Nabil+Chapter+1

=Chapter 1 - Part 1=

The chapter opens with the quote "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen". The fact the the narrator states that the clocks were "striking thirteen" could refer to military time, giving the impression that the protagonist is living under very strict rules, like in the military.

We then learn the name of the protagonist, Winston Smith, a which is a name which holds a certain prestigious strength, and at the same time, a certain plainness. The prestige is seen in this first name, "Winston" which was the name of the heroic British Prime Minister in 1948, during the Second World War, year the book was written by George Orwell. The second name is the plain one, "Smith", as this is -- and was -- a very common name in the United Kingdom. Therefore his name hints the the reader whether the protagonist, Winston Smith is either heroic or a regular man, something the reader than sees he is both.

The narrator also speaks of the smell of Smith's apartment hallway smelling "boiled cabbage" -- a reference he will keep making throughout the novel. This reference could be the explain the plain life Smith is living in this appartment, as the smell of boiled cabbage can usually be spoken about old, plain, boring government facilities such as hospitals, offices, etc...

We are also in the first page introduced to "BIG BROTHER", a symbol which reminds the community that they are constantly being watched, which is introduced in a poster with "one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you move. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran." This is done to show oppression.

Irony is certainly a strong motif used by Orwell to show his disapproval of totalitarianism. This is done by making the Party's official slogan be,

//"WAR IS PEACE// //FREEDOM SLAVERY// //IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH"//

"These words are inscribed in massive letters on the white pyramid of the Ministry of Truth. By weakening the independence and strength of individuals’ minds and forcing them to live in a constant state of propaganda-induced fear, the Party is able to force its subjects to accept anything it decrees, even if it is entirely illogical—for instance, the Ministry of Peace is in charge of waging war, the Ministry of Love is in charge of political torture, and the Ministry of Truth is in charge of doctoring history books to reflect the Party’s ideology.

That the national slogan of Oceania is equally contradictory is an important testament to the power of the Party’s mass campaign of psychological control. In theory, the Party is able to maintain that “War Is Peace” because having a common enemy keeps the people of Oceania united. “Freedom Is Slavery” because, according to the Party, the man who is independent is doomed to fail. By the same token, “Slavery Is Freedom,” because the man subjected to the collective will is free from danger and want. “Ignorance Is Strength” because the inability of the people to recognize these contradictions cements the power of the authoritarian regime."*

The first sign of Smith's rebellion is done when he purchases a book to write his thoughts in -- something highly illegal, in fact a mere thought was seen by the Party as being illegal. His purchase was made in a small store he wasn't even supposed to enter, we learn later in the novel, however, that the owner of the store is a Party spy. We also learn a bit about Smith's ideology, and state of mind. He thinks, "beautiful creamy paper deserved to be written on with a real nib instead of being scratched with an ink-pencil". This hints that Smith was a man who was willing to take a challenge of going against the Party's oppression, but should he do it, he should do it right. This dairy is also a sign of hope for Smith, who under this state of totalitarianism sees little liberty.

Soon after Smith writes the date, "April 4th, 1984", he reflects and thinks of which year it was. He was fairly certain to be "thirty-nine" years old, but because of the power of the Party, they were even able to confuse the population on the year they were living in, "he did not know with certainty this this //was// 1984."

"..." * = SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on 1984.” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2007. Web. 18 Jan. 2010.