Part 1

I recently finished Part I of the book and now look forward to giving you a quick plot update as well as a more in-depth look at the society and the main character, Winston. The majority of Part I served as an introduction. It encompassed descriptions of the setting, the ideals of the Party, and the thoughts of the protagonist. Instead of being driven by the plot through Winston's actions, the book is propelled by his thoughts, growth and sense of awakening. So far, Winston has done little other than buy a journal from a bookstore, sit at home, and go to the part of Airstrip One where the Proles live. The bulk of the novel revolves around what is taking place in his mind during these mundane events. Winston is learning that the Party may not have evidence for the statistics and facts they try to indoctrinate their follows with. He states, "it [is] like a single equation with two unknowns. It might very well be that literally every word in the history books, even the things that one accepted without question, was pure fantasy" (78). This shows how Winston is become more aware and less accepting of what is going on around him. Furthermore, Winston begins to question if the world always was how it is now. During one scene, he asks himself, "had it always been like this? Had food always tasted like this?" and during another he questions whether life was "better before the revolution than it is now?" This consideration of the past is something not many other characters do in this society- either they are too young to remember the past or they cannot recall old memories as though their recollections have been strangely erased. This is exactly what happened when Winston visited the Proles in search of answers to his questions. They gave him generic answers and skirted around the actual questions. Still, Winston's persistence and curiosity is evident through how he now asks questions constantly. As the novel progresses, I'm sure his consciousness will only continue to strengthen.

Winston has also demonstrated growth since the beginning of the novel through his writing. Buying a journal was his first baby step and now he writes full sentences, pages even. He has begun to crave writing as though the pen in his hand provides him the ultimate freedom that the Party denies him of. It is his therapy to be able to write "I understand HOW: I do not understand WHY" (83) and "Freedom is the freedom to say two plus two makes four. If that is granted, all else follows" (84). The power of writing has become his way of expressing himself and gaining control. He must still do so in secret without the telescreen watching, but it is worth it for him. This recurrence of writing touches upon a couple themes developing in the book. First, writing provides a sense of control to people who have had personal freedoms taken away. Thoughts and emotions are powerful tools that people will always have, even when all else feels lost. By being able to express these through writing, people have the ability to maintain their sanity to some degree, seeing as it provides a therapeutic release. Second, attempting to strictly control other people only leads to corruption and rebellion. As we have seen with Winston and other characters such as O'Brien and the Brotherhood, rebellion is brewing even though the Party is doing everything in their power to try and suppress it. The Party's vaporizations and hangings may only be able to scare people for so long before they have had enough. The ending of the book, whether an organized rebellion sparks or not, will give a better indication of this theme in relation to the book.

A final device I want to note is the contrast between light and dark that occurs repeatedly in this section. Light is often associated with hope and the possibilities of the future. Winston writes in his diary one night about a dream he had where there is a woman in the light of a lamp. He wants to have sex with her, which would be breaking societal rules, but he doesn't care, he wants to do it anyways. In this society, sexual interactions that also have an emotional connection is discouraged. The Party does not want unions and partnerships to form for fear of rebellion arising. The lamp light surrounding this woman represents rebellion with a positive connotation. It shows how this society attempts to suppress the human desire for intimacy, but Winston longs to defy it. In contrast, darkness is used in association with the Party, the clothing of the hated Capitalists, and the hair of the woman who Winston thinks is a spy for the Thought Police. The darkness, as depicted through these, negatively represents the current state of the society and how blinding it is. No one can separate truth from falsehood and everyone mindlessly follows the leadership of Big Brother without question. Ultimately, this contrast serves the purpose of reflecting the internal conflict within Winston. He wants to rebel and go towards the light, yet at the same time, the darkness tempts him and seems safer because the majority lives their lives in it.

As I begin Part II of the book, I will keep this analysis of Part I in mind and continue to trace the development of these characters, themes, and motifs. In addition, I will be searching for the answers to the questions I have and explanations for some of the strange occurrences. In particular, I am curious about this itch and this ulcer that Winston has. It seems every other page he is ailing physically, and I wonder what their significance is to the story. Also, there are these rhymes interspersed throughout the story, one about oranges, lemons, and St. Clement, and another about lying under a chestnut tree. Are they subliminal message of propaganda? Do they have a decipherable meaning? I'm off to keep reading and find out.