made was crucial; everyone and everything was watched.  People usually have the freedom to choose who they want to marry or be with.  In some countries, parents enforce arranged marriages; which usually conclude to an unhappy marriage, or a broken family.  Those in arranged marriages also have a hard time leaving the one they love.  In Oceania, relationships must have approval, and cannot have any physical attraction. There isn’t any real/true relationship; the idea of a relationship in Oceania has a huge difference between the ideal relationships now.  People should be given the freedom to be with who they really love.   They shouldn’t be forced to be with someone thy have no interest in.  How will a child feel the love of a family? 

The purpose of a relationship will then be to bring another human being to life, for others to keep wealth in the family, or to keep parents and society happy. Kids will grow up into this life style, as their parents are still adjusting.  “The only recognized purpose of marriage was to beget children for the party”. (65)  In Oceania, people had kids just to add to their party.  People didn’t have kids to love and cherish with their loved one. Love and family had its own definition in Oceania, than what we are now used to.  If United States was to set these rules today, there would be many rebellions.  People should be making themselves happy, before anyone else.  In Oceania, happiness is questioned.  There are many regulations set to reduce the freedom of their people.  How will anyone feel happiness?  How will they ever be proud that they did something for themselves?  Society should not be one we worry to impress.  Society should accept people for who they are, and accept that everyone’s different. 

 

What's Behind the Camera

            In 1984, George Orwell reveals the sadden truth of what has been going on in Oceania.  “All history was a palimpsest, scraped clean and inscribed exactly as often as was necessary”(40).  In Oceania, it didn’t take a person to kill someone to lose their own life or to be removed from the system, and completely erase any information or memory of that person.   A simple thoughtcrime can instantly cause you to lose your identity and everything you've ever done or work for.  There was no real history in Oceania, everything can be erased, and revised at any given time. Meaning, there is always a question on to whether “did this really happen?”.  As for Gill Scott-Herron’s song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”, there are similar concepts that are said in the song that people in Oceania dealt with.  Gill Scott-Herron said, “The revolution will not make you look five pounds thinner, because the revolution will not be televised, brother”. As many people know, when you’re shown on the T.V., you tend to look five pounds lighter than what you really look; although that’s not the only thing that the television can hide, the truth may be, what’s not caught on camera.

            George Orwell’s quote really came to my mind because the thought of someone having the power to control history, makes me completely speechless.  How would society know what’s really the truth, and what’s a lie?  How would we know when, where, and what really happened and what specific time?  There would be endless questions about everyone and everything if anyone today in the United States had the power to control history, as they did in Oceania.  Gill Scott-Herron’s song was also very powerful for the deep meaning he had in his song.  These two both connect because they both tell us that the truth can be kept away, unseen, erased, and forgotten without us even knowing.  The television does not always televise what we should really see, what’s really significant, and what would really impact us.  If you can hide five pounds through a camera, how much more can you hide?  For example on the news, and newspapers, we don’t get all the information about what’s going in the government, and how things are being taken care of.  We think we know enough, yet really, we know so little.  There may be set rules and regulations, but even the most powerful people we know may be going against our countries own rules; just as they can in Oceania, and as they could have/have back then in our country.