I love reading and teaching 1984. I get the privilege of teaching the three big bad British books to my sophomores–Brave New World, Lord of the Flies, and 1984. Say what you want about any or all, but they are all iconic, feature wonderful prose, and offer great food for thought in the classroom.
This year, while reading 1984, I had many students argue that Winston died at the end of the book. Spoiler–he doesn’t. Another student thought that Julia was Winston’s sister, which is why she was always following him around. Um, gross, because Part Two of the book has Winston and Julia doing much horizontal dancing and if they were brother and sister . . . yeah, gross. But we go back and forth with questions, theories, the return to the text, the quotes.
When I die, as each day brings me a little closer, I hope I get to meet and talk with Orwell. First off, he better not be some stuck-up British dandy. But the craft is so good. Julia is Thought Police, right Orwell? Come on. She takes charge, never travels with Winston, knows the rhyme to the song about St. Clement’s, produces chocolate (which triggers dreams), and scent/makeup (which trigger memory), and so on. We would also laugh about how right he was on the concepts, just wrong on the date.
Because, whether you want to believe it or not, we are living in Orwell’s, Huxley’s, and Golding’s worlds. Golding’s is pretty easy–take away rules and you’ve got chaos. Without any form of punishment, kids would run wild in the streets. That can be seen at school when kids know they can get away with something. Some teachers let them eat, while some don’t. Some teachers let them be tardy, while some don’t. But even though it feels like it sometimes, we are not on an island. Bells ring and we move along.
I liked an article I read recently about how we’re NOT in Orwellian times, but rather Huxley’s. And that is the case, too. Obstacles have been removed, we’re told to follow passions (not orgy-porgy), and we are so reliant on our electronic diversions and consumerism that we barely know anything except commercial jingles. We need constant satiety and, luckily, there are outlets everywhere willing to provide.
But Orwell reminds us that Big Brother is always watching, and, now, Big Brother IS always watching. This blog is public–anyone can read it, but I don’t know who they are. In the novel, the Inner Party seeks power merely for the sake of having more power and exerting it over others. Once you have that power, too, you certainly don’t want to relinquish it. Hence, there are people at school, and everywhere in this world, who will exert this power over others just to make sure the others remember the social order. It’s been a reality since the dawn of time.
War is Peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is Strength. Thank goodness that we know what’s best for kids, what classes they should take, what schedules will look awesome for the college path that we lead them to. Because if we gave them Freedom–they may take a different class, or have a different schedule, or take a gap year. Freedom–blech! Better to follow the herd, for there is Strength in numbers. Heck, if everyone is doing it, how bad can it be? Surely, you have an opinion, but consider how much better your opinion would be if it went along with everyone’s.
I am never going to love Big Brother. See you in Room 101.