Book Three Chapters 1-3: Reality
"Only the disciplined mind can see reality, Winston. You believe that reality is something objective, external, existing in its own right. You also believe that the nature of reality is self-evident. When you delude yourself into thinking that you see something, you assume that everyone else sees the same thing as you. But I tell you, Winston, that reality is not external. Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else" (205).
O'Brien's conversation with Winston makes it clear as to why the people of Oceania are blinded by the madness of the Party. The Party has instilled a certain way of thinking that forces the citizens of Oceania to believe every single word that the Party says no matter how crazy it may sound. This is why O'Brien says that reality exists only in the human mind and not externally because the Party ingrains their philosophy in the minds of the people of Oceania and this is why they must only believe what they know in their mind and not what happens on the outside. This is one of the foundations of the Party's success because they convince their people to not question any of their motives. This sort of reminds me of the movie, A Nightmare on Elm Street because Freddy Kruger enters the mind of people and torments them in their dreams. All of the people affected by it truly believe that their dreams are a reality and even avoid going to sleep because they are afraid to that Freddy Kruger will give them nightmares again and even kill them. In both 1984 and A Nightmare on Elm Street, someone ingrains a certain way of thinking into their mind and the people believe in their subconscious and not so much the things that are right in front of them.
O'Brien's conversation with Winston makes it clear as to why the people of Oceania are blinded by the madness of the Party. The Party has instilled a certain way of thinking that forces the citizens of Oceania to believe every single word that the Party says no matter how crazy it may sound. This is why O'Brien says that reality exists only in the human mind and not externally because the Party ingrains their philosophy in the minds of the people of Oceania and this is why they must only believe what they know in their mind and not what happens on the outside. This is one of the foundations of the Party's success because they convince their people to not question any of their motives. This sort of reminds me of the movie, A Nightmare on Elm Street because Freddy Kruger enters the mind of people and torments them in their dreams. All of the people affected by it truly believe that their dreams are a reality and even avoid going to sleep because they are afraid to that Freddy Kruger will give them nightmares again and even kill them. In both 1984 and A Nightmare on Elm Street, someone ingrains a certain way of thinking into their mind and the people believe in their subconscious and not so much the things that are right in front of them.
I am really hyped to see that you have chosen this quote because it was just a great line in the novel. I am super into this topic because I tend to be in a constant existential crisis so I think about "reality" all the time.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I totally disagree with the way the Party is using this whole issue of existence, I totally agree with what I guess would be considered the mechanics of it. Even with one of the common examples in the book, two plus two is four, this is only fact because we have deemed it fact. We could have decided two plus two made three, and of course that sounds totally wacky right now, but only because that goes against what everyone has been taught for ages.
Think of it this way. Grass is green, right? At least in general that is considered the main color of grass. As we grow up, we are told that grass is green. However, whatever shade of color I think is green doesn't necessarily have to be yours. We could both look at a patch of green and say dang, that grass sure is green, but what you say is "green" might be purple in my eyes, in my brain, through my perception. But, to you, that shade is what you call green. Neither of us are right, because the only thing we can use to think of the color is our brains and how our brains perceive that color. Nothing at all truly exists without at least one of our many, many senses accepting its reality.
It can be the same in Oceania. Of course, there, reality is learned, but I can see how plausible it is to say two plus two is five and really believe it. People assume reality is the indisputable, the absolute truth, the tangible fact. I heavily disagree. I've technically never seen myself; only my eyes have seen me, and that information has gone to my brain, which has spit out a though of the information my eyes took in. When that happens, I don't see myself, just wait my brain thinks of the information it got. I cannot trust that my appearance is what I see it as, even if the people I know describe something very similar to what I, myself, see. Their descriptions also rely on what their brains understand. Our reality is what we choose. Even when Winston says he could not choose to say four even if he wanted to because he sees four with his own eyes, he is still relying on what his mind can see.
I know all of that was incredibly long-winded, but my point is that reality really does come from our own minds, and a consensus does not necessarily mean that "reality" is really reality.
This quote is a great way to see into the control that the Party has on its citizens. Its concerning to see the negative effects that people have obtained for following the Party's rule. O'Brien's statement that reality exists only in the mind thoroughly sums up the Pary's motives. Overall, your analysis was very detailed and easy to read. I appreciated your consistency in comparing 1984 to A Nightmare On Elm Street. Personally I have never watched the movie, so I appreciated the background that you provided.
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