One scene of this weekend's reading that really stood out to me was Winston's confrontation (Part 1, Chapter 8) with the man in the pub. The first thing that came to mind was: Why? Personally, I feel that entering the pub was one of the riskier and more obvious things Winston has, to this point, done in his search for truth. The more surprising aspect of this selection, however, was that the man does not remember anything about the pre-Revoluntionary days. He was clearly alive for it, and should be able to answer Winston's direct questions simply. However, he cannot. Why is this? What methods does the Party employ that a man who experienced life firsthand at a certain point is not capable of recalling and sharing these memories? What did the party do to make him so strongly believe in their principles that he does not believe in his own?
At this point in the novel, it is common knowledge that anyone who poses a threat to the Party will be vaporized. This old man, with his knowledge of the past, could easily be a threat to the Party. Why does he just accept that his version of the past is deemed incorrect. He is playing along with the Party's lies. I think one potential reason is that he wants to spare his own life. Nobody can tell him that his own experiences are untrue, like Winston says, even a minority of one does not make somebody insane. I think people accept the Party's lies, or play stupid, to spare themselves. After all, "Ignorance is Bliss."
At this point in the novel, it is common knowledge that anyone who poses a threat to the Party will be vaporized. This old man, with his knowledge of the past, could easily be a threat to the Party. Why does he just accept that his version of the past is deemed incorrect. He is playing along with the Party's lies. I think one potential reason is that he wants to spare his own life. Nobody can tell him that his own experiences are untrue, like Winston says, even a minority of one does not make somebody insane. I think people accept the Party's lies, or play stupid, to spare themselves. After all, "Ignorance is Bliss."