As my class’s curriculum starts to move into the the direction of Dystopias and Utopias, we started exploring famous works of literature in this area. Among some of the works we read include the book 1984 by George Orwell and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. As we progressed in this subject, it really got me thinking as the deeper meanings of what the definition of a Dystopia or Utopia could be to some people.
An assignment that was assigned was definitely an interesting piece of craft that I have not done in a while. To be completed in a group, we were supposed to create a paper cutout of an assigned character from the book 1984. The cutout was to include illustration of whatever we want that we felt represented a certain aspect of the character. There is also a backdrop that we needed to create using a green screen.
Our group chose the character called Mr. Charrington. He is a man of the lower class that runs a small antique store in the slums of London. The world in the story has been carved up into three different gigantic countries, Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. The story happens in Oceania which encompasses all of the Americas, some of Africa, and all of Australia. What makes the country seem despotic is from the society within it. The population is ruled over by Big Brother, the all seeing and glorious leader with an administration that skews history to their liking by changing every single piece of literature as they see fit to show that they are always right. The government runs by three tenets. War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and Ignorance is Strength. The irony of these statements shows how power of the government in changing what the population thinks is very high. Basically demanding complete obedience from its population or be killed or rehabilitated, and with Three-Year Plans being part of the government’s agenda, and mentions of comrade as a substitute for a name, it is reminiscent to the ideals of certain communist states at the time the book was written albeit with some exaggeration. Coming back to Mr. Charrington, he fits into society as an old antiques shop keeper as part of the lower class later revealed to be an undercover agent for the government. He is responsible for the snuffing out of rebels against the government and has a large part in the arrest of the two main characters of the story. What I think he represents is a society without safety, where people have to always watch their backs. His presence as an old man and later turning into a secret agent must have shocked readers back in 1954 when the book was written because someone as harmless as an old man could potentially have a hand in people’s capture and sometimes, death. No one is safe in this society and the government is always watching. That is what I believe George Orwell wanted Mr. Charrington to represent and also identify in a communist regime.
Below is the cutout of Mr. Charrington that my group made complete with the items that we believe represent his aspects.
Let me provide an explanation to the items.
The Divided Body:
We believe this represents how Mr. Charrington is a secret agent and is double faced. On one side he is a harmless old man that runs an antiques shop while on the other side of him, he is an agent of the government. His change of face is also a representation of how he changes from an old man to a rendition of what think is the face of Big Brother. This is because Mr. Charrington is ultimately an extension of Big Brothers will.
“It occurred to Winston that for the first time in his life he was looking, with knowledge, at a member of the Though Police”
Police Badge and Shoulder patch:
These items represents his position in the government. He is a man of the law.
The cane, background and item in hand:
The cane represents his supposed old age which we find out later he is relatively young thus losing the cane on the other side of the body. The item is also a representation of the antique store that he runs. The background is also a representation of his shop.
“Mr Charrington, it seemed, was a widower aged sixty-three had inhabited this shop for thirty years”
The Tears on his Face:
The tears represent his sadness of losing his wife.
Heart of Big Brother:
Within his act of being an old shop owner, we believe that his heart is still fully with Big Brother and he holds him in high regard. So high that Big Brother is within his heart while also keeping his job to Big Brother important.
“He gave Winston a single sharp glance, as though verifying his identity, and then paid no more attention to him”
Ball with Chains:
We picked the ball and chains because Mr. Charrington is only one of many people who cannot the clutches of Big Brother or Oceania. This is because Big Brother requires the complete obedience and loyalty of its agents. This really applies to everyone in Oceania.
The Red Fist:
The group picked this because we believe that Oceania and all it stands for is fundamentally communism. Since Mr. Charrington is such an integral part of the government in Oceania, we believe he is deserving of the label of Communism.
Overall an interesting project, I do believe picking a different character could have expanded our choice if items as Mr. Charrington served a pretty linear role. Thanks PLP for reviving something that I last did in elementary school.