Native Son to p.340

Quote #1: "Well, you jarred me....I see now. I was kind of blind"(287).

Significance: Bigger seemed so relieved through this quote. All through the text Bigger has been saying how everyone is blind and does not see what the truth is. Jan has finally shown Bigger that there are some white people out there that can see they are blind. He thought no one would ever know what he really did. Jan now realizes what Bigger's intentions were.

Question: How will people feel if Bigger is sentenced to death?


Quote #2: "For the first time in his life a white man become a human being to him; and the reality of Jan's humanity came in a stab of remorse: he had killed what this man loved and had hurt him. He saw Jan as though someone had performed an operation upon his eyes, or as though someone who had snatched a deforming mask from Jan's face"(289).

Significance: Through this quote, we now see that Bigger has allowed himself to have an open mind. After talking to Jan, Bigger sees that Jan is a good person and is not like some of the other white people he knows. Jan wants to help Bigger and he does not want them to be enemies. Jan seems to have good intentions with Bigger and this shows that they could be really good friends later on in the book.

Question: How will Jan help Bigger get out of this mess?

Quote #3: "Never again did he want to feel anything like hope. That was what was wrong; he had let that preacher talk to him until some where in him he had begun to feel that maybe something could happen" (340).

Significance: This quote shows how Bigger views things in different ways. In this case, the cross symbolizes hope. He had hope before that he would not get caught and he could continue to live his life. Having hope got him no where and look where he is now. It does not seem like he has much of a life anymore, but maybe with a different kind of hope he can overcome this obstacle in his life and will be able to see something positive come out of this experience.

Question: Will Max be true to Bigger or will he make his situation worse?

Native Son to p. 286

Quote: " In his feelings he could not tell the difference between what this man evoked in him and what had read in the papers: the love of his own kind and the hate of others made him feel equally guilty now" (282).

Significance: Through this quote, we see that Bigger's emotional and physical state is not 100%. He seems to be confused and mixes up how he feels about certain people. Even though the preacher is trying to tell him to move on, forgive and look to God, Bigger feels as though since he has gone through so much, he doesn't know what to do anymore and doesn't think God can help him. His mother and the preacher make him feel guilty about not believing in God, and the papers and the white people make him feel guilty for what he has done to Mary.

Question: Will Jan say he had any part in the murder now?

Native Son- End of Book 2

Quote:"Round him surged a sea of noise. He opened his eyes a little and saw an array of faces, white and looming" (270).

Significance: Bigger can no longer run. He cannot hide from white people anymore. They officially own him on terms of how the rest of his life will turn out. They could torture him or they could just instantly kill him. After all of the times where he has laughed when he almost died, he now seems to realize everything may have not been worth it and that he now has to face the consequences of his actions. White people engulf him and he cannot escape now.

Question: What will they do to Bigger as punishment?

Native Son to p.209

"The muscles of Bigger's face jerked violently, making him feel that he wanted to laugh. He turned his head aside and fought to control himself. He was full of hysteria" (206).



Significance: Through this quote, we see that Bigger's emotions seem uncontrollable at times. At times where he should be angry, he almost laughs, and at times where he should be laughing, he gets angry. It doesn't make any sense that Bigger would be laughing at a time like this. If anything, he is hinting that he may have done something wrong by laughing while the investigation is going on.

Question: Will Jan say anything about what happened?

Native Son p.163-186

Quote: Bigger felt guilty;...Yet he knew of no way to atone for his guilt; he felt he had to act as he was acting"(171).

Significance: This quote is significant because it shows a different side to Bigger. Before it seemed like it was an accomplishment that he killed Mary and he was glad no one knew he did it, but now he has a different attitude. he is now analyzing what happened and realizing that what he did is going to get him in a lot of trouble. He doesn't want to blame Jan or get her in trouble, but on the other hand, he does not want to suffer the consequences and say that he's the one that killed Mary.

Question:Will Jan think that Bigger is lying?

Native Son p.140-163

Quote: "He sucked on his cigarette; he saw her looking at him, her black eyes wide with eager interest. He liked that look[...] He wanted to take as long as possible in order to see that look of complete absorption upon her face. It made him feel alive and gave him a heightened sense of value of himself"(143).

Significance: Through this quote, we see that Bigger seems to have a confident attitude about the crime he committed. It almost seems like an accomplishment for him that he murdered Mary and no one knows it was him. Being confident about murdering a white woman is not something to be proud of. I think this will effect Bigger for the worst later on in the book.

Question: Will Bigger get caught for what he did?

