I would say that man vs. society is the biggest conflict shown throughout the book. I would also say that it clearly affects Winston the most because he is against the party throughout the entire novel. For example, ""He discovered that while he sat helplessly musing he had also been writing, as though an automatic action… His pen has slid voluptuously over the smooth paper printing in large neat capitals: DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER" (Orwell 19). This shows how Winston had been committing thoughtcrime early on in the novel, and had rebellious thoughts that would surely get him in trouble or cause death in his society. Throughout the novel there were numerous cases of Winston being against the party or the party being against people like Winston, who have their own thoughts. However, by the end of the novel man vs. society reaches its peak when he is tortured until he supports the party. "But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother" (Orwell 245). This shows that Winston did not really win the battle within himself, Big Brother and the Party had won the battle over Winston. Society had won.
I agree with you when you stated that man vs. society is the biggest conflict throughout the novel. With Winston being the main character, he is greatly affected by the society because he believes against the party. "Party members were supposed not to go into ordinary shops (’dealing on the free market’, it was called), but the rule was not strictly kept, because there were various things, such as shoelaces and razor blades, which it was impossible to get hold of in any other way. He had given a quick glance up and down the street and then had slipped inside and bought the book for two dollars fifty. At the time he was not conscious of wanting it for any particular purpose. He had carried it guiltily home in his briefcase. Even with nothing written in it, it was a compromising possession." (Orwell 9) Winston enjoys small acts of rebellion, he keeps a journal with all the thoughts he has about the party, all negative. Knowing that Winston does not like the party shows that it is hard for him to live because Big Brother had so much control and power over the people. I also agree when you said Man vs. society reached its peak at the end of the novel when he says at the very end of the novel, he loves big brother. The fight he went through just because he didn’t believe in what the party was doing, but in the end being forced to love big brother.
I think that the self vs society conflict also occurs towards the end when Winston is actually captured and tortured. When he is being questioned before room 101, Winston says, "but how can you control matter?, You don't even control climate or the law of gravity. And there are disease, pain, and death-" Then the text states he is silenced at the movement of O'Brien's hand. Winston still, on page 219, is using all the power he has left to continue being against the party and O'Brien knows that. He put up such a fight and then at the end he loves big brother, which confused me entirely. Winston was a very stubborn man and I didn't think his opinion of the party would ever be positive. It makes me wonder what key event really pushed him over the edge into the party to stop the torture.
I would say that man vs. society is the biggest conflict shown throughout the book. I would also say that it clearly affects Winston the most because he is against the party throughout the entire novel. For example, ""He discovered that while he sat helplessly musing he had also been writing, as though an automatic action… His pen has slid voluptuously over the smooth paper printing in large neat capitals:
ReplyDeleteDOWN WITH BIG BROTHER" (Orwell 19). This shows how Winston had been committing thoughtcrime early on in the novel, and had rebellious thoughts that would surely get him in trouble or cause death in his society. Throughout the novel there were numerous cases of Winston being against the party or the party being against people like Winston, who have their own thoughts. However, by the end of the novel man vs. society reaches its peak when he is tortured until he supports the party. "But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother" (Orwell 245). This shows that Winston did not really win the battle within himself, Big Brother and the Party had won the battle over Winston. Society had won.
I agree with you when you stated that man vs. society is the biggest conflict throughout the novel. With Winston being the main character, he is greatly affected by the society because he believes against the party. "Party members were supposed not to go into ordinary shops (’dealing on the free market’, it was called), but the rule was not strictly kept, because there were various things, such as shoelaces and razor blades, which it was impossible to get hold of in any other way. He had given a quick glance up and down the street and then had slipped inside and bought the book for two dollars fifty. At the time he was not conscious of wanting it for any particular purpose. He had carried it guiltily home in his briefcase. Even with nothing written in it, it was a compromising possession." (Orwell 9) Winston enjoys small acts of rebellion, he keeps a journal with all the thoughts he has about the party, all negative. Knowing that Winston does not like the party shows that it is hard for him to live because Big Brother had so much control and power over the people. I also agree when you said Man vs. society reached its peak at the end of the novel when he says at the very end of the novel, he loves big brother. The fight he went through just because he didn’t believe in what the party was doing, but in the end being forced to love big brother.
ReplyDeleteI think that the self vs society conflict also occurs towards the end when Winston is actually captured and tortured. When he is being questioned before room 101, Winston says, "but how can you control matter?, You don't even control climate or the law of gravity. And there are disease, pain, and death-" Then the text states he is silenced at the movement of O'Brien's hand. Winston still, on page 219, is using all the power he has left to continue being against the party and O'Brien knows that. He put up such a fight and then at the end he loves big brother, which confused me entirely. Winston was a very stubborn man and I didn't think his opinion of the party would ever be positive. It makes me wonder what key event really pushed him over the edge into the party to stop the torture.
ReplyDelete