The Public Hangings.

[Randal Johnson2]

In George Orwells' novel i realize that there is the Thought Police and all the civilians may not show any emotion. My question is how could you just go to the park and want to see a person be hanged. Especially think of the family members of the person who is getting hanged:( . I am also astonished that the parents dont tell their kids that hangings are bad. How could they let their chidren take them over?

[Sweetheart :]]

In George Orwells' novel i realize that there is the Thought Police and all the civilians may not show any emotion. My question is how could you just go to the park and want to see a person be hanged. Especially think of the family members of the person who is getting hanged:( . I am also astonished that the parents dont tell their kids that hangings are bad. How could they let their chidren take them over?


My opinion to this quote is that the people are very illiterate, or very gullable. They do not realize how much power they could have if they united against the government, but because they are either scared to rebel and are afraid of what will happen to them, or are very loyal and brainwashed and do not know the truth about what is really happening, they do not take any actions. Also, some of the people have telescreens in their homes, and they could be scared that if they say something to their children the government will either be offended, or angry and take actions against the parents. The government wants to set an example for the people, and they do not feel like the hangings are wrong, so I don't really think they want the parents to say that the hangings are wrong. Children also repeat many things outside their home, and they could say things to other people and the word could get out of what they said, and the parents could be severely punished. The parents let the children take them over because they feel like they already have a really hard/depressing life, that they feel like nothing else could really be worse.

[mazHur]

Public hanging, guillotines, and cutting off heads by swords in public places doesn't seem to be a bad idea to punish deserving culprits and to make the onlookers feel seriously about the fate of committing major crimes. There is no need for parents to take their children to the show nor their is any sense in telecasting it. Beheading for murder and other heinous major crimes is a testimony to the very few crimes committed in the Middle Eastern countries. It is a deterrent and warning to others watching the deadly public scene

[B-Mental]

I always wonder what capital punishment says about a society.

[Granny5]

In the book, people have grown up seeing public hangings. In the US of the past, public hangings were common. I think that if it is something you are raised on, then it's just normal to you. Education and political freedom is not something the people of Winston's world had available to them. In the US, education, political freedom, and human rights put an end to public hangings. But there are still crimes that are capital crimes and the guilty parties are put to death. It's not public but there is almost an audience, victims, attorneys, families, etc

[hockey man]

well, the children "take over the family" if you will, because the parents are actually terrified of their children. BB uses the children of oceania to spy on their parents so that everyone is constantly being watched.

[cactus]

well, the children "take over the family" if you will, because the parents are actually terrified of their children. BB uses the children of oceania to spy on their parents so that everyone is constantly being watched.

Those who have lived in communist Vietnam would bear witness to something very similar. In Vietnam, especially in the North during the 40s and 50s, people were monitored by their close friends and relatives. Everyone was required to write about 3 people who were closed to them. They had to write about these peoples' faults and violations (against the revolutionary course or the regime). In doing this, the regime creates fear because no-one knew what was being reported and from whom. Suddenly everyone around you became a foe, a potential threat. This strategy had resulted in children reporting their parents and subsequently, the parents were hung for treason. Indeed, it bears much resemblance to 1984.

[Virgil]

In the book, people have grown up seeing public hangings. In the US of the past, public hangings were common.
Not just the United States, public executions were common everywhere prior to roughly the 20th century. They are still common in many parts of the world.

[KurtDunn]

;470958']My opinion to this quote is that the people are very illiterate, or very gullable.

That is extremely presumptuous of you.

You don't live in their country. Of course their country doesn't exist, so I'll just use a modern example.

Iraq.

The big problem in Iraq right now, at least from the sustaining war in Iraq perspective, is that the citizenry of Iraq are frequently bullied by out-of-town insurgents, forced to give aid and housing to them, or they die.

This wouldn't be a problem in most countries, except Saddam was pretty thorough in cleaning out everyone with the cajones to stand up for what they believe and what's right, even while starring down the barrel of a gun.

In 1984, there were huge purges. There were lots of people who dissented in the past. Vast populations completely wiped out, killed, and the very mention of their name made a crime punishable by scrutiny. And scrutiny invariably leads to death. The population of the Party and Inner Party is that of men and women living under the constant fear of death, that's something most people living today are blissfully free of.

Just think about that, where not only the protest of the hangings (or for a great example, stock footage of civilians being gunned down by helicopters) will get you killed, but even an expression of disapproval to something that's said through the speakers will get you vaporized. That constant razor's edge of death hanging over your head for every moment of your beating heart.

It changes the amounts of opinions you freely share.