Monday, December 9, 2013

What symbolic meaning can be drawn from the fact that the Ministry of Love has no windows and is kept artificially illuminated at all times?it's...

Remember that Winston dreams of O'Brien's meeting him in "the place where there is no darkness."  Winston mistakenly interprets this as a positive place where there is only positive life and living full of love and the Golden Country.  However, in reality, the place of no darkness is the artificial torture chamber of the Ministry of Love.  The irony of the name is overwhelming.  No love is shown in this place.  It is a place of manipulation, hatred, torture and isolation from others (no windows).  It all comes to a head in Room 101 where Winston is finally broken and is forced to turn against Julia.

Everyone dreads going to the Ministry--it is closed off and closed up from the outside. It's easy to get in and darned near impossible to get out.  No windows, no obvious doors, gates, barbed wire...everything indicates the extreme opposite of its name.  The place is completely devoid of love, warmth, and compassion.  It is artificial, like its lighting, and its purpose is to break people's spirit.  You might recall in history class that one way to get into the heads of the opposing army's soldiers is to  play loud music constantly, and in the case of prisoners, keeping them in bright light prevents restorative rest which the body and mind need to keep strong.  This is another reason why the Ministry of Love is artificially lit at all times.

Good Luck!

No comments:

Post a Comment

In Act III, scene 2, why may the establishment of Claudius's guilt be considered the crisis of the revenge plot?

The crisis of a drama usually proceeds and leads to the climax.  In Shakespeare's Hamlet , the proof that Claudius is guilty...