"You know what is in Room 101, Winston. Everyone knows what is in Room 101." 273
As we near the end of the book, I think it would be interesting to make some predictions about what will come about to Winston. What are your thoughts on Room 101, what do you think is in there? (Obviously if you've read ahead don't spoil it) Why do you think everyone is so fearful of this place?
We've all, or at least some of us, have heard references to Room 101 even in the real world. It has a connotation that is negative, inquires suffering, and maybe even death. Orwell first introduces us to this idea through a man who shouts, "I've got a wife and three children. The biggest of them isn't six years old. You can take the whole lot of them and cut their throats in front of my eyes, and I'll stand by and watch it. But not Room 101!" (71). The fact that this man is willing to bring his children into the mess is proof enough that whatever is in the room is worse than physical suffering. From the condition that the man is in, (starved and in bad condition), we know that his actual body has already been tortured. That lead me to think that Room 101 must be able to reach something must deeper inside a human, something in the brain. I used to think that the Party, although in complete control of a person's life, could not break one's spirit, like Winston for example. After reading about Room 101, now I think differently. I think that it must have some sort of individual torture that reminds each person of what they did wrong, maybe through a device that clears the brain and erases all memory. It would be much more than the brutal beatings of the Party, symbolizing the power that the Party has over one's inner opinions, intellect, and mind. That is the one thing that human beings should never have taken away from them, making Room 101 their greatest fear.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that whatever is in Room 101 will probably affect us deeper on a human, emotional or neurological level rather than merely physical - I think I have ruled out the possibility of a tool of torture long since. After all, for the Thought police to work, the agents must have access to the inner workings of the minds of everyone else who makes up the Oceanic society ; and therefore, he police force knows accurately what goes on in someone's head. Even O'Brien continually says that Winston knows what is already waiting for him in this much-dreaded room. This leads me to the thought that the biggest fear does not emanate from an external object but possibly from yourself.
DeleteI see where you are coming from Sandy but I honestly doubt that now after all this work the Party has done to convert Winston into a completely subdued member of the Party they will suddenly give that work up after his exclaim when he by accident proclaims loudly his love to Julia. As O'Brien said at one point, they don't want to merely destroy their enemies. They want to change them. And that change needs to come because the rebel is goes through the process of convincing himself that what the Party is, says, and does is not only the only truth, but from every perspective the only right and logical thing. From O'Brien's perspective it wouldn't make sense to just wipe out Winston's memory and implant a new one.
ReplyDeleteSince the Party has already subjected Winston to the most cruel tortures possible and tore his physique to shreds, the logical move would be to directly go at his mind now (and in that point I agree with you Sandy). However not by wiping him out but by confronting him with something that breaks the barrier in his mind. Since Julia and the fact that he hasn't betrayed her yet seems to be the epicenter of his continued rebellion it would seem logical to go at that. If that'll however be by confronting him with the new, changed her, having her try to convince Winston instead of O'Brien for a change, or by any other way we don't know.
On what we've read to this point, I think it can be assumed that Room 101 isn't full of rainbows and sunshine. This room is legitimately scary and will make a man, such as Parsons to shiver in fear and try to avoid the room as much as possible. And the quote that Sandy introduced tell us, how scary this room is. And based on impulse, I would assume the same thing. The room possess a sort of mysterious pain that is more torture than seeing your child being slaughtered in front of you. But I'm really interested in wondering if this room is a source of physical pain or mental pain. Because as we all know, mental pain can cause the same amount of pain as physical pain, or more. But I think that the room is a source of mental pain. I feel that as a father, Parsons will not just express his willingness to see the death of his children just like that. I feel that he would die, by enduring in physical pain, before seeing his children die, despite his loyalty to the Party.
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