American Friendships

Americans are perceived as not forming deep friendships because the deep friendships formed are not as explicit as relationships in other countries: in other words, we do not come out and acknowledge very close friendships as such. That does not mean that such friendships do not exist- it is ridiculous to assume that people, by virtue of living in the United States, don't form meaningful relationships.
One challenge in asserting statements such as the shallowness of American friendship is that of generalization. The world's premiere cultural, economic, and military power, with a population of over 300 million, is not easily encapsulated by any one statement, much less one so deeply personal. Cultural differences undoubtedly exist (although the cultural diffusion in the US minimizes even these) but deep social relations are not consistently different.

"This Land is Your Land"- Woodie Guthrie

-Guthrie's message is collectivist. He views land as a resource or the betterment of people as a whole. For example, he objects to "the sign [which] said 'No Trespassing'" because it deprives people of the beauty of the land.
-This song is more anti- than pro-government. It seems that Guthrie views government as a constraint on his ability to enjoy the land. He also point to its inadequacy with the phrase, "By the relief office I seen my people."
-A side note: Collectivism is not synonymous with support of authoritarian government. Collectivism implies community cooperation toward shared goals-perhaps to the point of individual suppression- but the cooperation needn't be imposed by the government. Religious institutions are very collectivist, encouraging actions such as tithing that harm the individual financially but aid the community as a whole. While authoritarian governments purport to be collectivist, they are not necessarily-nor, perhaps, usually- working for the common good.

The Egg

-Before he married, he was a "cheerful, kindly man" (Anderson 1). After he married, he became "habitually silent and discouraged" (1). The change was caused by disillusionment, especially with his failing chicken business.
-He feels that the egg symbolizes a cyclical confining force. He evidences this with the statement, "It has stayed there, I imagine, because I am the son of my father" (8). He is doomed to repeat the negative aspects of his parents' lives.
-The grotesques are the most obvious extension of his father's problems and flaws that will be transferred down to the narrator. He will be "deformed" by defects in his father, much as chicks are deformed by genetic defects in their mothers.
-The narrator believes that the egg, as a symbol of cyclical constraints, is inescapable.

Aristotle

I agree with this quote. To be able to consider beliefs opposing your own demonstrates openness and an interest in other ideas. It also shows the conviction of one's own beliefs and the logical basis for those beliefs by avoiding a knee-jerk rejection of the opposition. Finally, to not immediately accept other beliefs demonstrates healthy skepticism.

1984 Blog 2

Several factors combine to make Winston opposed to the party doctrine. First, Winston is old enough to remember the world before the party and thus has a point of comparison lacking to the younger generation. Next, his profession places him in a unique position where he is confronted by the party’s revisionism of history on a daily basis. Orwell writes, “I know, of course, that the past is falsified, but it would never be possible for me to prove it, even when I did the falsification myself” (128). This shows that Winston’s powers of self-deception or double-think are strained regularly by his profession- and have begun to crack.  Finally, Winston is morally troubled by the party. Although he is by no means brave, Winston sees moral problems in party actions. When conversing with Julia about these problems, she responds, “One knew that it was all rubbish, so why let oneself be worried about it? (129).” However, this does not content Winston- he is bothered by these problems and cannot stop thinking about them.

Winston’s actions do not constitute a protest by the narrowest definition of the term. While it is clear that Winston objects to and defies the status quo, a protest is defined as a public declaration of discontent. In effect, the party has made protest impossible, and Winston expresses his discontent to only a few, select individuals. He does not attempt to sabotage the party through his work- and indeed, continues to aid the party- and to this point in the book, never publicly proclaims his objections. That said, Winston does exhibit signs of a more personal, introspective protest- he rebels in small ways that are meaningless to anyone but himself. He tells Julia of his discovery of evidence of falsification, saying, “’It was no good, because I threw it away later. But if the same thing happened today, I should keep it’” (128-129). Although that act would not be meaningful to anyone beyond himself, it remains an act of internal protest.

Perhaps the greatest difference in Winston’s act of rebellion and in current protests is the impetus. Recent protests within the United States have been sparked by some change in the status quo, be it the beginning of a war, a faltering economy, or unpopular policy. In 1984, the protest is against that which has been a fact of life for decades and is likely to remain present- the power of the party. This difference makes Winston’s task harder: with more dramatic change, it is easier for one to compare the state of affairs before and after. As Goldstein writes, “The  subsidiary reason [for the alteration of the past] is that the Party member, like the proletarian, tolerations present-day conditions partly because he has no standards of comparison” (175). People are less likely to be discontented if they know nothing else.

American society is not Orwellian. Undoubtedly, it has political problems, perhaps most dramatically evidenced in the miniscule voter turnout for younger Americans. However, the plurality of opinions in America is diametrically opposed to an Orwellian effort to promote state control of thought. Our government itself acts against Orwellian unity- a trend that some would say has gone too far, with excessive partisanship causing barriers to effective policymaking (such as the debt crisis). Furthermore, I believe that America’s current political state is far removed from the lack of independent thought that characterizes 1984. If a danger exists that would move us toward such a society, it is in widespread political apathy. The expression, “If you don’t vote, you can’t complain,” is not taken to heart by many Americans. Apathy stems from a variety of sources: arguments that your vote doesn’t matter (disproven by races such as Chandler and Barr’s, decided by 600 votes), arguments that all the candidates are the same (disproven by policy differences), and other similar objections. So long as political apathy is controlled, America will continue to promote discussion and debate that will differentiate our society from Orwell’s society.

