Today, we talked briefly about "doublethink," or the power to willfully believe what you know to be false. In the world of Big Brother, it is necessary to ignore one's own memory and experience for the sake of survival. Winston knows that Oceania has been at war with both East Asia and Eurasia, but to say so would defy Party doctrine and therefore endanger him.
In such a world, is it possible to maintain your own mind? Can you really effectively perceive reality after so much doublethink? Does resistance eventually erode?
Toward understanding this sinister world, I showed you the first part of a documentary about North Korea. (It's worth reading some of the Amazon reviews for criticism of it.) The documentary is available via Youtube:
HOMEWORK
Study for tomorrow's 10-question quiz covering ONLY the words from Unit 7. Catch up on your reading if you're behind; read ahead if you're up to date.
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