1984 Dialectical Journal

Journal 1: 1984
What has struck your interest so far in the novel? Why?

1984 is fascinating, because it was written to take place in the future, but the future has since become the past. The year 1984 has come and gone, and, fortunately, we do not live in the world envisioned by George Orwell. Nevertheless, some of the parallels between the world presented in the novel and the present day are eerie.
Orwell seems to have imagined some things very similar to the modern day. One of the smaller details is the “speakwrite” that the main character Winston uses. It turns his speech into text, a concept that would not begin to be explored until the 60s, and which has only just become viable for actually using to write with.
Winston can also “dial” into his “telescreen”, and receive documents via a pneumatic tube while at work. Winston alters the documents, through literal cutting and pasting with scissors and glue, and puts the documents back into the tube to be sent up to records. It is the internet, and Winston is uploading and downloading. The only aspect that Orwell predicted incorrectly was that the information is on paper instead of displayed on the
Women have a complex role in the world of 1984. In some aspects, The Party advocates for androgyny. Everyone wears the same blue uniforms, and seems to have short hair. Everyone is referred to as “comrade”, never “Mr.” or “Mrs.”, although Winston breaks that rule. Men and women both work. Though Winston’s neighbour Mrs. Parsons is incompetent with tools, we see that Julia operates heavy machinery. In these cases, the behaviour of men and women is based on personality instead of preconceived gender stereotypes.
Within relationships, the same pattern is repeated. Julia dominates Winston in their affair, organizing when they meet and where. On the other hand, Mr. and Mrs. Parson’s are both very submissive. In their relationship, their rambunctious children