The difference between the Party chocolate and the Inner Party chocolate is apparent, as is the control of the people in the parties. But the only people who seem to know about the difference are the ones who are a part of the Inner Party. The Party people have no idea what is happening to them and they do not even know that it is happening. “ It appeared that here had even been demonstrations to thank Big Brother for raising the chocolate ration to twenty grams a week. And only yesterday, he reflected, it had been announced that the ration was to be reduced to twenty grams a week. Was it possible that they could swallow that, after only twenty-four hours? Yes, they swallowed it” (Orwell 51). The Party people are just going along with what they have been told. They do not think that just the day before it had all been different. The higher power controlling them is the manipulator in the society. Later in the story, Winston consumes some of the old chocolate from his childhood and realizes the true difference. “Even before he had taken it he knew by the smell that is was very unusual chocolate. It was dark and shiny, and was wrapped in silver paper. Chocolate normally was dull brown crumbly stuff that tasted, […]. But at some time or another he had tasted chocolate like the piece she had given him”(Orwell 101). Julia received the chocolate off the black market and that is the only way to get this kind. The Party chocolate is just a substitute for the real chocolate that the Inner Party keeps hidden and does not share. The chocolate is just another example of a higher power controlling the ways of the lower Party.
mine and victor's Alcohol: Winston has been drinking a beverage that replaced all other alcoholic beverages called Victory Gin for many years, even though he hates the taste of it. He has grown accustomed to the poor taste and smell of the Victory Gin because it is the only product of its type available. When Winston has drinks a mug gin in the canteen he has to pause for a moment. “Winston took up his mug of gin, paused for an instant to collect his nerve, and gulped the oily-tasting stuff down” (Orwell 45). Winston pauses just an instant before drinks the gin. This is a sign of hesitation. Winston hesitates because he doesn't really want to drink the gin, but he feels that he has no choice, and just accepts that fact. When he gets to drink real wine for his first time, he is no longer able to taste a difference. “For some reason he had always thought of wine as having an intensely sweet taste, like that of blackberry jam, and an immediate intoxicating effect. Actually, when he came to swallow it, the stuff was distinctly disappointing. The truth was that after years of gin drinking he could barely taste it” (Orwell 141). Due to his excessive drinking of one drink he can no longer sense the difference in something better. This is the goal of the Party. Instead of having a low standard, Winston has absolutely no standard anymore. By blindly consuming bad products without anything to compare them to, humans lose their sense to choose for the better. This leads to accepting oppression and not being able to ever rebel.
Cigarettes: Winston also is a smoker of Victory cigarettes, although they are very poor quality cigarettes. While sitting in front of his diary thinking about a dream he a had about O'Brien and the evils of the party, Winston, somewhat ironically, lights a Victory cigarette. “He put a cigarette in his mouth. Half the tobacco promptly fell out onto his tongue, a bitter dust which was difficult to spit out again” (Orwell 87). In this passage Winston is smoking a cigarette made by the the party and which represents his feelings toward the party. He uses words such as bitter, difficult and spit. He calls the cigarette bitter, which expresses his emotions towards the party. He also finds the bitter dust however, difficult to spit out. This is symbolic of the Party's products and policies in general. The civilians do not enjoy their lives or the things that they have, but they accept them. Winston continues to smoke Victory cigarettes even though he dislikes them, just as he continues to work for the Party even though he is strongly against it. When Winston speaks about O'Brien about joining the Brotherhood, he smokes a real cigarette. “They were very good cigarettes, very thick and well packed, with an unfamiliar silkiness in the paper” (Orwell 143). Contrary to Victory cigarettes, Winston enjoys O'Brien's cigarettes. This is because O'Brien's cigarettes are real cigarettes. They are what is actual quality, representing the truth that no average citizen of Oceania is able to find out about. He uses positive words such as good, well, and silkiness, contrasting his displeasing reaction to a Victory cigarette, with the enjoyable taste of real cigarettes as a way of enlightening him on the truth.
oh yeah here it is One day you eat two big macs because they are on special. You feel sick and full for the rest of the day. Did you think about what you consumed? In1984 by George Orwell, everyone from middle-class down lives on bad products, while the more privileged people get quality. Through juxtaposition of Victory gin and inner-party wine, victory chocolate and real chocolate, and even victory cigarettes and real cigarettes Orwell warns his readers of blindly consuming products and accepting their poor quality. If humans began to openly accept poor quality, the government will be able to slowly deteriorate quality of life of the people without any resistance.
