Did George Orwell actually portray Winston Smith as a hero in the critically acclaimed novel 1984? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary heroism is defined as “heroic conduct especially as exhibited in fulfilling a higher purpose or attaining a noble end.” Acts of heroism are performed all over the world by various individuals in all walks of life. Today, acts of heroism are constantly announced on the news, internet, and by word of mouth. An example of heroism is displayed in ordinary people who perform extraordinary acts of bravery in order to rescue an injured victim during a car accident. Other acts of heroism may include men who risk their lives in order to rescue a victim of a car accident before the victim’s car explodes. Another …show more content…
example of heroism is an attempt to perform CPR on an individual in order to save a life. Heroes are found in everyday life, a true hero does not need to look up the definition of heroism in order to define oneself as a hero. A hero is one who actually carries out brave acts in spite of the consequences. Winston Smith displays many fears that heroes do not portray which include getting caught by the government, having thoughts of suicide, and having an unusual phobia of rats. Throughout the novel, George Orwell does not portray Winston Smith as a hero who readers can admire and emulate. Orwell displays Winston Smith as a person who has obsessions of heroism without actually becoming a hero; furthermore, Winston Smith exemplifies acts of disloyalty in relationships, government, and disloyalty to himself in order to gain freedom. To begin with, Orwell creates Smith as being disloyal in several relationships with others. The reader is able to witness the first signs of disloyalty when Winston abandons his mother and sister after stealing their chocolate. In Winston’s dreams of his mother Orwell writes, “His mother’s memory tore at his heart because she had died loving him, when he was too young and selfish to love her in return, and because somehow, he did not remember how she had sacrificed herself to a conception of loyalty that was private and unalterable (pg. 30).” Winston is dissatisfied with his wife after he finds out she can no longer bear children; consequently, he has an affair with a woman named Julia and shares with her his thoughts of having a strong desire to throw his wife off a cliff for the sake of oppression. Marriage is a commitment of loyalty which should be threaded throughout a marriage in all circumstances, yet Winston desires to disregard his wife. He also shows serious signs of disloyalty toward Julia after they are interrogated by the government. Winston tells the government official, O’Brian, to torture Julia with the caged rats instead of him. Winston replies, “Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don’t care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia! Not me! (pg. 286).” Secondly, Winston is disloyal to the government.
One of the major themes Winston faced was the dangers of a totalitarian government of Oceania; consequently, this takes away individualism. However, Winston desires to be free from government control and has obsessive, disloyal thoughts about breaking away from government rule; ultimately a rebel. He is constantly monitored in his home by an observation device called telescreen. Propaganda is carried out through this communication system and through the Two Minute Hate sessions on a regular basis. He purchases a diary as a rebellious act, he writes, “Down With Big Brother (pg. 18).” Purchasing a diary and writing independent thoughts is considered to be an unpardonable Thought Crime in Oceania. Another …show more content…
example is Winston and Julia’s affair; indeed this is considered to be a huge disloyalty to.
