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   bocateacher322 Teacher
   Middle School

   The sex instinct was another area of human life, which the Party sought to kill or at least distort. Only the “proles” the so-called lower class people who did not actually qualify to belong to the Party were acknowledged to have sexual instincts. Among Party members all love and eroticism was removed from the sex act. Marriages were permitted, but they had to be officially approved and were to be undertaken for the sole purpose of begetting children who would grow up to be responsible Party members. Permission would be denied if the couple showed any signs of being physically attracted to each other. Ideally the Party would prefer complete celibacy, which would mean that men and women would forge fewer bonds of individual loyalties and children could be produced artificially. Failing this, it tried to present the sex act as a rather disgusting preliminary necessity.
    Winston would not have minded remaining celibate, but Katherine insisted they go through the process at fixed intervals to “fulfill their duty to the Party” by producing a child.  

   "Sexual intercourse was to be looked on as a slightly disgusting minor operation, like having an enema." Part 1, Chapter 6, pg. 69

   "What was more important was that sexual privation induced hysteria, which was desirable because it could be transformed into war fever and leader worship." Part 2, Chapter 3, pg. 134

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/1984

   http://www.enotes.com/1984/themes

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   Posted by bocateacher322 on Tuesday February 24, 2009 at 11:12 AM