The difference between the Party chocolate and the Inner Party chocolate is apparent, as is the control of the people in the parties. But the only people who seem to know about the difference are the ones who are a part of the Inner Party. The Party people have no idea what is happening to them and they do not even know that it is happening. “ It appeared that here had even been demonstrations to thank Big Brother for raising the chocolate ration to twenty grams a week. And only yesterday, he reflected, it had been announced that the ration was to be reduced to twenty grams a week. Was it possible that they could swallow that, after only twenty-four hours? Yes, they swallowed it” (Orwell 51). The Party people are just going along with what they have been told. They do not think that just the day before it had all been different. The higher power controlling them is the manipulator in the society. Later in the story, Winston consumes some of the old chocolate from his childhood and realizes the true difference. “Even before he had taken it he knew by the smell that is was very unusual chocolate. It was dark and shiny, and was wrapped in silver paper. Chocolate normally was dull brown crumbly stuff that tasted, […]. But at some time or another he had tasted chocolate like the piece she had given him”(Orwell 101). Julia received the chocolate off the black market and that is the only way to get this kind. The Party chocolate is just a substitute for the real chocolate that the Inner Party keeps hidden and does not share. The chocolate is just another example of a higher power controlling the ways of the lower Party.
ReplyDeletemine and victor's
ReplyDeleteAlcohol:
Winston has been drinking a beverage that replaced all other alcoholic beverages called Victory Gin for many years, even though he hates the taste of it. He has grown accustomed to the poor taste and smell of the Victory Gin because it is the only product of its type available. When Winston has drinks a mug gin in the canteen he has to pause for a moment. “Winston took up his mug of gin, paused for an instant to collect his nerve, and gulped the oily-tasting stuff down” (Orwell 45). Winston pauses just an instant before drinks the gin. This is a sign of hesitation. Winston hesitates because he doesn't really want to drink the gin, but he feels that he has no choice, and just accepts that fact. When he gets to drink real wine for his first time, he is no longer able to taste a difference. “For some reason he had always thought of wine as having an intensely sweet taste, like that of blackberry jam, and an immediate intoxicating effect. Actually, when he came to swallow it, the stuff was distinctly disappointing. The truth was that after years of gin drinking he could barely taste it” (Orwell 141). Due to his excessive drinking of one drink he can no longer sense the difference in something better. This is the goal of the Party. Instead of having a low standard, Winston has absolutely no standard anymore. By blindly consuming bad products without anything to compare them to, humans lose their sense to choose for the better. This leads to accepting oppression and not being able to ever rebel.
Cigarettes:
Winston also is a smoker of Victory cigarettes, although they are very poor quality cigarettes. While sitting in front of his diary thinking about a dream he a had about O'Brien and the evils of the party, Winston, somewhat ironically, lights a Victory cigarette. “He put a cigarette in his mouth. Half the tobacco promptly fell out onto his tongue, a bitter dust which was difficult to spit out again” (Orwell 87). In this passage Winston is smoking a cigarette made by the the party and which represents his feelings toward the party. He uses words such as bitter, difficult and spit. He calls the cigarette bitter, which expresses his emotions towards the party. He also finds the bitter dust however, difficult to spit out. This is symbolic of the Party's products and policies in general. The civilians do not enjoy their lives or the things that they have, but they accept them. Winston continues to smoke Victory cigarettes even though he dislikes them, just as he continues to work for the Party even though he is strongly against it. When Winston speaks about O'Brien about joining the Brotherhood, he smokes a real cigarette. “They were very good cigarettes, very thick and well packed, with an unfamiliar silkiness in the paper” (Orwell 143). Contrary to Victory cigarettes, Winston enjoys O'Brien's cigarettes. This is because O'Brien's cigarettes are real cigarettes. They are what is actual quality, representing the truth that no average citizen of Oceania is able to find out about. He uses positive words such as good, well, and silkiness, contrasting his displeasing reaction to a Victory cigarette, with the enjoyable taste of real cigarettes as a way of enlightening him on the truth.
what about the intro?
ReplyDeleteoh yeah here it is One day you eat two big macs because they are on special. You feel sick and full for the rest of the day. Did you think about what you consumed? In1984 by George Orwell, everyone from middle-class down lives on bad products, while the more privileged people get quality. Through juxtaposition of Victory gin and inner-party wine, victory chocolate and real chocolate, and even victory cigarettes and real cigarettes Orwell warns his readers of blindly consuming products and accepting their poor quality. If humans began to openly accept poor quality, the government will be able to slowly deteriorate quality of life of the people without any resistance.
ReplyDeleteQuite interesting guys!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I don't consume Big Macs for the very reason that I will never owe it to myself to dare think about what I consumed.