Do you think Frankenstein went too far in his quest for knowledge? or, more interestingly, is it possible to learn too much? What should Frankenstein have have done differently? In a larger context, how should we protect and safeguard the advancement of knowledge?
I personally feel that Frankenstein went to far in his quest for knowledge, its fine that he wants to learn the secret of life but its terrible that he went to the extent of creating life without planing for what he would do with it after he created it. He essentially created a life and then destroyed it by making it the most dejected being on the earth. I don't think its possible to learn too much from a wide perspective. there are probably more narrow fields of knowledge where you can learn too much but that is more like getting up into people's buisness but as for regular fields of knowledge such as math, science, etc. there is not learning too much. As for what Frankenstein could have done differently he could have just been satisfied with the fact that he knew the secret of life, rather than going so far as to create a miserable life. As for safeguarding knowledge, it's not so much that we need to defend against knowledge more so we need to defend how it is applied. This is based on morals thus it is really difficult to control because everyone has different morals.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Robert and the Stranger
Robert Walton and the Stranger are similar in their desire for knowledge and discovery. The obvious difference so far though is that the Stranger is a broken spirit most likely from what it was that he discovered or accomplished. Robert on the other hand has just started his voyage and has yet to come across anything negative or damaging to his resolve to discover. They are different though in what it is they want to discover. Robert wants to discover a passage to the arctic and the mainland so something geographic. Whereas, (and I’m only guessing here) the stranger wanted to experiment with the creation or reanimation of dead tissue and nerves. Which, I’m also guessing, that his expirementing went wrong and that he was out on the ice in the first place because he was chasing his creation. They do seem to have a connection with each other though and so that helps them to have more in common. I do feel that they must have a lot in common because I think the stranger sees himself in Robert Walton which is why he then feels the need to tell him his story so that he hopefully won’t make the same mistakes as him and then fall into what he is currently suffering.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Post #9
Following his capture, Winston undergoes a process of “philosophical cleansing” and “re-education.” He fights valiantly against this. Discuss the methods of torture and their results. What do you think this ending is saying about the hope Winston had for himself and for mankind at the beginning of the book? What do you think the broader message of the book is?
Winston was tortured in a variety of ways. For starters he was locked up in a room with no food and no idea of where he was or when it was. He was cut off from everything in order to change him completely. If he is in a room with nothing and no idea of where or when then he has no reference point and that makes it harder for him to oppose the party. After this he is then strapped to a table and tortured with electricity. This torture with electricity is to reform him. O'Brien keeps asking him how many fingers he is holding up, he also tells Winston that he is sick and hallucinates and that he O'Brien is only trying to help him. From there Winston begins to be reformed to the ways of the party and he starts becoming healthier but he has yet to denounce Julia. Because of this O'Brien takes him to room 101, where he is tortured with rats (his greatest fear) to the point that he betrays Julia. I think what the end of this book is saying is that the individual can't survive against the masses. If they have no one else to relate to then they have no way of knowing that they arn't crazy. I think this is also the broader message of the book and that is the warning that this book gives. We may think that if it doesn't affect us its fine and we're strong enough to keep our individuality but what this book says is that if your the only one like you out of everyone else that is the same you won't survive.
Winston was tortured in a variety of ways. For starters he was locked up in a room with no food and no idea of where he was or when it was. He was cut off from everything in order to change him completely. If he is in a room with nothing and no idea of where or when then he has no reference point and that makes it harder for him to oppose the party. After this he is then strapped to a table and tortured with electricity. This torture with electricity is to reform him. O'Brien keeps asking him how many fingers he is holding up, he also tells Winston that he is sick and hallucinates and that he O'Brien is only trying to help him. From there Winston begins to be reformed to the ways of the party and he starts becoming healthier but he has yet to denounce Julia. Because of this O'Brien takes him to room 101, where he is tortured with rats (his greatest fear) to the point that he betrays Julia. I think what the end of this book is saying is that the individual can't survive against the masses. If they have no one else to relate to then they have no way of knowing that they arn't crazy. I think this is also the broader message of the book and that is the warning that this book gives. We may think that if it doesn't affect us its fine and we're strong enough to keep our individuality but what this book says is that if your the only one like you out of everyone else that is the same you won't survive.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
April 15th
After his meeting with O’Brien at O’Brien’s home, Winston receives a book, ostensibly written by Emmanuel Goldstein. The book is supposed to explain how the society in which Winston now lives evolved. Focus on these passages. Look particularly at the theory of the High, Middle, and Low classes. If true, what does this theory mean about the proles? How might it alter Winston’s hopes for the proles? Does this theory of history make sense to you?
