1984

[04sengerlach]

I finished reading ‘1984’ last night. I was surprised that there is such an open ending. In fact, yes, everything is cleared. But on the other hand you still know that Winston isn’t satisfied. But violence made him treat himself violently. He thinks he has to be glad that oceana has won in Africa. I think indeed there is a deep excitement in him, like in all the other people outside shouting in the streets. Sometimes, especially when they have to suppress your feelings, people need to tremble and move to get rid of bad feelings. I fact you can turn your whole feelings upside-down and act. But these are still your feelings. Parsons, the neighbour of Winston, was arrested for mumbling something while he was asleep. A person can’t control his own feelings, how should others do.<br>Has winston in the end committed suicide? I can’t believe. The last pain that was done to him, he did by himself. He had strongly believed that something will happen. The party never published defeats, but there was a real danger for oceana’s supply of cheap work etc. in africa. That was unusual, wasn’t it. He had hoped and was disappointed. That disappointment was his own feeling. Unmanipulated. Also his shame when he met julia. Everything he felt was disappointed love. But in fact no hatred.<br>I don’t believe anyone could build up a society that is controlled absolutely. Why should they have to manipulate the people then? There would be no need. But people are born and they begin to love, that is the only bearable way of living. As winston started to love o’brien, people love what they can’t change. You can’t built up a society that makes people only depending of big brother. This wise it would be no society.<br>I’m just reading ‘fahrenheit 451’ of ray breadbury, too. It is similar to ‘1984’ in some way. But the society there is not that suppressing. The main difference is that in ‘451’ the society has made itself censoring itself. Politicy doesn’t matter anymore, but everything nevertheless has it’s way of function. They don’t examine the question of fault in ‘1984’, I think, but who, do you think is responsible for that misere? I don’t know. One shouldn’t forget that both books are influenced by the totalitarian regimes of the nazis and the stalinists in russia. But as an utopia shows a way for people to life in freedom and peace with one another, a disutopia should warn the people not to make the same mistakes as made in that society. But what exactly are the mistakes?