We have finished the entire novel. And this question is pretty much obvious. What did you think of the ending?
Personally, I have mixed feelings for the ending. I feel that the ability for Winston to accept Big Brother like that, shows the greatness and the immense power that the Party has over the people in their society. They're power is so great, concluding to mind control. Also, it frustrates me how the society possess the inability to think for themselves.
But at the same time, I'm happy. I feel that the imagery on the final pages of the novel were so cleverly written that it dilutes my anger. The novel states, "Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory himself. He loved Big Brother"(311) For me, I enjoyed that greatly. I feel so much serenity after reading that. It is as if Winston found his peace, metamorphosed. But again, it was into a true Party member, which was not what I thought the novel was concluding into.
I don't feel fully satisfied because Winston lost all his individual aspects, his individuality. He is now, just another Party member, a slave. And maybe that's what it was all leading to. Slavery is freedom, right? So by being enslaved, he is finally free.
Personally, I have mixed feelings for the ending. I feel that the ability for Winston to accept Big Brother like that, shows the greatness and the immense power that the Party has over the people in their society. They're power is so great, concluding to mind control. Also, it frustrates me how the society possess the inability to think for themselves.
But at the same time, I'm happy. I feel that the imagery on the final pages of the novel were so cleverly written that it dilutes my anger. The novel states, "Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory himself. He loved Big Brother"(311) For me, I enjoyed that greatly. I feel so much serenity after reading that. It is as if Winston found his peace, metamorphosed. But again, it was into a true Party member, which was not what I thought the novel was concluding into.
I don't feel fully satisfied because Winston lost all his individual aspects, his individuality. He is now, just another Party member, a slave. And maybe that's what it was all leading to. Slavery is freedom, right? So by being enslaved, he is finally free.
I found the ending unsatisfying, yet it was the only thing that truly fitted within the character and content of this novel. I mind that Winston, just like Fatin mentioned, became a slave of the Party. I actually hoped that Winston was the last man that could change something in the society of Oceania. As if there was some kind of hope, like it isn't over yet.
ReplyDeleteI especially had this feeling when I read the last couple of pages and Winston thinks, ''white always mates... In no chess problem since the beginning of the world black has ever won. Did it not symbolize the eternal, unvarying triumph of Good over Evil?...White always mates''(302). This shows that Winston actually knows the difference between good and evil, especially in relation to the Party system. He knows that the Party is wrong and he is right. Even after they released him and he was ''cured''. Winston is aware of the situation, yet the Party enslaved him through his bones and brains because of the final sentence. Which basically breaks down all hope. The fact that he loved Big Brother just disappoints me.The book should have ended with dignity, Winston should have loved Julia knowing that he was right about the entire Party. That only shows is perseverance and commitment to his own mind and memory.
I agree with you Helen that it would've been more satisfying if we could see justice being done by the end of the novel.. but at the same time considering Orwell's background as a soldier who witnessed the reality of totalitarianism this tragic ending could most effectively present to us how powerful and how careful we should be in dealing with such regimes
DeleteThat's exactly what frustrates me, knowing that Winston has the ability to repel, and has the opposing knowledge to do, but he undermines all of that. Then, finally, he accepts Big Brother into his heart, which I find to be a weakness in his character because up until the last few pages of the book, he is strong and can hold his own but now, he's just another obedient Party member.
DeleteI think as I read the novel, and its quick turn of events I told myself to believe that in the end, justice will be done and Winston would win, and the oligarchy would be turned over once and for all. However, after reading the novel, I was not only disappointed, but as Tristan once said in class I felt the need to "appreciate" the ending. George Orwell writes " O stubborn, self-willed exile from the loving breast!" It makes me think has Orwell's motives in writing Nineteen Eighty Four been to show that the power of totalitarianism is stronger, more penetrating than one might think? And also the fact that Winston claims that he gained victory over himself, as he learns to love Big Brother, does that show that an individual is merely helpless under the grip of such a repressive regime? Indeed, perhaps this was what Orwell was intending to do to paint the picture of a powerless individual and to warn people of the potency of such regimes.
ReplyDeleteYes, I love this comment. Although when I was writing my blog post, I was simply focusing on my emotions towards the end of the novel, I neglected to focus on where the book was actually heading. I slightly grazed this in my Crimestop blog post but I think that the novel can be placed right next to the totalitarianism and we can observe so many similarities. And I fell that it was Orwell's motif to reflect this totalitarianism through his novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four. In the end, there's not always a happy ending, especially when you are dealing with a "Big Brother". Now, I'm easing on why Orwell decided to end the novel like that and for me, I feel as if I should have expected an ending like this. The power of the Big Brother is so strong and the "boot" will always knock people like Winston down.
DeleteAfter reading the book I was extremely angry, not really disappointed. More like frustrated, I was waiting for so much, it kind of killed all my hope. I think Georg Orwell is so talented in involving the readers, through out the book especially towards the end, I had so many emotions , mostly anger and disgust but his ability for triggering that in the reader is impressive, I don't know if it s everybody's case, but definitely something that marked me in the novel.
ReplyDeleteThe ending for me was extremely ugly, as it portrayed for the scene of killing of a man, slaughtering his humanity. The loss of something extremely beautiful being that freedom to think , analyze for yourself and feel what you wish. Very sad from the perceptive of a citizen of today's society where "everybody" is "encouraged" to express themselves. Fatin I understand your not being fulfilled by Wilson's satisfaction and enslaving being freedom, although I found the passage of the tears very revolting and lame underlining as Helen states the power of physical torture in your psychological state . So Jung you bring out an extremely interesting point about how totalitarianism is very strong and how Orwell shows us the weakness of individuals. However, once this Totalitarianism reaches a certain extent of force and manipulation of the people and once they are being appreciated and loved as BB is in 1984 then does the powers of the individual really matter anymore? They are satisfied brainwashed and happy with the situation, the society is working well basic needs are met , the people are working to produce more money and making babies at the same time, they obey to the power and humanity without its values as we know them goes on. But it isn't even an issue since they are not aware of the tyrants that control their life, ignorance is truly strength and slavery is freedom as for war , it is peace. (In Orwell's dystopia )