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The Birds Work for the Bourgeoisie

    Something interesting that I noted in Part Two of this novel was the symbolism of the bird. In Chapter 1, Winston watches the prisoners that are being transported. One prisoner is described as having "nests of hair". This is pretty ironic, considering that the most common symbolism of the bird is freedom. In this subtle use of words, Orwell is tying these two things together, the bird and imprisonment. 

    Shortly after, when Winston and Julia are in the Golden Country, there is a bird in the pasture. It is singing without regard to the two people there with it. Winston asks himself, "For whom, for what, was that bird singing? No mate, nor rival was watching. What made it sit at the edge of a lonely wood and pour its music into nothingness. I believe that Winston envies this bird. This bird is a representation of everything Winston wishes to be, but knows he can never truly achieve. It is free, in both a physical and moral sense. 

    At the end of Part Two, Winston and Julia talk about the prole woman singing outside, which reminds them of the bird they saw singing on the day they met. At first, Winston saw the prole  woman as ignorant and stupid for the way that she behaves. Now, he is able to see the beauty in her singing, connecting it to the bird's singing. Winston believes that the bird was singing for them on that day. However, Julia believes that the bird was singing just for the sake of singing and nothing else. This shows the difference between the two people in this couple. Winston, born in a world pre-Party, believes that in freedom, every action has a direct result, and vice versa. Julia, however, born in a world with the existence of the Party believes that true freedom does not have a standard that needs to be met. Meaning, that the bird singing for the sake of singing alone is an action without the need of a result. At the end of Part Two, the couple is caught by the Thought Police, essentially killing their metaphorical bird of freedom. 

    Your turn! Watch this video and tell me what you think about the video or this blog post:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uaCG2lvE9w (I'll link it in the comments too, just in case it doesn't work through the blog)

-Sam Klein (she/her)

Comments

  1. Sam K.February 21, 2021 at 5:53 PM

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uaCG2lvE9w

    ReplyDelete
  2. RayFebruary 22, 2021 at 7:50 AM

    I think it's interesting to note the differences between Winston and Julia and what kind of rebels they are. Winston, born before the revolution, know things can be better and is always working towards a geater end. Julia, knowing nothing but of life post-revolution, only rebels in ways that will benefit herself, as she sees it not possible to bring down the party.

    ReplyDelete

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