Native Son pg. 94-140

" To Bigger and his kind white people were not really people;they were a sort of great natural force, like a sky looming overhead, or like a deep swirling river stretching suddenly at one's feet in the dark[...] But whether they feared it or not, each and every day of their lives they lived with it; even when words did not sound its name, they acknowledged its reality"(114).

Significance:This quote shows how Bigger has no control over what happens. He and all of the other black people are not or will not ever be higher up in society than white people. Every day Bigger has to live with the fact that he is basically a no one in society. I think this has something to do with why he killed Mary. He has so much stress and is so paranoid now, that he did not know what else to do. Bigger has to find a way to try and tune it all out so it doesn't ruin the rest of his life.

Question: Will Bigger trust Bessie?

Native Son: p.77-94

Quote: "She was dead and he had killed her. He was a murderer, a Negro murderer, a black murderer. He had killed a white woman."(87).

Significance: Bigger has set himself up for failure. He has officially lost it. He killed Mary by suffocating her. I don't know what he was thinking but he has now given people something to talk about. When people find out what they did, they will think horrible things about black people(if they didn't before). Also, the scene with the furnace and her head not fitting..this makes Bigger seem like a psycho. I don't know how he went to sleep after that. People are now going to stereotype blacks as being killers.

Question: What will happen Mr.Dalton do once he finds out about Mary?

Native Son: p.53-77

Quote: "The difference in his feelings toward Mrs. Dalton and his mother was that he felt that his mother wanted him to do the things she wanted him to do, and he felt that Mrs. Dalton wanted him to do the things she felt that he should have wanted to do"(61).

Significance: Through this quote, we see how Mrs. Dalton treats Bigger with more respect than his own mother. I find this quote ironic because a white woman is treating a black man nicely and not treating him like he is different from her. Bigger's own mother does not have an open mind about things. She wants him to do things that he doesn't necessarily want to do; just things that will benefit the whole family. On the other hand, Mrs. Dalton looks out for Bigger's best interests and looks at situations based on what Bigger likes.

Question: Are Jan and Mary trying to take advantage of Bigger for their benefit?

Native Son: p.30-53

Quote: "Poor white people were stupid. It was the rich white people who were smart and knew how to treat people"(34).

Significance:In this quote, we see how Bigger classifies white people as being rich and poor. In his opinion, he thinks that rich white people know how to treat people and are smart. On the other hand, he does not classify poor white people as being anything. I think this is because since Bigger and his family are poor that he doesn't feel that need to characterize someone who is just like him, but with a different skin color. Any way you look at it, both the rich and poor white people are going to treat the blacks differently because they know that they are higher up on the social scale than them.

Question: Will Bigger realize that robbing the store will be a bad thing against him and his gang?

Native Son to p.1-30

Quote: " Above the top of the poster were tall red letters: YOU CAN"T WIN!" (13)

Significance: Although this quote may not have much significance at this pint in the book, I think this may have a greater significance later on in the book. Currently, blacks are not looked upon as being good or wealthy people. Whites are the ones who rule the city and can get or have anything they want. In my opinion, the phrase "YOU CAN'T WIN!," is directed towards the blacks. If the whites and blacks were currently in a race, the whites would be in the lead and this poster tells them they are not fast enough to win the race. With a little more energy and teamwork, they CAN win. This seems to be a foreshadow that blacks may have some significance and power later on in the book.



Question: Do Bigger and Jack ever agree on anything in the book?

1984 essay

Julia Lombardo

3/19/09

English 10 Honors

Period B

1984 Essay


The Party’s Control

In the book 1984, written by George Orwell, Oceania is controlled by the Party.

The Party is a very strict government that controls every aspect of the citizen’s lives. The

Party does not let the people have any freedom in their everyday lives. The people can

not talk about their feelings or what they do not like about the society. Every move the

make and every step they take is being overlooked by the Party to make sure no one is

breaking the rules. The most important aspects of the Party are to be infallible,

omniscient and omnipotent, or similar to God.

What makes the Party so strong is their infallibility. To be infallible is, “unfailing

in effectiveness or operation; certain” (dictionary.com). A perfect example of this is the

concept of two plus two equals five. Before the Party made this statement, Winston knew

in his head that two plus two equaled four, but what the Party tells people is the truth. “In

the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to

believe it” (80). Since the Party made this claim, everyone must believe it, and if they did

not, they would have to use doublethink to forget that they knew two plus two equaled

four. The point of doublethink was to prevent people from remembering they knew

something, but then they would have to forget that they forgot about it. “ To know and

not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed

lies... to forget, whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory

again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again, and above

all to apply the same process to the process itself…” (35). The Party takes complete

control over the people’s minds and can see what they are thinking. If everyone in

Oceania believes everything the Party tells them, they are incapable of being overthrown

and still have the people in the palm of their hands.

