Final Part One

The transcript discusses the concept of humanity in Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles and George Orwell's 1984. It explores how destructive ambition and the pursuit of fame can lead to a loss of humanity in both books. The characters Achilles and Patroclus lose their humanity as they prioritize appearance and honor over empathy and compassion. In 1984, the party suppresses humanity through torture, causing Winston to lose his humanity. The citizens of Oceania also lose their humanity as they become desensitized to violence and death. The transcript concludes by relating the loss of humanity to personal experiences, specifically the narrator's grandmother's battle with cancer. Hey everybody and welcome to the Sim Nine. My name is Hannah Levin and today we will dive into the concept of humanity and how it presents itself in the novelist Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles in George Orwell's 1984. The Song of Achilles illustrates the love story of Patroclus, an outcast, and Achilles' demigod, and how their journey throughout the war has changed them in their love for one another. 1984 depicts Winston Smith's unsuccessful fight against the party and his navigation throughout this rebellion. What makes someone human? Is it the flesh on their skin, or their traits that define them? Or something else? A combination of other factors? Looks can be deceiving. Someone might appear human, but who they are is far from it. Can the characteristics that make someone human be difficult to perceive, or are they obvious? Humanity, while being a complex idea, can be defined by Merriam-Webster as the compassionate, sympathetic, or generous behavior or deposition one possesses. In Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles, Miller shows the battles of Achilles and Patroclus, that destructiveness and ambition in the name of fame and honor can lead to a loss of humanity. George Orwell looks at society in 1984 through the people's daily lives and actions, depicting that humanity loses itself through a suppression by a third party. The battles of Achilles and Patroclus illustrate that destructiveness and ambition in the name of fame and honor can lead to a loss in humanity. Before entering the war, Achilles feared the death that would result from his future battles. He did not see any reason to kill anyone if they never did anything to him. However, as the war went on, his mindset changed from never killing an innocent to only killing if they were armed. In the conversations between Achilles and Patroclus, he tells him how murdering these innocent people was like nothing, and that he did not know how easy it would be. Compared to this man, the evolution between the guileless Achilles seen at the beginning of a book depicts a loss of human regard and humanity for all his fame. He is indifferent towards these men as his primary focus is his appearance, killing them for it. Even telling Patroclus he should have seen it. This was not the only character whose humanity was lost in these battles. The fame and honor infected Patroclus' mind, as when he put on the mask of Achilles, the idea of himself being a famous skilled warrior got to him. He lost his humanity and identity all to preserve the way Achilles is perceived. If he were to kill one person, he did not see it, as he would be looking for his next victim. Like Achilles, Patroclus could not fathom the idea of murdering someone, as years prior, he accidentally committed the crime and could not forgive himself. Yet with these acts, it was different. He had no empathy, as after killing the son of Zeus in Achilles' honor, he believed it was not enough. Patroclus lost all the characteristics that made him human while he was killing these men because he was not focusing on their lives. Instead, he was focusing on how their deaths would influence his perception by society. However, Patroclus only grew to be this cruel killer when put in this position to kill for fame and honor. This idea is taken further when comparing the Patroclus, who was once a humble and compassionate doctor, to the vicious man on the battlefield. Achilles and Patroclus lost their defining human attributes in these battles when put in positions that benefited their appearance and honor. The idea that one loses humanity through suppression of a third party is seen through the actions and daily lives of Winston and the everyday people of Oceania. In 1984, Winston differed from the other characters in the book, as his loyalty did not rest in the party. He empathized with the proles and noticed the situation he needed to escape. After he is caught trying to rebel, Winston is tortured and changed forever. This new Winston keeps to himself. He loves the government and Big Brother, but most importantly, he has lost his humanity. The party resorts to torture to take the pieces of humanity holding these rebels back from their control. The rest of the population, unlike Winston, succumbs to the tactics implemented by the party. These people are incapable of sympathy, empathy, and even the simple idea of rebelling. When looking at the kids, their lives focus on death and violence. During Winston's visit to the Parsons, the kids are playing a game. However, the game was atypical, with the kids shouting, You're a traitor! And I'll vaporize you! I'll send you to the salt mines! These kids' whole concept of fun is about killing those who betray the party, and the traits that make them human are suppressed by the youth and spy groups they attend. These kids have no regard for anyone but the party, as later, Mr. Parsons is turned in by his own daughter. If she had any sense of humanity, she would have pitied her dad, yet she was proud because this is what the party taught her to be. The loss of the basic principles that make these people human is not just seen with the Parsons. People look at violence and murder as humorous, with the citizens of Oceania having no sympathy towards victims and open hangings. Instead, they take time out of their day to see the public deaths of others just for the fun of it. The party eschewed the idea of what violence means, taking away these people's ability to sympathize and rebel, and therefore, taking away their humanity. The books portray humanity from two different perspectives, the aggressive evolution and the repressed. First, Madeline Miller proves that destructiveness and ambition in the name of fame and honor can lead to a loss in humanity through the battles of Achilles and Metropolis. Or George Orwell shows through the daily lives of Winston and everyday citizens that humanity becomes lost through the suppression by a third party. Madeline Miller's theme relates most to my own opinion about humanity and how it is lost. Humanity can be lost through individual's actions, environmental changes, and social adjustments or illness. While they may not seem directly related, the loss of humanity through one's actions, as Madeline Miller illustrates closely, mirrors an illness as what defines you is gradually lost. I have experienced this loss of humanity as my grandma lost her battle with cancer. I watched as her soul faded as the illness took what made her who she was, much in the way as Achilles and Metropolis gradually lost their humanity through their deeds on the battlefield. Reading this book and watching her go through this battle made me believe this theme is more applicable to my life. This story will be continued further in the next episode, where you will hear a touching story about my grandma and her battle with cancer. Thank you for watching!