Children's Power

[soccerstar808]

In 1984, the children appear to hold all the power over their parents because Big Brother was able to turn the family in on itself. Did Big Brother do this just to keep power or was he trying to make his own generation of brainwashed faithful? Also, does Big Brother have power over the children or will the children betray whoever they are around the most? I think that by creating these spy children, Big Brother made an enemy for everyone in Airstrip One.

Please comment.

[The Atheist]

I think that by creating these spy children, Big Brother made an enemy for everyone in Airstrip One.

That's the general idea - the Party wants people to fear kids. The younger they are indoctrinated, the better. When kids reach the point of telling on their parents for unorthodoxy, the Party has won.

BB loves kids!

[soccerstar808]

This is true, but after these children grow up do you think that the party is going to have these adults who see everything as unorthodox? Pretty soon, these children will grow up and now Big Brother will have a generation of new radicalists on his side, wiping the population to shreds from false accounts of thought crime. Big Brother has created what he strives to destroy. What I'm saying is that these children hold no trust because they grew up thinking guilty until proven innocent. Without control, Big Brother will crumble and then these new adults will attack each other with accusations of treason until the only people left are the proles.

[The Atheist]

This is true, but after these children grow up do you think that the party is going to have these adults who see everything as unorthodox? Pretty soon, these children will grow up and now Big Brother will have a generation of new radicalists on his side, wiping the population to shreds from false accounts of thought crime. Big Brother has created what he strives to destroy. What I'm saying is that these children hold no trust because they grew up thinking guilty until proven innocent. Without control, Big Brother will crumble and then these new adults will attack each other with accusations of treason until the only people left are the proles.

No, the indoctrination with Ingsoc, doublethink and Newspeak make sure that they are turned into robots rather than reactionaries.

[smile3]

Are children ever grouped into social classes like the proles, inner party or outer party?

[The Atheist]

Are children ever grouped into social classes like the proles, inner party or outer party?

Yes, they stick with the group they're born into.

No doubt some exceptionally talented Outer Party kids would be drafted into the Inner Party, but proles will always be proles and Inner Party kids will always be in the Inner Party.

Unless they're vaporised, of course!

[WeeBug19]

The children scare me because they can turn you in at anytime and your their parents. I would never turn my parents in yeah i get mad at them but never to the extent in where i would turn them in. Why would BB not have some children from every class section? Cause then they would be able to watch the proles way better.

[The Atheist]

Why would BB not have some children from every class section? Cause then they would be able to watch the proles way better.

No need to. The numbers of Inner Party members are very small, and they wouldn't want to dilute their power by sharing it with prole kids.

[Teacher]

Orwell is clearly showing us that there is little to no class movement. Again, he's right on the mark if we look back at the last 70 years.

Children generally remained locked into the class in which they were born. Much of that has to do with the fact that they are most often afforded the same privileges and advantages (or not) of their parents.

They also, generally speaking, receive the same education (or lack therof) their parents received thereby cementing their place in a respective class.

[The Atheist]

Orwell is clearly showing us that there is little to no class movement. Again, he's right on the mark if we look back at the last 70 years.

[emphasis mine]

Sorry, but I'd be interested to know where you live to say that, because the evidence is pretty clear that no "class" barrier/s exist in almost every developed country.

I don't think it's talking about politics to point at both the President of USA and the Prime Minister of New Zealand as having come from the bottom of the socio-economic pile. Along with lots of billionaires, doctors, engineers, scientists....

[Jack Fields]

Just out of curiosity, have you ever heard about "Pavlik Morozov"?

He was 13-years old boy who denounced his own father to the Russian Secret Police (and the father was send to the labour camp and then later shot to death).

This story had a huge impact on society in the USSR, although that it was probably a false propaganda.

My teacher of history of the 20th century once told us about him, I think that maybe Orwell took an "inspiration" in that story for the 1984, although I got no proof to prove that

[soccerstar808]

I have to agree with the Atheist that social mobility is highly present in our societies. But, I also can agree with Teacher. You see, you can be elevated by your talents, but you can be limited by your oppurtunities. These are both decided by your parents. So dont betray them.

[The Hobbit]

In 1984, the children appear to hold all the power over their parents because Big Brother was able to turn the family in on itself. Did Big Brother do this just to keep power or was he trying to make his own generation of brainwashed faithful? Also, does Big Brother have power over the children or will the children betray whoever they are around the most? I think that by creating these spy children, Big Brother made an enemy for everyone in Airstrip One.

Please comment.

Big Brother has the childern learn in school to always be faithful to Big Brother and love him. These kids get turned into spys that the government uses to scare and and control every aspect of peoples lives. This way, it keeps younger generation distracted from what real love for people really is.