How Noble They Are

So I jumped ahead a bit and dove into 1984 over the weekend. It has been four years since I was assigned this book back in 11th grade and it is quite interesting seeing it through a new perspective. I have always loved this book so getting to read it is quite the treat. I am going to discuss something that happens in Book 2 so if you have not read past book 1, stop reading this post now!!!!!!

When I was laying in bed last night I was thinking about what I had read earlier that day. I kept going back to the point in the book when Winston and Julia meet at O'Brien's apartment. When they are confessing to all their anti-party actions and agree to so many terrible things that being in The Brotherhood would entail, I just gained so much respect for them. You may ask how I could have respect for someone who agreed, if the time and need came, to throw sulfuric acid in a child's face.

Yes, some of the deeds that Winston and Julia said they would be willing to do are absolutely terrible and rotten to the core, but the fact that they are standing up for what they believe for is very great indeed. Adding to my respect is the fact that they will not see the payoff of all their hard work. Ever. How noble it is to dedicate your life to a cause, risking vaporization every day in everything that you do and think, when you know and are told from the get-go that you will not see your hard work pay off.

I wish that I had the courage to live as Winston and Julia have agreed to. I wish that someday I feel so passionately about a cause that I am willing to go to extremes so that following generations will be able to reap the benefits of the seeds that I sowed.

This idea I can project onto our current generation's problem of global warming and pollution. Even though we are not seeing drastic and dire outcomes, further generations will. It is hard to devote oneself to something that they will never be able to enjoy. So many people have the mentality that they will never see the day when icebergs melt and the world floods, so why should they even try.

The thing is, each little step counts toward the bigger picture. People may not care about the environment or see the point in doing something that will only be beneficial years and years later, but if everyone contributes to the greater good, so many of our future relatives will be able to live a happy and healthy life like we have. I do not know about you, but I do not want to imagine a future where my great-great-great grandchildren will not be able to swim in the ocean because it is so polluted with toxic chemicals and trash.

Environmentalism is not illegal, but it is still a noble cause to work toward. I have so much respect for Winston, Julia, and every member of The Brotherhood for all their clandestine work against their overbearing government. People who truly stand up for what is right and just, even if it goes against everything they are told to do, will always have a high standing in my book. Even if actions they take to support their cause are secret and  small, the risk that they are taking toward the end goal is very respectable.