Another aspect of the Party that makes them so powerful is the fact that they are

omniscient. To be omniscient is “having total knowledge; knowing everything”

(dictionary.com). Big Brother is the leader created by the Party. His posters are hung

everywhere in Oceania with the popular slogan “Big Brother is Watching You”

underneath them. Big Brother has never been seen in person by anyone, but the people

have the idea that he is a very powerful man and should be treated as a God. The Party

sees everything and knows what is going on in Oceania at all times. The Telescreens that

are located in every room of every building, even people’s houses, make it possible for

them to see what everyone is doing at all times. The Telescreens also allow the Thought

Police to keep an eye on the people to make sure they do not rebel or do anything against

their rules, such as having an expression on your face that makes the Thought Police

assume you are up to no good. “No one who had once fallen into the hands of the

Thought Police ever escaped in the end. They were corpses waiting to be sent back to the

grave” (76). Being both infallible and omniscient makes the Party almost impossible to

conquer.

The last aspect that makes the Party unstoppable is the fact that they are

omnipotent. To be omnipotent means “almighty or infinite in power, as God”

(dictionary.com). Power is the main focus of the Party at all times. If they have all of the

power, they are unstoppable and can basically do anything they please. Complete power

over the people is one of the main reasons why the Party is so successful. They mainly

use their power to control the past. Anything that happened in the past that the Party

did not want to people to know or remember was simply erased; like it never happened

to begin with. “ Who controls the past, controls the future: who controls the present

controls the past” (34). Since the Party controls all of history they can alter anything,

even if someone ever existed or not. The people are powerless compared to the Party

because they do not have the information they need to defeat the Party. Although, there is

one group that has enough people to overthrow the Party; the proles. Even though the

proles consist of many people, if they were to try and overthrow the Party, they would be

ineffective because they are not aware of their strength. “ But the proles, if only they

could somehow become conscious of their own strength, would have no need to

conspire” (69). The power of the Party has made them strong and unable to be

overthrown by anyone.

In conclusion, the Party has control over all of the power because of its ability to

control everyone and everything in society. The most important aspects of the Party are

to be infallible, omniscient and omnipotent, or similar to God. The way they set up their

government makes them superior to everyone else and will do anything to maintain their

absolute power.

1984- end of book

Quote: "Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don't care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia! Not me!" (286).

Significance: This quote shows us how Winston was not true to Julia and how he basically lied. He said no matter what he would always love Julia and never give up. By saying this he is basically betraying Julia and giving himself to the Party. Winston has lost his mind and he has given up the one thing that he loved so much. He made a BIG mistake!

Define 2 words:
capitulate: (v.) to surrender unconditionally
torpid: (adj.) having lost motion or the power of exertion

1984- 3.3 (260-274)

Quote: " The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power... What pure power means you will understand presently" (263).

Significance: Through this quote we now see in full context that Winston is fully helping the Party to gain power, and only power. The people of Oceania are of no concern to the Party unless they get in their way of gaining power. In the last line of this quote, I think it is a foreshadowing of Winston becoming a part of the Party or helping them in someway to gain complete power over absolutely everything.

Define 2 words:
relinquishing:v. - to retire from; give up or abandon (263)
feebly:adv. - in a faint or weak manner (263)

1984- p.218-239

Quote: " You knew this, Winston," said O'Brien, "Don't deceive yourself. You did know it- you have always known it" (239).

Significance: This quote is significance because it gives the example of how people are not always what they seem in the book. Someone may seem like they are on your side, but are actually just trying to deceive you. This is true for O'Brien. Winston and O'Brien would talk about things they did or didn't like about what was happening and now O'Brien is not even on Winston's side. I think this is very messed up because Winston trusted in O'Brien and thought he was a friend that he could look to.

Define 2 words:
Timorously:adj.-full of fear; fearful (234)
Plexus: n.- a network, as of nerves or blood vessels

1984: Book 2 Ch. 4 & 5

Quote: "They simply swallowed everything, and what they swallowed did them no harm, because it left no residue behind, just as a grain of corn will pass undigested through the body of a bird"(156).

