“The proles are human beings . . . we are not human.” (165)

This statement brings into question what exactly makes us human. Through Winston, Orwell is promoting the idea that being human is more than just being flesh and blood with 23 chromosomes. Being human, it seems, requires independent thought and action. Because The Party is taking away this ability from its members, it is effectively rendering them inhuman. The proles lie outside this control and therefore are untouched by most of The Party's actions throughout Oceania. While The Party has stripped all that it is to be human from its members, the humanity of the proles has been left intact. They serve as a reminder to the reader that we must remain conscious beings, for it is the only thing that differentiates us from animals.

“The proper thing was to kill yourself before they got to you.” (102)

This concept of killing oneself out of honor draws from the Japanese samurai tradition of Hara-Kiri were they to fall into enemy hands or somehow bring shame upon themselves or their family. In this same vein, Winston shows that death is clearly favorable to being tortured – and eventually killed – in the Ministry of Love. In comparing behavior in Oceania to that in a country that was also so entrenched in control – keeping outsiders out for hundreds of years – Orwell makes it clear that The Party means serious business and is not willing to make compromises for anyone. Citizens are clearly held to the highest standards and achieving anything less is unacceptable.

SOURCE: "Hara-kiri - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Web. 17 May 2010. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hara-kiri.

Prefix of “Victory”

In Ocean, many things exist with the prefix of “victory” - Victory Gin, Victory Cigarettes, and Victory Coffee to name a few. This is done with the goal of inspiring people to make sacrifices, such as in the quality of their food stuffs, during war time. In the case of Oceania, this is the war against Eurasia. This tactic is parallel to what the American government did during World War II so that troops could be properly fed and equipped. Orwell uses this similarity to show that Oceania really does have a goal – to win the war – and also that the nation is not invincible. If Oceania were invincible, the entire country would not have to sacrifice anything in order to win.

SOURCE: "Victory Gardens during World War II." The Wessels Living History Farm, the Story of Agricultural Innovation. Web. 16 May 2010. http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe40s/crops_02.html.

“I think I exist.” (259)

This quote is essentially a reworking of Descartes' “I think therefore I am.” With it, Orwell shows that Winston is conscious of what is going on around him: he is not yet part of the brainwashed masses. Obviously Descartes thought philosophically – a line of thought that would be frowned upon by the government of Oceania. For Winston to be thinking in such a way shows that his resistance to The Party is more than superficial – he doesn't disagree just for the sake of disagreeing or because someone has told him to, but because he understands the issues and situation at hand.

SOURCE: "Rene Descartes: 'I Think Therefore I Am'" Read Books Online Free - Romance Novels Online. Web. 16 May 2010. http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_html/Outline_of_Great_Books_Volume_I/ithinkth_bga.html.

The Lottery

The Lottery in Oceania is synonymous with the Lottery in present-day society. It is something that lots of people get excited about – buying a lottery ticket on your 18th birthday is a rite of passage – but yet the stories of actually winning are few and far between. Even when there is a “big winner” it is usually someone in some far-flung locale; knowing a winner is very rare. And yet countless people continue to play week after week. Orwell uses this to show that, even though the proles technically live outside the reign of The Party, they are still willing to blindly follow where The Party leads and never question how the actual system works. Instead, they continue to play and hope that someday they will get lucky, never realizing that the entire system is rigged because they never think to question authority – a grim warning for readers who may find themselves to be complacent.

“Your worst enemy . . . was your own nervous system.” (63)

In a society with so many formidable enemies watching your every move, it is ironic that Winston thinks that his downfall may be an internal source. Orwell uses this to show the phycological impact that The Party has upon its members. In our society, keeping a diary would cause no outward signs of distress on an individual. Yet in Oceania, Winston has been brainwashed that he thinks he is doing something inherently wrong. Because they have indoctrinated the citizens of Oceania, there is much less actually policing that needs to occur; eventually those breaking the law will slip-up and essentially turn themselves in to the authorities for criminal activities.

“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.” (81)

The Party has essentially stripped away all freedoms for its people, including the freedom to think logically. Obviously it is clear that if you have two items and then gain two more, you have four. But yet The Party proclaims that 2 + 2 = 5. With this, it seems to be impossible to differentiate the truth from the lies that the government puts forward. Orwell uses this extreme example to show how little freedom Winston and his comrades have and the threat that The Party believes will come if even the slightest rights and privileges are granted.