This theory means that the proles will never gain conciousness of what is happening to them. The lower class does not struggle for power. It just sits there and goes with the flow and when it does get riled up it sides with the group that promises it the best things. The problem though is that to get them to do anything you have to have a middle class to challenge the upper class. Well the outer party cannot group together to take on the inner party, thus there is no group to get the proles into action. Essentially it could be argued that there is no middle class at all there is the inner party (upper class) and the proles+the outer party are the lower class. Also even if one wanted to consider the outer party as middle class they are all so fearful of each other there really is no way they would group together other than in two's at the most like Winston and Julia but what good would that do at all. So basically Goldstein's book says that no one can change the party. I would say that the theory in Goldstein's book makes sense. I don't however thing this is a long term society but i do think it is pretty well established and it would take something big to change it.
This theory means that the proles will never gain conciousness of what is happening to them. The lower class does not struggle for power. It just sits there and goes with the flow and when it does get riled up it sides with the group that promises it the best things. The problem though is that to get them to do anything you have to have a middle class to challenge the upper class. Well the outer party cannot group together to take on the inner party, thus there is no group to get the proles into action. Essentially it could be argued that there is no middle class at all there is the inner party (upper class) and the proles+the outer party are the lower class. Also even if one wanted to consider the outer party as middle class they are all so fearful of each other there really is no way they would group together other than in two's at the most like Winston and Julia but what good would that do at all. So basically Goldstein's book says that no one can change the party. I would say that the theory in Goldstein's book makes sense. I don't however thing this is a long term society but i do think it is pretty well established and it would take something big to change it.
April 13th
Orwell spends a great deal of time discussing Winston’s dreams. Discuss and analyze the dream sequence in Chapter 8. What does this dream suggest about Winston’s psychological state? Why might this dream be important to an understanding of Winston’s character? To the book as a whole?
Winston's dreams are important because as we go through the book we find that for the most part they come true. In chapter 8 he has the dream about his mother... now obviously this is a dream about what has already happened, he's not going to meet up with his mother in the end, but this dream does help Winston to realize something about human nature. That it is in fact human nature to feel and to love. That the proles are the only real people in Oceiania. That the party members have lost all feeling and therefore are no longer human. The book is essentially about Winston coming to a realization, he realized that he hates the party, he realizes that its all lies, he realizes his greatest fear and what was on the other side of the wall of darkness, and in his dream he realizes human nature and that he didn't actually kill his mother. This also tells us about Winston's character. There is a lot he knows but does not realize he knows because he to like so many others has supressed all his old memories. Earlier in the book he was frustrated when he couldn't get the answers he wanted out of the old man. The fact of the matter seems that Winston could answer his questions himself except for the fact that his conscious mind no longer knows the answers because they have been suppressed so far below the surface of conscious thought thus they really only come about in his dreams. Thus all the memories with his mother are in his dreams.
Winston's dreams are important because as we go through the book we find that for the most part they come true. In chapter 8 he has the dream about his mother... now obviously this is a dream about what has already happened, he's not going to meet up with his mother in the end, but this dream does help Winston to realize something about human nature. That it is in fact human nature to feel and to love. That the proles are the only real people in Oceiania. That the party members have lost all feeling and therefore are no longer human. The book is essentially about Winston coming to a realization, he realized that he hates the party, he realizes that its all lies, he realizes his greatest fear and what was on the other side of the wall of darkness, and in his dream he realizes human nature and that he didn't actually kill his mother. This also tells us about Winston's character. There is a lot he knows but does not realize he knows because he to like so many others has supressed all his old memories. Earlier in the book he was frustrated when he couldn't get the answers he wanted out of the old man. The fact of the matter seems that Winston could answer his questions himself except for the fact that his conscious mind no longer knows the answers because they have been suppressed so far below the surface of conscious thought thus they really only come about in his dreams. Thus all the memories with his mother are in his dreams.