Significance: This quote is significant because it once again shows how the Party has basically brain-washed all of the people into believing what they say. No one really knows the whole truth about anything because they aren't even given the chance to believe anything other than what the Party tells them is right. Even if the people did want to try to find out about the past, there is no trace of anything that happened before that time. What they are told now is all that ever was, basically.

Define 2 words:
bolster (136): n. - a pillow or cushion

deprecating (151): v. - to express disapproval of; deplore

1984: Book 2, Ch. 1

Quote: "At the sight of the words i love you the desire to stay alive had welled up in him, and the taking of minor risks suddenly seemed stupid"(109).

Significance: This quote is significant because this shows a big change in Winston's life. Earlier in the novel, Winston tells us that he disliked women, but now he says the complete opposite. There is one woman that he wanted. first he wanted to smash her head into something, now he cannot stop dreaming about her body. I think that if Winston and this woman end up having something between the two of them, this could mean trouble for Winston in the end.

Define 2 words:

intermittently: stopping or ceasing for a time; alternately ceasing and beginning again: an intermittent pain.

fatuous: foolish or insane

1984: Ch. 7 & 8

Quote: " In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it. It was inevitable that they should make that claim sooner or later: the logic of their position demanded it. Not merely the validity of experience, but the very existence of external reality was tacitly denied by their philosophy" (80).

Significance: I chose this quote because I think it is another example of how the Party can basically do whatever they please whenever they please. This quote occurs when Winston is looking at the children's history books that show some things that Winston doesn't know if he should believe or not. If the universe exists only in the mind, and the Party controls the mind, then the Party controls the universe. 2 + 2 = 5 becomes a motif linked to the theme of psychological independence. Later in the book, Winston writes that “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows"(81).

Define 2 words:

indoctrinate(71)- v. to imbue with learning

stratum(78)- n. a layer of material, naturally or artificially formed, often one of a number of parallel layers one upon another

1984: Chapter 4

Quote: "Comrade Ogilvy, who had never existed in the present, now existed in the past, and when once the act of forgery was forgotten, he would exist just as authentically, and upon the same evidence, as Charlemagne or Julius Caesar" (47-48).

Significance: Through this quote, we not only see how other people have control of the present, but that Winston is involved. Since Winston is a part of altering the past, he in turn has control of the future too. Coming up with the person, Comrade Ogilvy, shows us that Winston now has the power to manipulate what the people think or should think. The people could now think that this man may or may not haev existed before because there is no proof of him whatsoever until now.
This seems to be leading to a forshadowing of Winston maybe becoming a part of the Party.

Define 2 Words:

pneumatic: adj. - of or pertaining to air, gases or wind (37)

multifarious: adj. - having amny different parts, elements or forms (43)

1984: Chapters 2-3

Quote: "Who controls the past, controls the future: who controls the present controls the past" (34)

Significance: This slogan of the Party shows how they use manipulation and false history to make everyone believe something else. Since there is no record of anything that has happened, no one really knows what happened in the past. The Party has taken complete control over what people think about that past,present and future. The people have no other choice but to believe what they hear and assume that they are doing the right thing.

Define 2 Words:

Demeanor: n.- conduct or behavior (23)

Dominion: n.- the power or right of governing and controlling; sovereign authority (26)

Othello- 5.1-5.2

Quote- Iago: "Do you perceive the gastness of her eye?/ Nay, if you stare, we shall hear more anon./ Behold her well; I pray you look upon her./ Do you see gentlemen? Nay, guiltiness will speak,/ though tongues were out of use (5.1.106-110).

Significance: This is ridiculous. Iago is such a back-stabbing...not nice person. Someone needs to give him the boot. Now that Cassio and Roderigo have been hurt, he is now trying to blame Bianca for something. She had just walked into the picture and he was already trying to say that she was up to something. He was also telling the other men, Gratiano and Lodovico, to watch out for her because the people who remain silent are normally the ones who are hiding something/ committed the crime. Thank God this play is over because I can't stand to read Iago's name anymore. He makes me want to jump in the play and strangle him myself.

Define 2 words:
~ gastness- n. terror or fright (5.1.106)
~ portents- n. an indication of something important about to occur; an omen(5.2.45)

Othello 4.2- 4.3

Quote- Iago: "... He knows not yet of his honorable fortune. If you will watch his going thence, which I will fashion to fall out between twelve and one, you may take him at your pleasure. I will be near to second your attempt, and he shall fall between us. Come, stand not amazed at it, but go along with me. I will show you such a necessity in his death that you shall think yourself bound to put it on him" (4.3.234-241).

