Reaction to Wag the Dog

We finally finished watching Wag the Dog. There a lot of similarity in the book and in the movie. There a lot of concept between these two things, for example in the book the people believe what ever the Party tells them and in the movie you see the people believe whatever is on the news. We believe whatever is on the news because we assume that they are never lying and are telling the truth. For one thing, how do we know that what ever we see and hear are the truths? How do we know that the war with Iraq or any other war that happened throughout the past is even real or fake? In the movie they fabricated a war with Albania so that they can forget the scandal that the President did with a girl. And in the book they keep on changing war with Eastasia and Eurasia that the people didn’t even know who they are fighting against anymore.
By watching this movie it made me realize that we don’t ask questions and if we do, we don’t wait for the whole answer. We only listen to the part that is suited for us. We don’t really want to know what is really going on the world or that if our government is really doing their jobs. In a way the book 1984 and the movie Wag the Dog, made me realize that we shouldn’t ignore little facts or forget them because of something big is happening, because those little things can be the whole truth behind the whole picture.
I think this movie was interesting and I do recommend my friends to watch it.

Reaction to 1984

This book in my opinion was confusing and boring at first. But when it got to the end of part 2 and the beginning of part 3 it captured my interest. It’s like everything about the whole book was put into that section of the book. Winston getting caught by the Thought Police/Mr. Charrington whom Winston thought was a prole, facing his biggest fear at Room 101, and worst of all was his and Julia betrayal for each other when they both said that they will never betrayed their love for each other. When I think about it, you always knew that no matter what they will get caught. I always had my suspicion on O’Brien because since Winston bumped into O’Brien at work. He just gave me a vibe of someone you can’t trust. And at the end you see that it was O’Brien who was torturing Winston and still Winston thought that O’Brien was helping him. At chapter VI, you see whole new prospective of what Winton really thinks of the Party. What really caught my interest about this chapter is that in the end when they won a battle, Winston had a dream that he should be dead of what he did against the Party. I think that O’Brien was trying to tell Winston that in the end you will love Big Brother no matter what because in the end you will realized that all the things you done was wrong and you want to die so you’ll come back and beg us to kill you for it, which they will grant their last wish. I think I do understand this book better now because I finally understand how George Orwell writes.
George Orwell writes great science fiction books, which I might mention this one was great. Knowing that his wording and writing style was kind of difficult but although the whole book was excellent to read. In one way, 1984 did change my way of thinking of the world we live in nowadays. I am starting to ask questions to myself and my surrounding that the way of lives of Oceania, could it be true to our world and time as well. How do we know for sure that our government isn’t hiding things from us and manipulating us? When I think about it this way the three slogans they have it seem true in our world as well. War is Peace, Ignorance is Strength and Freedom is Slavery.

Part 3, Chapter III & IV

1. O'Brien is a member of the Thought Police, do you think he can actually read Winston's mind? Did O'Brien actually permeate Winston's dream all those years ago? Explain your answer.

I’m actually having a second thought of O’Brien ability to read Winston’s thought. Knowing that O’Brien is a member of the Thought Police, it seems like he knows a lot of things that going on or goes on Winston mind. But in other hand O’Brien could have been spying on Winston. Like O’Brien said he was watching him for seven years already. O’Brien has the ability to find out everything Winston was doing without him noticing. He is a member of the Inner Party and a Thought Police he has a lot of privileges than others Party member doesn’t have.

2. O'Brien has made it clear the Party will kill Winston at some point. We know they want folks to understand and believe before they die, but.....if they are not going to release these people back into society, why do they bother with the time and expense of the torture and "rehabilitation"?

O’Brien said that it is for Winston’s own good, he believes that this treatment it “cures” you supposedly. O’Brien and the other Inner Party member doesn’t want to just kill Winston they want him to Love Big Brother. They want him to confess that what ever he did to go against the Party was wrong, but not just saying it they want Winston to truly mean it from the bottom of his heart.

