Chapters 7-8 and 1-2

“To be killed was what you expected. But before death (nobody spoke of such things, yet everybody knew of them) there was a routine of confession that had to that had to be gone through: the groveling on the floor and screaming for mercy, the crack of broken bones, the smashed teeth and bloody clots of hair. Why did you have to endure it, since the end was always the same?” (102) 

This quote caught my attention because it uses great descriptions to paint an image in the reader's head about what is going on. For instance Orwell uses phrases such as "the crack of broken bones" and "the smashed teeth and bloody clots of hair" to get the reader to picture these horrific scenes and feel sympathy for the people being tortured. This is also interesting because it is not quite clear to me why people were tortured. If the reason was to show others what could happen to them, why did others enjoy watching prisoners be tortured? Even the kids were upset when they missed someone getting beat up for no reason. Did they want to show that they were not scared of being tortured and would rather be killed quick and painless? Lastly, if the thought police knew everything that a person had on their mind, why was there a need for torture? 

1984 Chapter 2-6

"Who controls the past," ran the party slogan, "controls the future: who controls the present controls the past"(32).

This slogan serves as an example to how the party treats the citizens. The party is able to falsify records and change the past, which strengthens the idea of Big Brother being looked up to. This lie cannot be proved wrong since the documents and evidence have been destroyed.

"More commonly, people who had incurred the displeasure of the party simply disappeared and were never heard of again"(44-45).

This line describes what happens to people who offend or disagree with the party. This is another strength that the party has in which it can get rid of people who do not follow what they say. By eliminating people who have different opinions, they are able to hold on to the power and control the citizens. 

"'Orthodoxy means not thinking—not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness" (53).

This is the main goal of the party, to stop people from thinking. This is also shown when they make people believe that two plus two is five. They do not want people to think about why things are the way they are, it is more convenient for the party if the citizens just listened and went along without questioning them.