Talk:2011 AM Literary Representations of Torture
General Discussion
Questions/Critique/Proposals:
Additional representations of torture in: Literature / Drama / Film / Music
Please leave your name and a short explanatory note for each work you found:
- Mark Ravenhill. Shoot/ Get Treasure/ Repeat Methuen, 2008.
Drama performed in 2010 by the Berliner Ensemble with the altered titel "Freedom and Democracy I hate you" (Sip)
- Mel Brooks. "The Inquisition". The History of the World. Part I. 1981.
Expert Groups
Please put your name in one of the groups:
Authority/Society/Context (Niewint/Senkbeil)
What status does torture have in Oceania's society? Is it allowed, condemned, etc.? Briefly comment on your opinion and give a page number as proof.
In general, I would argue, that torture is an aspect of everyday live, like the permanent monitoring and noise of the telescreen for example, and thus accepted. Besides this "everyday torture", there are also the methods of the Thought Police, as described on page 108: "[...]before death (nobody spoke of such things, yet everybody knew of them) there was the routine of confession that had to be gone through: the grovelling of the floor and screaming for mercy, the crack of broken bones, the smashed teeth and bloody clots of hair." The application of torture is at least known among the society. Julia also states on page 107 that "Everybody always confesses. You can't help it. They torture you." Torturing is thus used by the authorities to sustain the status quo. As Winston read in The Booktorture "[...] not only became common again, but [was] tolerated and even defended by people who considers themselves enlightened and progressive." (p. 213). But it is not only tolerated, it is even institutionalized in the Ministry of Love (p. 225). However, there is a different treatment of different social classes. It seems that only Party members have fear torture, while the class of Proles is not affected. Sören Niewint
Torture Methods (Dragomir, Zielonki, Bagus)
Name two torture methods (give page numbers) and explain why you consider them torture.
Truth/Confession (Sieling, Barkemeyer)
Can or how does the reader know if Winston speaks the truth under torture? (Give a page number to support your argument)
