Wednesday 13 November 2013

Literature Circle #3

Discussion Director Questions

1.  Compare and contrast the society structure in London before the glorious revolution to society in 1984 9 75-78
*today only 40% adult proles are illiterate, before the Revolution only 15%

*infant mortality rate, 160%, before 300%

2.  What was the mood in the cafe and how does it relate to the overall mood of the story? (80

*dark, felt like he was being watched, sad.  The overall mood is not a happy place. It is very dark and gloomy.

3.  Why do you think everyone was eyeballing Winston when he walked into the pub? (91)
* it was a prole pub so it wasn't normal for him to be there in his party uniform

4.  Do you think Winston is being stalked by the girl?  Why do you think she is stalking him?
Yes.  We think he is being stalked because we think that she likes him.

Summary-  History Depends on the Proles

Ch.7 Winston writes in his diary that any hope for the revolution against the Party must come from the proles.  The brotherhood cannot destroy the Party.  Winston looks through a children's history book to get a feeling for what is happening.  The Party claims to have built great cities.  Winston doesn't know what to think about the past.  Furthermore,  the Party's claims that it has increased the literacy rate, reduced the infant mortality rate, and given everyone better food and shelter. Winston believes that their claims are not true, but since history has been re-written by the Party, he doesn't have any proof.  Winston thinks of his writing in his diary as a kind of letter to O'Brian, but he realized that he doesn't know anything about O'Brian.

Ch. 8  Winston goes for a walk and he envies the simple lives of the common people.  He enters a pub, and there he meets an old man.  Winston talks to the old man about life before the war.  Winston walks to the second-hand store where he bought the diary and he buys a clear glass paperweight with a pink coral center.  Mr. Charrington takes him upstairs to a private room with no telescreen.  On the way home, Winston sees a figure.  He is terrified so he hurries home, and decides that the best thing to do is commit suicide before the Party catches him.

Connector

Winston goes on a walk through the prole's homes.  He finds himself at the shop where he bought his diary.  He buys a clear glass paperweight with a clear glass coral center.  Mr. Charrington, the store owner, has a private room and Winston notices that there is no telescreen.

Winston is trying to find out what life was like before the Revolution.

Mr. Charrington takes Winston to a private room and Winston notices there isn't a telescreen.  He thinks about renting the room for a few dollars a week.  And then Winston notices the dark haired girl, so he hurries home.

This reminds me of walking into antique shops and looking at all the old knick-knacks from the past.  Usually the owners are eccentric and multi-layered in their personality.

The antique shops stands as a "museum" of the past.

Lesson:  The importance of having knowledge about the past.

Passage Master:  

"Until they become consious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious" (74)

This quote was written by Winston while he observes the proles.  He basically explains the way people live.  He says that they won't understand the lifestyle they are living until they rebel.  However, they won't rebel because the people do not realize that anything is wrong.  This reminds me of people in the United States who do not actually know if their goverment is good or bad, but do not rebel.  They only question. (Paradox) 

Vocabulary to know

1. Formidable : Inspiring fear or respect through power

"It was a great formidable cry of anger and despair.

2.  Bondage:  State of being a slave.

"The party claimed of course, to have liberated the proles of bondage.

3.  Jostled:  pushed, bumped against someone
"The successful woman bumped and jostled against the crowd.







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