Room 101
June 27th 2008 14:16
Im about to finish 1984 for about the 10th time. I cannot express to you how much I adore this book. I remember when I first had to read it, as a part of 'Utopias and anti Utopias' looking at its drab cover and tiny print crammed pages. I wasnt looking forward to it, but I should have had more faith in my dear Mr Garrett.
Im getting more out of it now than I ever had before. Im hoping to do a full analysis with quotes (Oh, Sir! Now you're gonna see what my thesis should really have been about!) and Im planning that soon, but I thought Id just take a moment before I finish to reflect upon Room 101.
Just a quick tip for all - if you do plan to record quotes from a book, dont leave it to the end. Almost the whole damn book is dogeared and I still havnt gotten around to writing down the quotes. Eh, its gonna be hard work.
Im up to my favourite part - the torture. Room 101. Basically, what Im asking, is what is Room 101 to you? For Winston, we find out its rats, and we never know what it is for Julia, for O'Brien, Parsons.....It gets you thinking about what it would be for you. How would the Party break you? Im very curious to know what it was for Julia. O'Brien mentions that she was a textbook case, and with her instinct for staying alive, that seems obvious. However, they do mention a long scar on her face afterward. Given that she adores sex (despite being a member of the juniour anti sex league) did they rape her then? Being female its a pretty common punishment.
The reason Im asking is because Id love to give Room 101 a try. Id like to take O'Brien on. Seriously, I dont think that son of a bitch could break me. The most frightening part of the book to me is the part where Winston is strapped in the electric device. The pains one thing, but that bit where O'Brien says 'Three thousand' and Winston feels no pain yet feels like part of his brain is missing afterwards. If I had to guess, Id say thats my Room 101 right there.
Theres things I fear of course, Im not fond of needles and they used to frighten crap outta me, but Ive gotten used to them. Pain, I used to fear, but Ive gotten used to that too. Im often proud of my abnormally high pain thresh hold - Kman cant take half what I can. I hate crowds, they tend to give me panic attacks, so perhaps The Party would threaten me with being crushed to death by a crowd. Then theres always my ex boyfriend with a lighter.
But I am a strong believer in there is nothing to fear but fear itself. O'Brien teaches the method to Winston yet he does not apply it where it is needed most - submission. Thats what Im talking about. So you fear it. So you will be afraid. Fear doesnt kill you, and if it happens to, at least its over. Death is a release to me, not a punishment or something to be feared, so there goes that. But submission. Thats the key. Not submission to the Party or to their will or even to the torturer himself - submission to the universe, to nature, to the system in which we live that rules us all. If you are in a situation you despise and you cannot get out of it, railing against it doesnt do you any good. You must accept it and let it play out because you are only in a body - a flimsy thing that WILL expire, sooner or later. No matter what horror is done to you and how bad the pain, rest assured, it has an expiry date. It will end, one way or the other.
Another reason Id like to take on O'Brien is because I am the absolute master of doublethink. I hold that many opposing points of view at the same time I astound myself. Example? All people are generally good, but there is no such thing as an innocent person. Animals are like royalty and should be revered yet I need to eat meat to survive. We should all really forgive and forget but in the end, karma depends upon an eye for an eye. O'Brien can argue till his pink in the face that 2 and 2 make 5 - It can equal 6 or seven or whatever it wants. I believe those principles. Call it the Matrix principle if you like - the only reality is in the mind. Anything can happen, can be anything, if you need it to be. It is the core of magic (which we will one day call spiritual science)
Say they want to put the rat cage over my head, crush me with a crowd of people, poke me with a million needles, or heaven forbid, track down my enemy to taunt me. Id like to believe Id take it all with calm eyes and harsh words. Likely Id give in to my instincts and scream and drool and cry. But nothing, NOTHING, would make me put someone in my place. Not my lover (whom I protect most fiercely) not my friends - NOT EVEN MY WORST ENEMY
(Ok, maybe him, just for laughs?)
