The fact that Winston might be one or THE only one in his society to doubt Big Brother (he might not be the only one, but it certainly looks like it though) makes me think of some song lyrics... Here they are:
Why did I pick these lyrics? How does it have anything to do with 1984? I will be more than happy to answer these questions. You see, when I read 1984, these lyrics are ALWAYS coming back to me. I just think that they represent what Winston must be feeling towards the citizens of the society.
"Look at these people, amazing how sheep will show up for the slaughter"... Look at these people, amazing how they will play with danger and go get killed, metaphorically speaking. It is their souls that are killed by the government. They will eat all the lies, they will let the propaganda replace their reason. But when they are caught and reported they disappear. As far I know, they might be dead. "You lined up like lemming you led to the water"... They'll line up to be the first ones to get anything, whether it be water, pots and pans, razor blades... And they're willing to fight to death to get them. They're condemning themselves. It is pathetic to see that, but we have to remember that they own almost nothing. It's amazing how people can turn into animals when it comes down to survival (like when the women were fighting for the saucepans). And Winston, well he has to watch all of this. He had been so hopeful when he had first the screams of the women, thinking it was a riot, but nope. Not even close. "Winston watched them disgustingly. And yet, for just a moment, what almost frightening power had sounded in that cry from only a few hundred throats! Why was it that they could never shout like that about anything that mattered?" (page 73) Winston hoped so much for a riot, for a rebellion, for them to open their eyes and see what the world has become, which brings me to the third line of the song... "Why can't they see what I see? Why can't they hear the lies?"... To me, this line is the most powerful. When I hear it, read it, or sing it, I am actually able to feel the pain of the protagonist, understand what it must feel like never to be heard or seen, to be alone in this world. When Winston witnessed the fighting women, he had hoped so badly that it was a rebellion. But then he realized... If I were Winston, I would have probably screamed this line at the top of my lungs. I would probably get caught, but it would have been worth it. Through this line, I can understand Winston's sickness of people so gullible they can't make the difference between a truth and a lies. "Why can't they hear the lies?" Because they are slaves of the society, they are puppets controlled by they master.
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