Baptisms and Broken Bones (Fifth Reading Assignment)

     A baptism is defined as a "trying or purifying experience or initiation" (as according to Dictionary.com).  Even though it is not completely true to form, the main protagonist of 1984 goes through a sort of "baptism".  However, fists, boots, truncheons, and torture are employed instead of the conventional use of water in this baptism.

     Winston is taken into the Ministry of Love and beaten cruelly for his defiance of Big Brother.  Winston finally finds the place in his dreams that was only described as being the "place without shadows".  However, the Ministry of Love is literally a place without shadows in that the numerous lights inside burn all shadows away.  Winston is electrocuted, starved, beaten by guards repeatedly, assaulted psychologically for his unconventional perception of what life under Big Brother is or could be.
     After the experience Winston is a much "better" member of society.  He hangs on every word of every bulletin and firmly believes that two and two is five and that freedom is slavery.  He is a reformed, remolded citizen of Oceania.  He no longer feels anything for Julia and no longer has the slightest want to defy Big Brother.  He no longer cares for his own life, he only cares that his life be used for Big Brother.  And at the broadcast of victory in Africa, Winston's feet "made convulsive movements" at the new news.
     The assignment for reading assignment five was to write of a baptism.  Some may say that using torture and the like to baptize a person probably isn't a baptism.  To that I have to say that if the book by Thomas C. Foster has taught me anything it is that situations and how they relate to their archetypes are not word for word and even sometimes almost dissimilar in some ways to their root (Agh... run-on).  As a result of Winston Smith's insubordination he is baptized with with boots and broken bones.