Why? Why wouldnt I say "Do it to them, not me?" Because I fancy myself to be a hero. I like to think Im just a little bit better than that. Im going to take my punishment. I believe in Karma. To dodge it, in any way, to try and lessen todays pain, that will only mean tomorrow has more. If anything, I try and take on as much of tomorrows pain today as I can, so I can have more to enjoy when I get there. Think of it on the smallest scale - Eh, I feel lazy, I dont want to take out the garbage. I'll leave it. Hence you end up carrying a bigger load thats harder to manouever. Im sure all the ladies out there who have had to run a house will appreciate the analogy when related to mopping a floor. If its done on time, its an easy job. If you leave it, it becomes insurmountable. Karma works the same way. If you at that moment break down, say "No! Do it to THEM" its still going to happen to you. But then you have to bear the pain of the poor sod who paid for you as well.
And that moment where O'Brien stands Winston before the mirror - to show him the last man - Oh, Id have laughed in his face. The body means nothing O'Brien, less than nothing. What is done to it, no matter how monstrous it might be, cannot affect what is within.
Id love my chance to joust with O'Brien, to use the principles of doublethink against him, the smug bastard. Ive mastered levels of doublethink the Party could not have conceived of. Id love to show him a soul truly without fear and doubt and full of certainty. One that believes utterly in the system of thought they wish to teach and yet uses it in an entirely different way.
So....Whats Room 101 to you? Is there anything you could be threatened with that would make you betray the thing you love most?
Im getting more out of it now than I ever had before. Im hoping to do a full analysis with quotes (Oh, Sir! Now you're gonna see what my thesis should really have been about!) and Im planning that soon, but I thought Id just take a moment before I finish to reflect upon Room 101.
Just a quick tip for all - if you do plan to record quotes from a book, dont leave it to the end. Almost the whole damn book is dogeared and I still havnt gotten around to writing down the quotes. Eh, its gonna be hard work.
Im up to my favourite part - the torture. Room 101. Basically, what Im asking, is what is Room 101 to you? For Winston, we find out its rats, and we never know what it is for Julia, for O'Brien, Parsons.....It gets you thinking about what it would be for you. How would the Party break you? Im very curious to know what it was for Julia. O'Brien mentions that she was a textbook case, and with her instinct for staying alive, that seems obvious. However, they do mention a long scar on her face afterward. Given that she adores sex (despite being a member of the juniour anti sex league) did they rape her then? Being female its a pretty common punishment.
The reason Im asking is because Id love to give Room 101 a try. Id like to take O'Brien on. Seriously, I dont think that son of a bitch could break me. The most frightening part of the book to me is the part where Winston is strapped in the electric device. The pains one thing, but that bit where O'Brien says 'Three thousand' and Winston feels no pain yet feels like part of his brain is missing afterwards. If I had to guess, Id say thats my Room 101 right there.
Theres things I fear of course, Im not fond of needles and they used to frighten crap outta me, but Ive gotten used to them. Pain, I used to fear, but Ive gotten used to that too. Im often proud of my abnormally high pain thresh hold - Kman cant take half what I can. I hate crowds, they tend to give me panic attacks, so perhaps The Party would threaten me with being crushed to death by a crowd. Then theres always my ex boyfriend with a lighter.
But I am a strong believer in there is nothing to fear but fear itself. O'Brien teaches the method to Winston yet he does not apply it where it is needed most - submission. Thats what Im talking about. So you fear it. So you will be afraid. Fear doesnt kill you, and if it happens to, at least its over. Death is a release to me, not a punishment or something to be feared, so there goes that. But submission. Thats the key. Not submission to the Party or to their will or even to the torturer himself - submission to the universe, to nature, to the system in which we live that rules us all. If you are in a situation you despise and you cannot get out of it, railing against it doesnt do you any good. You must accept it and let it play out because you are only in a body - a flimsy thing that WILL expire, sooner or later. No matter what horror is done to you and how bad the pain, rest assured, it has an expiry date. It will end, one way or the other.
