Object Type
This page, which was torn out of a Time issue in 1965, shows three deposed leaders of the original revolution, Jones, Aaronson and Rutherford, standing proudly in the middle of delegates at a Party function with their names clearly labeled by an owner of the magazine. This page was printed 10 years before they were denounced as thought criminals and executed after a public trial and is proof that Big Brother not only changes past records but could lead to a revolution and overthrow of the government.
Physical description
A magazine cover depicting three deposed party leaders from the original revolution, Jones, Aaronson and Rutherford, at the center of a party gathering in 1965.
Designs & Designing
The torn out page is designed in the typical fashion of a Times cover page. Across the top in big bold letters is the word “Time” as well as a short blurb about the passage written about the 3 former leaders. It is dated February 16th, 1965, 10 years before they were executed for treason against the government.
Ownership & Use
Before Big Brother took over the centralized government in Oceania (and for some time afterward), Time was a common magazine read by millions around the world. It was a very common household item so it is unsure the exact origins of the document. A later owner then highlighted the three men and added a blurb hinting at collusion of the government.
Object history note
The object is an example of Big Brother changing false records and forcing innocent men into false confessions. The men were originally arrested in 1965 and confessed to “intelligence with the enemy (at that date, too, the enemy was Eurasia),”(79). As well each had written long articles in the same issue of the magazine including the reasons for their defection and ensured that they would change in the future. Unfortunately, these articles could not be recovered. However as of the end of 1984, Big Brother was at war with Eastasia and had always been at war with Eastasia.
Many citizens of the time who were alive before the revolution, including Winston Smith, suspected the government of changing historical records, there was no evidence to prove such claims. This article not only proves that Big Brother alters historical records but it also shows that the government is responsible for the killing of innocent men.
The middle of the 1960’s and early 70’s was known for systematic killing of all original leaders of the revolution except for Big Brother himself. Other than Goldstein, who had fled from Oceania and was hiding in an unknown location, Big Brother purged all other high-level government officials as he saw them as not only an accessory to his plans but also a danger to him. They held secrets which could reveal massive government collusion, and this risk was too big so all others were killed.
Jones, Aaronson and Rutherford were “among the last survivors,”(78). While there is no reason for why they survived for so long, they were found “guilty” of treason and other charges twice, once in 1965 before being reinstated into the government. This is an example of Big Brother’s torture technique, where they place citizens who have been found guilty of thoughtcrime, defined as an instance/instances of unorthodox or controversial thinking, back into society in an attempt for them to truly embrace Big Brother and the ideals of INGSOC. The practice was executed in an attempt to truly control the thoughts of all of Oceana’s citizens, something that wouldn’t have been possible had they simply been executed.
Historical context note (In this section, you should reference specific events in the novel in which the object was used, using internal citations—aka page numbers!)
The magazine cover of Jones, Aaronson and Rutherford played a very important role in the novel 1984. When it was first introduced it served two purposes. The first purpose it served as an introduction to Winston’s thoughtcrime. The thought of these three men came to him as he was writing in his journal, a criminal offence which he could be sent to a labor camp for. Winston remembers seeing, “all three of them in the Chestnut Tree Cafe,” (79), a common meeting place for out of favor party members. While he didn’t attempt to make conversation with them, as it was dangerous to be seen with such people, he did watch them with a sense of bewilderment as they were some of the last remaining parts of the old world. After remembering these men Winston