"1984" Socratic Seminar #2

Well done on the Socratic Seminar, although we really need to be careful not to talk over one another/interrupt one another...

Andrew -- "Do you think Julia has an influence on Winston and is it positive or negative?"
-- Angie -- yes, very important to his thoughts -- he's able to express himself with her
-- Regina -- yes and no -- she just wants to go against them

Regina is now attempting to spoil the book for everyone by telling them that there's a telescreen in the room -- but does it work???
-- Angie wonders if Julia is against him -- is she working for the government?

Angie -- "In the U.S., is there a group like the Brotherhood (against the government) in our country?  Like Al Qaeda?"
-- Katherine -- like the people who are hiding Osama Bin Laden

Regina -- "If we'd lost certain wars in the world, how do you think things would have been different?" -- ex. Civil War?
Katherine -- Battle of Tours -- would have changed us to Muslims (way to get the global class in there!)
Randy -- Revolutionary War -- if the British has won, would have been the same as Big Brother

Katherine -- "Do you think that the history we know makes up the country today?" -- the things we learn about in the textbooks
-- Regina -- because we know our history, we look to it to think about what we'll do in the future -- they don't have a specific truth
-- Katherine -- what if they brainwashed kids to remember certain things?
Regina -- we have certain goals -- if you don't know the history, how can you get to those goals
Shelly -- if you don't have the information, how are you going to live in your future?

Justin -- "Do you think that Julia's part of working with Big Brother is planned?  Is the note meant for someone else?"
-- Regina -- thinks Julia is a "mole" -- she's watching him
-- Shelly -- she's breaking the rules too
-- Angie -- thinks Julia's trying to get him in trouble
-- Regina -- foreshadowing?
-- Justin -- connection -- Big Brother is like the Capital in Hunger games because Winston is going against Big Brother the way the girl goes against the government
-- Katherine - p. 125 - there are others breaking the rules -- they think others are into Big Brother so they don't know that each of them is against the government... If they get together, and with the Proles, they'd bring the government down

Justin -- "I wanted to rape her and then murder her" (p. 121)... Question -- Why is love equal to violence?"

Andrew -- "I want people to be corrupt to the bone...'  Why doesn't he like perfect people -- does it have to do with Big Brother?"
-- Justin -- wants to share the blame
-- Shelly -- Big Brother wants people to be perfect (for him)

Angie (p. 75) -- "We're all already dead" -- they're willing to die for something
-- Katherine -- how are people from the future going to know they tried to make a change if they change the future?"

Ms. Cohen -- "Is it worth fighting for something if it's a losing cause?"
-- Katherine -- yes, people will finally open their eyes -- people have to die for causes
-- Regina -- it's because of people we don't write about what we do things in the future -- influence those we know about
-- Shelly -- MLK might have been influenced by people we didn't know

Regina -- "What's up with Winston being completely terrified by rats?"


The perfect ending question -- you'll realize why as you read on... :)

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