Hypertext Response and Analysis of 1984 By George Orwell

1. Hypertext Response and Analysis of 1984 By George Orwell By: Kira Latoszewski & Arianna Porte

2. “The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power. Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness; only power, pure power” (Orwell 263) QuestionsReactionsLit. Devices

3. Power • Definition • The capability to influence the behavior of others or the course of events • Political or national strength • The possession of control or command over others • Connotation • Abusive • Corruption • Respect

4. Impact on Reading • The idea of power plays a large role in the overall theme of 1984. The government of Oceania strives to have “power, pure power”(264) while it’s citizens lose the power of free will and free thought. Orwell illustrates the consequence of power that in order for one to gain it, another must loose it. The citizens of Oceania reside in the loosing end of the partnership, partaking in the role of governmental prisoners sentenced by their own thoughts. The thirst for control shown by the government figures, particularly in O’Brien, shows the madness and corruption that power inflicts on a organization of people.

5. “The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake” (263).

6. Good of Others • Synonym & Definition • Benevolence: desire to do good to others • Goodwill: friendly, helpful, or cooperative attitude • Altruism: the principle of unselfish devotion to the welfare of others • Connotation • Kindness • Unselfishness • Hope

7. Impact on Reading • The idea of caring for the good of others brings an ironic tone to the overall feeling of the text. Ideally, a government’s main goal should be to honor and protect its citizens and the greater good. However, in George Orwell’s 1984, the government of Oceania acts on selfishness, working towards complete power rather than being concerned with what is best for it’s citizens. The type of disregard for the good of others lends its hand to the corruption within the government and the totalitarian world that the citizens of Oceania live in.

8. “We are notinterested in the good of others…” (263).

9. Literary Devices • Polysyndeton • Using several conjunctions in close succession, especially where some might be omitted • “The dogs and the cats and the hamsters and the gerbils ran away quickly.” • Alliteration: • The commencement of two or more stressed syllables of a word group • “The grass grew more green each day.”

10. Polysyndeton “Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness” The use of polysyndeton during O’Brien’s speech illustrates a large multitude of things that human beings strive to achieve in life, such as wealth, luxury, etc. By adding in the conjunctions, it turns the sentence into a laundry list, detailing a vast range of items that connotate with feelings of happiness and success. In the text, O’Brien is listing off the qualities in order to illustrate for Winston all the things that the government has no desire to procure for it’s people. This pours irony into the situation because those are the type of things that, traditionally, the government would strive towards achieving. By explicitly specifying things in which the Party does not care about in a laundry list, it better exemplifies their lust for power even if it means oppressing the majority of the population.

11. Alliteration “…only power, pure power” The use of alliteration in the text puts emphasis on the ultimate goal of the government: power. Repetition of the constant sounds forces the reader to better remember the point of the text, which in this case, is the idea of power. Orwell scarcely utilizes alliteration in his novel, therefore, the use of it in this portion of O’Brien’s speech stands out to the reader and allows for the point of power and absolute rule to be better emphasized.

12. Questions • Wealth provides people with a mean for purchasing whatever they desire, while happiness allows them to be content with their lives. In 1984, the government does not strive for those things, but instead strives for power. How is being the most powerful beneficial? • What constitutes power? When has one reached ultimate power? Is there a maximum on power?

13. Reaction • The ability to possess complete control over everything and anything at any given time is alluring for many individuals. They believe that a benefit to being powerful is having the ability to say and do what one wants to to whomever. It is also a common held belief that with power comes wealth and happiness, that they all go hand and hand. Quite often people who thirst for power are hungry for absolute rule and complete control. However, when power is used for the good of others, it is extremely beneficial. A celebrity who uses their power and influence to do charitable acts is proving to be beneficial to others in society. Power has the possibility of being beneficial, however its benefits are determined by how that power is being used.

14. Reaction • There are many examples in literature and reality, where a person or an organization strives for complete and utter power. However, the question arises as to what truly is complete power? Is it control over one’s people? Is it control over the trade industry? Or is it the power to advocate for the greater good? The dictionary definition of power is the possession of control. However, it does not specify the control of what or whom. It does not specify if power is a tool or a weapon and it certainly does not specify the limit on power. Similar to drug addicts, power hungry individuals are always searching for ways to achieve another high, one that leaves them more satisfied than the last. However, they are not able to be truly satisfied, therefore, continuing to search for that next high and the one after that. One could conclude that there is no maximum on power, due to the fact that a power hungry individual is unable to be satisfied and is always searching for more.

