The Party states that reality is not objective, as O'Brien puts it, "'I could float off this floor like a soap bubble if I wished to. I do not wish to because the Party does not wish it. You must get rid of those nineteenth-century ideas about the laws of nature. We make the laws of nature.'" (265)
Quote: This quote is important because it brings up some of the philosophy behind the entire book. That reality is, in fact subjective, and things exist only inside of your head. The idea that if everyone collectively and completely believes that something is true, then it simply is. Who could say otherwise?
Analysis: This presents a philosophical question in the form of a statement from O'Brien: is reality real? Orwell, I think, believes O'Brien. I do as well, if everyone could be made to think the same thing then that thing would be true. You could tell sad people that they are happy and it would be true, you could say that hunger does not exist, that everyone floats. I believe that the strategy of craft that Orwell employs here is to ask a huge question then provide an interlude of drawn out pain with arguments for and against the question.
Quote: This quote is important because it brings up some of the philosophy behind the entire book. That reality is, in fact subjective, and things exist only inside of your head. The idea that if everyone collectively and completely believes that something is true, then it simply is. Who could say otherwise?
Analysis: This presents a philosophical question in the form of a statement from O'Brien: is reality real? Orwell, I think, believes O'Brien. I do as well, if everyone could be made to think the same thing then that thing would be true. You could tell sad people that they are happy and it would be true, you could say that hunger does not exist, that everyone floats. I believe that the strategy of craft that Orwell employs here is to ask a huge question then provide an interlude of drawn out pain with arguments for and against the question.
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