3. What's in Room 101? The most impressive answers will be those consisting of just one sentence.

Behind the door of the Room 101, there lie Winston’s biggest fears which are rats.

Chapter VIII

In this chapter, you get the feeling of how the Party and the Brotherhood are reasonably similar. O’Brien stated that Goldstein really does exist and he is the leader of their Party as know as the Brotherhood. How can they be so sure that Brotherhood really does exist and if they do how come they didn’t take a stand yet. What are they waiting for? If it is like O’Brien said that their others like them who are against the Party why don’t they take a stand and protest. In my opinion I don’t really see the difference between the Party and the Brotherhood. When you really think about it you see that they are so similar in so many ways. Winston would kill others, put acid on children face or kill himself if it’s necessary, just for what? It’s just like what the Party would have done as well. They kill if it’s necessary, the Party member suicide when they think they did something wrong. Isn’t it similar to what the Brotherhood is doing, they kill others if it’s necessary and they will kill themselves when they get caught. In the end they have to confess if they do get caught by the Thought Police, so where does their effort goes? It doesn’t go anywhere; YOU still DIE no matter what. Winston is too jubilated because he is finally taking a big step going against the Party to realize that what he is doing is wrong. He is jeopardizing his life to O’Brien, and I am still not sure to trust O’Brien or NOT.

Part II Chapter 7

Winston and Julia, meet up with each other at the room which is on top of Mr.Charrington store. This time, Winston had a bad dream about his past. He dreamt about his mother and his younger sister, which he assumed are dead. He blames himself for murdering his mother and his sister for his selfishness. He thinks that it was his fault that they disappeared because he ran away from home. With all this pain in side of him, he hates the Party more. Knowing that now he can feel emotions, he is slowly remembering other emotions other then love, hate and fear.

He thinks that proles are the only human beings there are nowadays at Oceania. He believes this, because they can feel any emotions but the only problem is that they are ignorant. They really don't care about what the Party is doing if it doesn't effect them. Julia and Winston knows that there little game of sneaking around behind the Party's back won't last that long. The Thought Police will find them soon and they will be killed, but this doesn't scare Winston, but he is afraid that when they will be caught he will be forced to stop loving Julia. But Julia states that no one can control other people emotions. Emotions are your inner self and no one can take that away from you if you don't want them too. After what Julia said to him he believe that no one can take away his love toward Julia and his emotions or what he truly feels.

Reaction to Chapter 6

Winston and O’Brien finally meet up with each other at work. This encounter wasn’t that of a big deal other that knowing that O’Brien might not be the person that Winston was hoping for. I think this, since it looks like O’Brien wants them to get caught. For example, O’Brien is mentioning Syme, but not his name, but what ever he is saying leads toward Syme being vaporized and him writing his address right in front of the telescreen. All of these events are leading my suspicious that O’Brien might be a Thought Police. Who wants to know what is Winston real motive and want to catch him in the act or just let him confess so that can be the end of Winston. Like Winston said when he meets up with O’Brien he had this feeling that when they meet again it might be at the Ministry of Love and that is where will be the end of him.

Response to Part II Chapter V

A lot of stuff happened in this chapter. Syme was vaporized, the Party members were busy with Hate Week which is coming soon, and Winston and Julia are still meeting in secret at a room which is on top of Mr.Charrington’s store. Julia and Winston are all ways in deep thought of conversation of what is really happening in their time. Julia stated that Goldstein isn't even a real person, she assumed that he is a made up figure which is to scare the people of Oceania. She thinks that the Inner Party and Big Brother just made Goldstein up, so that they can manipulate the people and try to tell them if they rebel against them, they are going to pay the same consequence, Goldstein paid. They also thought that the war that was going on is fabricated as well. They kept changing their target that Julia forgot who the Party was fighting which scared Winston because he thinks that Julia at least should know the truth and pay attention what is happening around them. He wants to make some kind of record of what they are doing so the next generation could carry on the stuff Winston and Julia left off. But Julia isn't really interested of the next generation. She was too caught up with what was happening now with her and Winston to worry about the future.