15. Connection to The Hunger Games Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games could easily be compared to George Orwell’s timeless novel, 1984. Both novels take place in the dystopian future where society is breaming with corruption. The leader of the corrupted government in The Hunger Games, President Snow, can be juxtaposition to the Inner Party in 1984 for their thirst for absolute rule. In 1984, the citizens of Oceania live in constant fear of being betrayed by their own thoughts, living each day under the oppressive thumb of a totalitarian government. The citizens of Panem, the setting of The Hunger Games, are kept in control by the looming threat of the Hunger Games, an annual event that pins teenagers against one another, fighting to the death. The governments in both novels utilize fear in order to maintain in power.

16. Connection to Kenyan Government • In Oceania’s society in 1984, the totalitarian style government strives for a single goal: power. The government forgoes the wishes of it’s people, instead inflicting any pain or suffering necessary to procure power. In today’s world, the Kenyan government takes similar measures to remain the acting force in power. In May of 2013, nearly 400 families were forcibly evicted from their homes by police and government officials. Over the course of the next month, thousands of families were violently removed from their homes, which were demolished to provide land for government establishments. The Kenyan government ignored the cries forhelp coming from the newly homeless citizens of Kenya, choosing instead to focus on proclaiming more land, more power. Similar to how the government of Oceania thirst for power drives them to kill any of its citizens that threaten it, the Kenyan government destroys the homes of several thousand Kenyan people in order to build their own bureaucratic buildings.

17. Connection to Kenyan Government

18. Personal Reaction The desperate need for power that the Oceania government yearns for is something that I cannot relate to.  The idea of controlling someone's every move and every thought goes against my religious beliefs.  God gave man free will to make his own choices and have his own thoughts.  Having a government that tries to control individuals' thoughts and actions is a government that is trying to be God, except with more power.  How I define power is different than how the Party would define it.  To them it's all about having control, but for me, someone who has power means influencing others for the greater good.  For example, Martin Luther King Jr. was a powerful man because he influenced African Americans to stand up for equality.  Mother Teresa was powerful because even though she was poor herself, she and other nuns went out to help poorer people who often suffered from AIDS and leprosy in India.  MLK Jr. and Mother Teresa are only a couple of examples of individuals who were powerful leaders because they helped the greater common good, rather than serve their own interests.

19. Personal Reaction • George Orwell illustrates a government that completely surpasses the wishes of the people in order to gain complete control in his novel 1984. This particular quote was riddled with irony, because a government should represent the people and their wishes rather than seek only to control its people. They should strive to organize a state in wish all people live free and happy. However, in reality that is not always the case. Even in the United States of America, the land of the free, certain groups are considered oppressed or ignored. Continually, many could argue that the goal of our government is also strictly to obtain absolute power. However, compare our government to that of the ruling party in 1984, and it is clear that the American people live free lives under a government that helps provide for them. Programs such as medicare, medicaid, student financial aid and so on, are all examples of how the government takes step to procure stability and opportunity for it’s people, unlike the government of Oceania which keeps people living in constant fear of their own thoughts. Personally, I believe that any government that does not strive to procure basic liberties for it’s citizens, such as happiness and a long life, is not a stable, efficient government. It is an inhumane dictatorship.

20. Works Cited • Amnesty International USA. Advertisement. Amnesty International. Amnesty International USA, n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2013. <http://www.amnestyusa.org/search/node/five%20steps%20to%20evict>. • “George Orwell Biography – A Biography of George Orwell.” George Orwell – Complete Works, Biography, Quotes, Essays.  30 May 2011.  Web.  16 February 2014.http://www.george-orwell.org/l_biography.html&gt • Houldey, Gemma. "Violent evictions a worrying sign for Kenya's new government." LiveWire. Amnesty International USA, 25 Feb. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2014. http://livewire.amnesty.org/2013/05/25/violent-evictions-a-worrying-sign-for-kenyas-new-government/. • Luckovich, Mike.  “The Education Funding Comics And Cartoons.”  Cartoonist Group.  15 Sep. 2005.  Web.  16 February 2014.http://www.cartoonistgroup.com/subject/The-Education%2BFunding-Comics-and-Cartoons-by-Mike%2BLuckovich's%2BEditorial%2BCartoons.php> • Suede, Michael. “Worthless Pigs Stomp On Citizen’s Face For Not Licking Boots.”  Libertarian News.  2 May 2011.  Web.  16 February 2014.http://www.libertariannews.org/2011/05/02/worthless-pigs-stomp-on-citizens-face-for-not-licking-boots/ • “Totalitarianism Cartoons and Comics.”  Cartoonstock.  Web.  16 February 2014.<http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/t/totalitarianism.asp>