What is real? What makes something real? History exists because of records and memories but if those are both altered then what used to be reality is imaginary. This is the argument O'Brien poses to Winston. This is the Party mentality. They control the records as well as people's memories so they control reality. There's no way to prove the existence of something if there is no recollection of its occurrence. O'Brien convinced Winston that this is true. Anything can be changed if no one and nothing can prove it once was different. Two plus two can equal five if the Party wants it to. Reality is subjective and open to interpretation.
The Party manipulates the truth to maintain their absolute power. They have gained power over the only thing that has troubled absolutist governments in the past: the minds of their people. There is nothing that can oppose them now. Any rebellions are quickly paved over and the participants re-educated. This power over the memories allows the government to control the past, something never done successfully before. The Stalinist government in Russia tried to control history by re-writing it but they had no control over people's memories. This was their weakness. It is in this area that Ingsoc claims the most superiority over previous dictatorships. They have control over the memories and thoughts of their people. Thus they have complete control. The people of Oceania have no hope for uprising. The Party has conquered their last defence. Without control of their memory, it makes it impossible for people who do remember a different time to act. They are quickly found and re-educated. The number of potential rebels is diminishing. They are an endangered few. The Party has won the aged battle over maintaining an absolutist government.
Memories are something taken for granted. Your personal knowledge of the past makes you a person, someone with thought, substance and emotion. This is not what the Party wants. They want mindless drones, obeying every command. Thus they re-educate you, slowly eradicating any thoughts while consolidating their power. What is considered reality is relative. It is based on opinions and is subjected to the beholder. The Party wants one idea, their idea, to be reality. They achieve this artificially through the manipulation of documents and memories. They control reality and thus control everything: the past, the present and the future. No person is safe from the Party's brainwashing.
1 comment:
:) I like this topic, and I'm glad you wrote about it. You have really good transition sentences at the end of your introduction. They're strong and they make an impression.
Great insight, comparing Russia with Oceania and how one worked while the other didn't. I particularly enjoyed your use of imagery... "Any rebellions are quickly paved over..."
:(
The first few sentences of the conclusion seem more bodyish than conclusiony to me. However, you're really good at conveying what you want people to understand. You write clearly.
Post a Comment