Improbable Probabilities: A Summary of Thomas Dilworth's "Erotic Dream to Nightmare: Ominous Problems and Subliminal Suggestion in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four "
Summarized by: Madison Bechtol
In “Erotic Dream to Nightmare: Ominous Problems and Subliminal Suggestion in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four”, Thomas Dilworth claims that Orwell’s novel has many improbabilities that the reader should not overlook while examining the book. His main claims are that the games, such as Snakes and Ladders, in the book are flawed and that it is a “narrative-catastrophe” (Dilworth 301). However, this might be intentional. Dilworth wants the reader to acknowledge these flaws because he believes they might change the way the book is interpreted.
Throughout the entire article, Dilworth tries to answer the question, is this modern classic a work of great realism or a work of unrealistic probabilities? He begins his article by explaining that the board games in Oceania, once fair and practical, are now set to follow certain rules that state only one side can win, or give one side an advantage that no opponent could ever overcome. They are in essence, hopeless. He claims that these games are in the book to show the reader just how dehumanized Oceania really is. The games symbolize that Winston and Julia’s journey is hopeless but they also give the sense that eluding the Thought Police is possible.
Dilworth begins his improbability argument by discussing the striking similarity of the setting of Winston’s reoccurring erotic dream and the meeting place of him and Julia. Winston calls the place in his dream “The Golden Country”. When Winston is strolling through the rural area Julia has taken him to, he can’t help but notice that it looks just like his “Golden Country.” The unlikelihood of this place being so similar to Winston’s “Golden Country” does not bother him in the least even though such a thing could not happen in reality. This fault takes away from the novel’s realistic credibility and strengthens the argument of the book being a work of unrealistic probabilities.
Directly after the dream argument, Dilworth discusses Winston’s purchase of the blank diary. He points out that Winston bought the book on impulse, lacking any real motive, even though he knew opening and writing in the diary would be punishable by death. Deepening the dubiety of this situation, Winston, again on impulse, decides to return to the bookstore. By what seems like a miracle, he finds the store, which he has only been to once since it is located in the complicated, unfamiliar streets of London. A feat like this would have been hard to accomplish intentionally, but Winston manages to locate the store without any real effort. Also, this argument guides the reader to believe the book is a work of unrealistic chances.
After the many arguments he makes toward improbability, Dilworth begins to answer the question of whether the novel is work of realism or improbabilities by addressing other individual’s views on the argument. Some say the book might be a dream, yet others say that it is a work of Gothic romance or nightmare trying explain the massive amount of impracticalities. However, Dilworth claims that these improbabilities are made to happen through subliminal suggestion, which is communicated by the two-way telescreens throughout the book.
Dilworth uses the last section of his article to discuss that all of Winston’s seemingly many acts of improbability were in fact all set into place by the Thought Police. He states that “[The Thought Police] only establishes the temporal and spatial perimeters of rebellion so that, if and when it occurs, it is easily monitored and contained.” (Dilworth 312) This would show the reader that Dilworth in fact believes the book is one of realism. He goes on the explain that the Thought Police have been using the telescreens to tell Winston to do things or suggest he do certain things, while he was sleeping. Also, he suggests the Thought Police have predetermined all of Winston and Julia’s thoughts before the time the novel takes place. If this is so, it would explain the implausible occurrences throughout the novel and show that the book is a work of realism.
References:
Dilworth, Thomas. "Erotic Dream to Nightmare: Ominous Problems and Subliminal Suggestion In Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four." Papers on Language and Literature: A Journal Form Scholars and Critics of Language and Literature 49.3 (2013): 296-326. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.
In “Erotic Dream to Nightmare: Ominous Problems and Subliminal Suggestion in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four”, Thomas Dilworth claims that Orwell’s novel has many improbabilities that the reader should not overlook while examining the book. His main claims are that the games, such as Snakes and Ladders, in the book are flawed and that it is a “narrative-catastrophe” (Dilworth 301). However, this might be intentional. Dilworth wants the reader to acknowledge these flaws because he believes they might change the way the book is interpreted.
Throughout the entire article, Dilworth tries to answer the question, is this modern classic a work of great realism or a work of unrealistic probabilities? He begins his article by explaining that the board games in Oceania, once fair and practical, are now set to follow certain rules that state only one side can win, or give one side an advantage that no opponent could ever overcome. They are in essence, hopeless. He claims that these games are in the book to show the reader just how dehumanized Oceania really is. The games symbolize that Winston and Julia’s journey is hopeless but they also give the sense that eluding the Thought Police is possible.
Dilworth begins his improbability argument by discussing the striking similarity of the setting of Winston’s reoccurring erotic dream and the meeting place of him and Julia. Winston calls the place in his dream “The Golden Country”. When Winston is strolling through the rural area Julia has taken him to, he can’t help but notice that it looks just like his “Golden Country.” The unlikelihood of this place being so similar to Winston’s “Golden Country” does not bother him in the least even though such a thing could not happen in reality. This fault takes away from the novel’s realistic credibility and strengthens the argument of the book being a work of unrealistic probabilities.
Directly after the dream argument, Dilworth discusses Winston’s purchase of the blank diary. He points out that Winston bought the book on impulse, lacking any real motive, even though he knew opening and writing in the diary would be punishable by death. Deepening the dubiety of this situation, Winston, again on impulse, decides to return to the bookstore. By what seems like a miracle, he finds the store, which he has only been to once since it is located in the complicated, unfamiliar streets of London. A feat like this would have been hard to accomplish intentionally, but Winston manages to locate the store without any real effort. Also, this argument guides the reader to believe the book is a work of unrealistic chances.
After the many arguments he makes toward improbability, Dilworth begins to answer the question of whether the novel is work of realism or improbabilities by addressing other individual’s views on the argument. Some say the book might be a dream, yet others say that it is a work of Gothic romance or nightmare trying explain the massive amount of impracticalities. However, Dilworth claims that these improbabilities are made to happen through subliminal suggestion, which is communicated by the two-way telescreens throughout the book.
Dilworth uses the last section of his article to discuss that all of Winston’s seemingly many acts of improbability were in fact all set into place by the Thought Police. He states that “[The Thought Police] only establishes the temporal and spatial perimeters of rebellion so that, if and when it occurs, it is easily monitored and contained.” (Dilworth 312) This would show the reader that Dilworth in fact believes the book is one of realism. He goes on the explain that the Thought Police have been using the telescreens to tell Winston to do things or suggest he do certain things, while he was sleeping. Also, he suggests the Thought Police have predetermined all of Winston and Julia’s thoughts before the time the novel takes place. If this is so, it would explain the implausible occurrences throughout the novel and show that the book is a work of realism.
References:
Dilworth, Thomas. "Erotic Dream to Nightmare: Ominous Problems and Subliminal Suggestion In Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four." Papers on Language and Literature: A Journal Form Scholars and Critics of Language and Literature 49.3 (2013): 296-326. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.