Friday, April 10, 2009
April 10th
Pay careful attention to the last paragraph in Chapter 6, which begins “He knew sooner or later…” What does Winston seem to know? What is being foreshadowed here? Also, what do you think of O’Brien up to this point?
Winston thinks that he will be captured by the though police, but not only that he thinks he will be captured, taken to the ministry of love tortured and then killed. He has no doubt in his mind that this will happen. This foreshadows that Winston will in fact be caught and tortured. That much we know. However we still do not know when and how he will be caught or who will betray him. As for O'Brien both Winston and Julia are pretty certain that he is on there side. We hear that Julia is pretty good at picking out traitors. She was able to pick out Winston and all the other men that she had been with, however it was Winston that shared the glance with O'Brien not Julia. Julia seems to agree with Winston, but how sure can we really be that Winston is right. After all his vision, to me, seems to be too clouded with hope. It could be likely that he saw only what he wanted to see in his exchange of glances with O'Brien. He wanted so much to know that someone was on his side that he, in his mind, made up the meaning that was shared between the glance. Only time will tell whether O'Brien is with them or not.
Winston thinks that he will be captured by the though police, but not only that he thinks he will be captured, taken to the ministry of love tortured and then killed. He has no doubt in his mind that this will happen. This foreshadows that Winston will in fact be caught and tortured. That much we know. However we still do not know when and how he will be caught or who will betray him. As for O'Brien both Winston and Julia are pretty certain that he is on there side. We hear that Julia is pretty good at picking out traitors. She was able to pick out Winston and all the other men that she had been with, however it was Winston that shared the glance with O'Brien not Julia. Julia seems to agree with Winston, but how sure can we really be that Winston is right. After all his vision, to me, seems to be too clouded with hope. It could be likely that he saw only what he wanted to see in his exchange of glances with O'Brien. He wanted so much to know that someone was on his side that he, in his mind, made up the meaning that was shared between the glance. Only time will tell whether O'Brien is with them or not.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Thursday April 9th
Describe the relationship between Winston and Julia. Focus particularly on their different worldviews. How are they different from each other? How are the similar?
Julia and Winston have a false relationship or a middle school type relationship if you will. Winston only likes her because she likes him and she only likes him because he is against the party. So really up until Winston got the note from Julia he hated her, but really he only hated her because she was something he couldn't have but as soon as he gets the note he's all like I love her. Winston and Julia though similar because they are both against the party have different world views. They both accept that the party is pretty much invincible. Winston likes the idea of there being a group of the party working for the long run destruction of the party or in other words the Brotherhood. Julia on the other hand really doesn't care, if it doesn't do anything for her than she has no interest in it. She doesn't really care about over throwing the party she just wants to live her life in as exciting a manner as she can. She gets a thrill from undermining the party and thats really all she needs. They are also different in that Winston is much older than julia and he remembers bits of the past before the party. He feels emotion and a connection to his family even though he was not with them very long but he thinks of them. Julia being younger and not having been around before the party doesn't have those thoughts or those connections. She's all about the here and the now and what benefits her. She really doesn't care about what the party says and whether they are wrong or not. Whereas Winston is all about what the party says. Really the only thing they have in common is there dislike for the party.
Julia and Winston have a false relationship or a middle school type relationship if you will. Winston only likes her because she likes him and she only likes him because he is against the party. So really up until Winston got the note from Julia he hated her, but really he only hated her because she was something he couldn't have but as soon as he gets the note he's all like I love her. Winston and Julia though similar because they are both against the party have different world views. They both accept that the party is pretty much invincible. Winston likes the idea of there being a group of the party working for the long run destruction of the party or in other words the Brotherhood. Julia on the other hand really doesn't care, if it doesn't do anything for her than she has no interest in it. She doesn't really care about over throwing the party she just wants to live her life in as exciting a manner as she can. She gets a thrill from undermining the party and thats really all she needs. They are also different in that Winston is much older than julia and he remembers bits of the past before the party. He feels emotion and a connection to his family even though he was not with them very long but he thinks of them. Julia being younger and not having been around before the party doesn't have those thoughts or those connections. She's all about the here and the now and what benefits her. She really doesn't care about what the party says and whether they are wrong or not. Whereas Winston is all about what the party says. Really the only thing they have in common is there dislike for the party.
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