Monday, November 05, 2007

Room 101

George Orwell’s novel, 1984, is a bleak and scarily prophetic look at the future, one where Big Brother watches everything you do. Your neighbors, children, and the two-way telescreens monitor your actions to ensure you do not commit “thoughtcrime.” Punishment for committing thoughtcrime is torture and, eventually, death. The torture is part of the re-education of the criminal. You see, you shouldn’t execute someone until they’ve renounced their criminal ways.

Why, you may ask, am I telling you about such a dark, creepy book? Two reasons. One, I really like it. Despite the dark, hopelessness of the tale, it’s a great book. The other reason, there’s a fantastic blog post topic in it!

The ultimate torture for everyone is Room 101. How can the ultimate torture be the same for everyone? Room 101 is where your greatest fear is forced upon you. Since everything you do your whole life is monitored by the government, they know exactly what would be the worst for you. For the main character, Winston, it’s rats. Cage on his head. Rats in the cage. This is doubleplusungood. If you want more details, go read the book.

My Room 101?

That would be being forced to eat pickled beets at the mall while listening to Celine Dion. Add some unruly children screeching all around me and I’d be willing to do just about anything to escape.

So, what’s your Room 101?

6 comments:

Marcia said...

My room 101...perhaps one of many...kids at the store screech continuously, enough to make me want to drag my nails (what there is of them) across a chalkboard in efforts to shut them up!!

Anonymous said...

Laser Tag with spiders. I am not a fan of uncertainty or arachnids.

KatiaSul said...

1. Having to listen to my niece tell me how cute her boots are without telling her how wrong she is (the boots have Pom Poms attached to them).

2. Attending yet another family reunion with a bunch of really old people who don't drink and say "Bless their little heart" every other sentence.

3. OBGYN visits.

Ima Wurdibitsch said...

I feel for you, Marcia.

Mare, you took my funny little pickled beets, mall, Celine moment and turned it into something really creepy. Not Laser Tag, because that can be fun but spiders? ~runs screaming from the thread~

~creeps cautiously back in to respond to Katia~
How old is the niece? Pom Poms on boots are cute until middle-school and after retirement. As for the family reunion, drink beforehand. That will help.
OBGYN. Sorry. I can't help you there. Necessary evil.


I try to not think too much about what a real torture would be for me. Just in case, you know, Big Brother IS watching.

Anonymous said...

Spider Covered Zombie Clowns!

(I still think that would be a supercool name for a punk rock band!)

SCZC RULZ!

Ima Wurdibitsch said...

That is just really, really creepy.