The seminars
influenced my thinking as a wide range of topics and questions were discussed,
providing the opportunity to think about multiple different themes. It made me
understand that Orwell tackled a great amount of themes in just the first three
chapters, and the limitless sea of ideas people may have regarding the events
in 1984. Many people shared how they
believed the methods of indoctrination worked and why they were successful, as
well as tried to imagine living in such a society. Something that I had not
completely thought of before in depth was the idea of privacy. A few people
spoke about how it was almost inconceivable to us to be watched and listened to
at any time. I also thought more deeply about the idea that even thinking could
be considered a crime, and the sheer amount of restrictions placed on the
people in Orwell’s 1984.
I agree with
the statement that through the use of manipulative techniques, the Party has
succeeded in indoctrination the people of Oceania. This would include
strategies such as the daily “2 minutes hate,” and naming the totalitarian
leader “Big Brother” to make him appear as a protector of all, as opposed to an
oppressive force. I disagreed with
some of the statements regarding the choice between living under total
indoctrination or death. I do not believe you can simply choose to die, and
escape from troubles, as in such a society, people may hold a moral obligation
to try to their fullest efforts to end such oppression; however, simply living
and complying to the demands of others would hardly be living at all. If I
could have participated in the seminars, I would have liked to speak more of
the degree of indoctrination that is prevalent in Orwell’s dystopian society,
the lack of freedom in the society, as well as the lack of basic rights that
most people within the United States take for granted. To this day, many
countries lack the rights that are often taken for granted in more developed
countries. Governments that are not democracies exist to this day, and people
lack representation, or the ability to vote for whom they want in a free, fair
election. Although possibly exaggerated, the events in Orwell’s 1984 are true and have happened before,
adding to the social critique he presents in his book. I believe this is
important to understand in the context of the book, as Orwell had drawn from
historical events, and his works often reflect on humanity, a topic that
everyone should look to learn more about.
The two
seminars went very well in that a wide range of questions were asked, and
students were able to invent questions regarding multiple different themes and
ideas, hence there were no shortages of ideas or opinions, demonstrating the
preparation each person completed prior to the seminar. Further, the discussion
leaders did well at trying to get each person engaged. Whether it was directly
asking them a question, or to have those that did not participate respond or
ask their own question, each person contributed at one point or another. Such
areas were successful due to the preparation that students did to properly
develop questions and ideas for the seminar, and by the initiative taken by
students to try and get everybody involved and engaged.
I believe
that students being able to invent their own questions enabled them to develop
their own ideas and thoughts, as well as have the freedom to explore topics
they desired. Regardless, many times people would answer their own questions
right away. As it takes time to develop thoughtful answers to questions, many
people often had to think for a while before speaking, which means the question
is thought provoking, but in the short amount of time we have for the seminars,
this time to think is often not provided.
Possibly having a few common questions could have enabled the discussion
to go deeper into the topic, as students would have had time to develop
opinions. A mix of pre-chosen, and student chosen would have created an
interesting mix of questions, but at the same time, each person will have
already developed an opinion.
No comments:
Post a Comment