2+2=5 Radiohead

-This song is about not resisting oppression and merely giving in to domineering powers. Specifically, it discussres self-deception with lines such as, "Oh, go and tell the king that the sky is falling in/but it's not," showing thawt although the speaker knows the truth, he chooses not to recognize it.
-The tempo begins slow and accelerates throughout the song. This acceleration reflects how self-deception is increasingly detrimental aas time goes on and how domineering authority, if unchecked, continues to grow more extreme and absolute in its control.
-This title references the party's encouragement of slef-deception (doublethink). "2+2=5" is a statement that Winston believes, once accepted, will signal the party's achievement of its goals, which are essentially total control through directed self-deception.

Conflict-Hijab

-Internal conflic is conflict with self, while external conflict is with some external force.
-Globalization creates conflict because it exposes individuals to beliefs with which they disagree and forces them to confront that from which they were formerly isolated. The speaker views globalization as Western imposition of beliefs.
-The benefit mentioned is that women have a variety of highly achieving and powerful women such as Sandra Day O'connor, allowing breakdown of stereotypes and discrimination.
-Muslims, according to the speaker, base their lives on the teachings of the Quran. She believes that the equivalent text is the Constitution.

1984 Reading Response 1

In the society of 1984, equality is merely a façade, as evidenced by the proletariats. Conformity, however, is demanded, and the means of enforcement is the fearsome “thought police” as well as citizen spies.  Conformity is not merely forced through violence, however: Winston joins in the frenzy of hatred toward a purported enemy of the people not by intent, but rather because, “A hideous ecstasy of fear and vindictiveness, a desire to kill, to torture, to smash faces in with a sledge hammer, seemed to flow through the whole group…turning one even against one’s will into a grimacing, screaming lunatic.” (Page 16). Thus, conformity is created by a perverse system of law enforcement as well as inescapable societal pressures on the individual.

It should be noted that conformity and the reduction of conflict are addressed mainly within party members. Little attempt is made to control the proletariats’ thoughts or actions beyond obedience when absolutely necessary. In this regard, then, conflict isn’t reduced within the “prole” class. On page 60, for example, Orwell describes a conflict over pots, “Two bloated women, one of them with her hair coming down, had got hold of the same saucepan and were trying to tear it out of one another’s hands.” Prostitution, alcoholism, misery, and poverty are widespread within the prole community. Within party ranks, however, interpersonal and religious conflicts have been banned by simply eliminating all institutions that would allow for conflict- the church, marriage, and independent thought, for example.

1984 is a dystopian novel. Clearly, the society is not functional. On page 68 and 69, Orwell writes, “It was as though some huge force were pressing down upon you-something that penetrated inside your skull, battering against your brain, frightening you out of your beliefs, persuading you, almost, to deny the evidence of your senses.” From a physical standpoint, the society is obviously dysfunctional. Resources are perpetually scarce, and rations continue to shrink. Socially, the society does not permit close friendships or romantic relationships.  Most strikingly, the society is intellectually devoid- dissent is muted, history rewritten, and thought altogether suppressed.  Orwellian society, however, has its benefits. It has achieved happiness for a wide sector of the population, represented by Parsons. It is unclear but possible that the overall standard of living has risen. Yet, overall, 1984 represents dystopia in its destruction of fundamental human and civil rights.

Utopia

• A utopia is a perfect place. Strife and conflict have vanished, and all factors are idea. However, I believe that a utopia can't exist for multiple people because there is no objective truth. I also believe that most people have other people in their utopias, so a true utopia is impossible.
• My ideal world would eliminate major world problems (hunger, war, and so on) and also shrink my personal community to those I like. I would limit interactions to people that are interesting or kind. My society would be structured to allow adequate time for leisure and productivity, as both are important.
• My personal soundtrack would be all from other cultures and languages, such as Tuvan throat singing. I choose this type of music because I dislike instrumental music but lyrical music always deals with problems, which, by definition, aren't present in a utopia.

Built to Spill- "You Were Right"

• The lyrics are directed to a former romantic partner. The statements "you were wrong when you said/everything's gonna be alright" and "you were right when you said/this is the end" show the termination of a relationship. "Life goes on after the thrill of living is gone" suggests a romantic element as such a relationship would be more likely to be thrilling than a friendship, familial, or other relationship.
• The loud volume of the piece indicates the frustration and anger in the speaker's tone. This supports the tone by allowing the audience to identify with the emotions of the speaker.
• Despite my personal dislike of the song, it was effective in its purpose as its musical elements and lyrics combine to create a frustrated and sad tone with which the author regards his subject. Although frustrated music and sad lyrics may seem contradictory, they are effective in this context as they combine to create a tone that synthesizes these two emotions.