“‘Do you remember,’ he said, ‘the thrush that sang to us that first day, at the edge of the wood?’ ‘He wasn’t singing to us,’ said Julia. ‘He was singing to please himself. Not even that. He was just singing.’
The birds sang, the proles sang, the Party did not sing” (18).
Orwell's quote represents the one thing that Winston thinks will bring the downfall of Big Brother and the Party. All societies that have lasted, like the proles and the birds, have one thing in common: a happy understanding of life. So they sing because they are happy, or at least content. The Party is not happy or content. The whole society is based on hatred and oppression, so what reason do they have to sing? Even the songs the children sometimes sing are controlled by the Party. And isn't he base of most societies the pursuit of happiness? This is not the case for the Party, whose only goal seems to be complete control. Studies have shown that singing actually has the effect on ones brain that exercising does. It increases the endorphins released into the brain, making one feel happier.
Layton, Julia. "Discovery Health "Does Singing Make You Happy?""Discovery Health "Health Guides" 2 June 2009. Web. 04 Sept. 2011. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/happiness/singing-happy.htm>.
interesting connection
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