Significance: Once again, Iago tries to save himself by making up a story to ruin someone elses life. Now he wants to stay friends with Roderigo for the time being so he has someone to fall back on. The new suspect of his scheme is Cassio, because he has been elected the new governor since Othello was leaving. Iago and Roderigo are going to deal with Cassio so that Othello will have no choice but to stay in Cyprus with Desdemona, which is good for Roderigo. When will anyone realize that Iago is just a..not very nice person and needs to be dealt with?

Question: Is Iago just setting Roderigo up so he will get into trouble?

Define 2 words:
~ callet - n. a prostitute (4.2.120)
~ votarist - n. a person bound by solemn religious vows, such as a nun (4.2.186)

Othello- 4.1

Quote: " O devil, devil! If that the earth could teem with woman's tears, each drop she falls would prove a crocodile out of my sight!" (4.1 244-247)


Significance: This is where the tragedy starts. Othello has officially fallen for Iago and his dumb scheme to ruin everyones' lives. Othello has gotten so mad at Desdemona that he hits her. That is way over the top and Iago should just keep his mouth shut for the rest of the play. he has caused way to much turmoil and tragedy already. I honestly cannot believe Othello can believe what Iago is telling him about Cassio. This is ridiculous.

Question: Will Lodovico get caught up in Iago's scheme?

Define 2 words:
~beguiled -v. to influence by trickery (4.1. 99)
~ avaunt- adv. away; hence (4.1. 260)

Othello ~ 3.4

Quote: " A liberal hand! The hearts of old gave hands, but our new heraldry is hands, not hearts (Othello-3.4 lines 46-47).

Significance: This quote shows that there is actually another smart person in this book besides Iago, but in a different way. Othello seems to finally see that what Iago is telling him might in fact be true. Seeing Desdemona and Cassio and the way they act around each other does seem like there is something between the two of them. I would believe it if I were there too. There is still this feeling that Iago is just trying to gain something in the end for himself and just throw everybody else under the bus.

Question: Is there actually something going on between Desdemona and Cassio that they just don't tell us?

Define 2 words:
edified- v. to instruct or benefit (p 75 line 14)
castigation- n. a severe scolding or punishment

Othello 3.1 - 3.3

Quote: " Men should be what they seem; or those that be not, would they might seem none!" (3.3 126-127)

Significance: Iago has officially lost it and needs help. He should be the last person to say that people should be real and act the way they seem to other people. Everyone thinks Iago is a nice and helpful person, but people are blind-sided by his nice gestures and don't see that he is playing all of them and is only trying to gain something for him self in the end of all of this. Everyone needs to open their eyes and notice that Iago is talking about every one of them and they need to teach him a lesson. Iago has been contradicting himself by saying that people are the way they seem. He is the total opposite when he is not around people compared to when he is right in front of their faces.

Question: Will Desdemona really fall for Cassio or will she stay with Othello?

Define 2 Words:
beseech (3.3 line 255) - v. to beg eagerly for; solicit

distaste (3.3 line 324) - v. to dislike

Othello 2.2 - 2.3

Quote: " When devils will the blackest sins put on, they do suggest at first with heavenly shows, as I do now" (Iago 2.3 -351-353)

Significance: Once again Iago is fooling everyone he talks to and only wants things to work out well for himself. This recurring theme of "backstabbing" seems to be something that could happen to Iago at the end of the play. What goes around comes around, and everyone that has ever been betrayed by Iago will hopefully realize what he has done all along and make him pay for what he has done to them. Iago is the worse friend anyone could ask for. He even wants to betray Cassio, his supposed buddy, by telling Othello he and Desdemona have something between them when Cassio goes to ask Desdemona for help.

Question: Will Othello really believe what Iago says about Cassio and Desdemona?

Define 2 words:

speak parrot- to talk without making sense of what is being said (2.3 278-279).
perdition- absolute destruction (2.2 3).

Othello~ Act 2. Scene 1

Quote: " The heavens forbid
But that our loves and comforts should increase,
Even as our days do grow" (2.1 lines 191-193).

Significance: This quote seems to reveal a sense of foreshadowing for Othello and Desdemona's relationship. Since Iago is backstabbing everyone and he seems to think that Othello has done something with his wife, and that Cassio is madly in love with Desdemona, I think that he will definitely be the reason for all of the drama that will happen throughtout the rest of the play. It almost seems like that sine Iago is being the sneaky one i the play that he might end up being the more well off one in the end (maybe a new wife).

Question: Will Roderigo turn against Iago at any point and tell Othello what is going on?