Another reason Id like to take on O'Brien is because I am the absolute master of doublethink. I hold that many opposing points of view at the same time I astound myself. Example? All people are generally good, but there is no such thing as an innocent person. Animals are like royalty and should be revered yet I need to eat meat to survive. We should all really forgive and forget but in the end, karma depends upon an eye for an eye. O'Brien can argue till his pink in the face that 2 and 2 make 5 - It can equal 6 or seven or whatever it wants. I believe those principles. Call it the Matrix principle if you like - the only reality is in the mind. Anything can happen, can be anything, if you need it to be. It is the core of magic (which we will one day call spiritual science)
Say they want to put the rat cage over my head, crush me with a crowd of people, poke me with a million needles, or heaven forbid, track down my enemy to taunt me. Id like to believe Id take it all with calm eyes and harsh words. Likely Id give in to my instincts and scream and drool and cry. But nothing, NOTHING, would make me put someone in my place. Not my lover (whom I protect most fiercely) not my friends - NOT EVEN MY WORST ENEMY
(Ok, maybe him, just for laughs?)
Why? Why wouldnt I say "Do it to them, not me?" Because I fancy myself to be a hero. I like to think Im just a little bit better than that. Im going to take my punishment. I believe in Karma. To dodge it, in any way, to try and lessen todays pain, that will only mean tomorrow has more. If anything, I try and take on as much of tomorrows pain today as I can, so I can have more to enjoy when I get there. Think of it on the smallest scale - Eh, I feel lazy, I dont want to take out the garbage. I'll leave it. Hence you end up carrying a bigger load thats harder to manouever. Im sure all the ladies out there who have had to run a house will appreciate the analogy when related to mopping a floor. If its done on time, its an easy job. If you leave it, it becomes insurmountable. Karma works the same way. If you at that moment break down, say "No! Do it to THEM" its still going to happen to you. But then you have to bear the pain of the poor sod who paid for you as well.
And that moment where O'Brien stands Winston before the mirror - to show him the last man - Oh, Id have laughed in his face. The body means nothing O'Brien, less than nothing. What is done to it, no matter how monstrous it might be, cannot affect what is within.
Id love my chance to joust with O'Brien, to use the principles of doublethink against him, the smug bastard. Ive mastered levels of doublethink the Party could not have conceived of. Id love to show him a soul truly without fear and doubt and full of certainty. One that believes utterly in the system of thought they wish to teach and yet uses it in an entirely different way.
So....Whats Room 101 to you? Is there anything you could be threatened with that would make you betray the thing you love most?
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Comment by Ash
Flashes of memories
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
Dont you know, the darke is where you hide from the scary things!
Comment by Anonymous
vikas was the person who commented as anon regarding indecent pictures of women, simply because i don't know how to make a comment with orble id.
ur answer regarding that pics is satisfactory.but many people including we hindus have made some mess of some of the teachings of holy books and religion, i strongly believe that goddess/women of any religion be under no circumstances be presented indecently.u also wrote my earlier comment disappeared mysteriously from ur website ,but i didn't remove it,because i simply don't know how to remove it. once i tried to create a fully formatted comment , but i failed.i'm still learning internet from an institute.
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
When someone comments on your blog, you are automatically notified. You cant unsubscribe to comments on your own blog. Dont you want to know who visits?
If you have subscribed to my blog, there should be a link in the email that will unsubscribe you.
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Any other questions, please use the 'contact us' tab and talk to Jon. He can help you a lot more than I can.
I would like to know what you think is indecent about the pic. Is not Kali always portrayed as 'Sky Clad'?
Other than that, if you can watch the movie - 'Neon Genisis, Evangelion - Death and Rebirth' and watch this scene, even though the movie is violent, this scene always gives people goosebumps. The Goddess saving the world.
Good Luck Vikas.