1984 First Blog

In Oceania, Newspeak is the official language used for English Socialism. In the novel the language is not yet being used but they are coming up with editions of dictionaries containing the words that will be used. Newspeak is used in order to minimize the expressions used around the world but also to keep people from having too much thought. The words are divided into three classes; A vocabulary, B vocabulary and C vocabulary. They also eliminated negative words. A vocabulary contains words needed for everyday life. B vocabulary consists of words for political use and are all compound words. C vocabulary consists of scientific and technical words. Winston also informs the reader on thought crime and face crime. Face crime is committed when a negative facial expression towards the Big Brother or Party is given. The Party controls history by simply re wording documents from the past and people believing what they are told. Winston recalls the truth that lies within his own consciousness and says, “If the party could thrust its hand into the past and say this of this or that event, it never happened –that, surely, was more terrifying than mere torture and death” (34). I agree with Winston. If people are capable of "changing the past" simply because they want it to be changed, so they re word documents, is a very terrifying thought. It's giving the power the government power to do whatever they want to keep themselves looking good. Who controls the past is said to control the future.