Winston and Julia agree to have an affair and to meet secretly in the woods. Orwell writes, “sexual intercourse was to be looked on as a slightly disgusting minor operation, like having an enema (pg. 65).” Winston demonstrates an ultimate act of disloyalty to the government as he continues to have the affair with Julia. Winston purchases a paper weight which represents hope for his future with Julia. He desperately fantasizes about a life with Julia as he holds tightly to the paper weight, “it was as when Winston had gazed into the heart of the paperweight, with the feeling that it would be possible to get inside that glassy world, and that once inside it time could be arrested (pg. 151).” Orwell states that Winston imagines floating freely from the party. Winston’s disloyalty to the government is also noticed when he actually believes O’Brian. He believes the Brotherhood is real and that the leader of the Brotherhood, Emmanuel Goldstein, truly exists. Winston and Julia agree to meet O’Brian; moreover; is an actual member of the Inner Party. During the meeting with O’Brian, Winston and Julia were led by him to sing a song to initiate an order of rebellion; as well as, it proves Winston’s disloyalty to the government is not an act of heroism to save Oceania, but a selfish act to save
himself. Thirdly, Winston is disloyal to himself in his own beliefs about the Proles. Smith obsesses about the Proles overthrowing the government; as a matter of fact, he obsesses over escaping from the town he lives in, Airstrip One, to coexisting with the Proles, but he never leaves. Winston has a radical belief that he and the Proles can overthrow the government to obtain freedom. The government sees the Proles as uneducated, lower class citizens. The government does not monitor the Proles closely because they are not considered to be a threat. Winston states, “Proles believe anything…In the end 2+ 2 = 5 (pg. 47).” Winston also aspires to believe that an underground group exists and there are others who desire freedom like himself. Smith believes “Speak Write” altered historical records at the Ministry of Truth where he works; in order to, brainwash citizens to believe government truths, but he never protests his beliefs. He believes “Two Minute Hate” in the town square are brain washings designed to turn citizens against rival nations rather than establish order. Finally, he is also convinced that the Brotherhood truly exists which leads him to interrogation and torture sessions. During the interrogation and torture sessions by O’Brian, his biggest fear of pain is experienced, and he becomes convinced he was wrong about rebelling against the government. Overall, 1984 is a great depiction of a character analysis of Winston Smith, who demonstrates symbolic traits that do not resemble any trace of heroism. Instead, 1984 emphasis Winston’s disloyalty to: family, friends, institutional rules, and his obsessions in order to gain freedom. Winston is considered a disloyal wimp and not worthy of heroism. He starts out determined to break free from the government, yet he does not demonstrate a plan of action to overthrow the government. Although his obsession to live with the Proles is a great idea; he never implements a plan of action that demonstrates heroism. He also does not hold tight to his dream of obtaining freedom for himself, or society. He is convinced by O’Brian that he is wrong about everything, and grows to love O’Brian. Orwell illustrates many examples that range from Winston’s obsession of being caught, to the very end, when Winston finally accepts his fate of succumbing to the government by the illustration of his love for Big Brother; “But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother (pg. 298).” No one is saved; not even himself.
George Orwell once offered this definition of heroism: ordinary people doing whatever they can to change social systems that do not respect human decency, even with the knowledge that they can’t possibly succeed.
He purchased a small journal from a shop and began to write in it out of view of the telescreen in his house, which allows anything in front of it to potentially be seen or heard. At first he had some difficulties as he could only manage to write jumbles of some of his memories, but then he began to write things like “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER (Orwell, page 18).” He later had an encounter with one of his fellow coworkers, O’Brien, which got him thinking that there might be others out in the world who see things the way he does, including O’Brien himself. Winston eventually decides that his diary will become a sort of letter to O’Brien, and to a future or past where things might have been different. In these diary entries he wrote things such as, “To the future or to the past, to a time when thought is free, when men are different from one another and do not live alone—to a time when truth exists and what is done cannot be undone…(Orwell, page 28).” This refers to how citizens think and act the same and previous events are not written as they happened, but altered to Big Brother’s benefit. He also wrote, “Thoughtcrime does not entail death: thoughtcrime IS death (Orwell, page 28).” This can be further explained by Winston’s previous thought, “The consequences of every act are included in the act itself (Orwell, page 28).” Winston
In the 2nd part of 1984 Winston is meets a girl named Julia. At first Winston believes Julia will turn him in for committing Thought Crime. Then Julia passes Winston a note and they meet each other. The Party also does not allow association that is not goverernd. This is the start of an affair between the two, because they are not married and free love is not allowed. Winston is rebelling fully by his association with Julia. The 2nd section Winston fully rebels, he joins an underground resistance, and he believes that his life is better because The Party is no longer controlling him. At the end of this section Winston learns that he has been set-up and followed by the Thought Police the whole time. He and Julia believed that they were resisting and rebelling but had actually been entrapped by the Thought Police.
George Orwell creates a dark, depressing and pessimistic world where the government has full control over the masses in the novel 1984. The protagonist, Winston, is low-level Party member who has grown to resent the society that he lives in. Orwell portrays him as a individual that begins to lose his sanity due to the constrictions of society. There are only two possible outcomes, either he becomes more effectively assimilated or he brings about the change he desires. Winston starts a journey towards his own self-destruction. His first defiant act is the diary where he writes “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER.” But he goes further by having an affair with Julia, another party member, renting a room over Mr. Carrington’s antique shop where Winston conducts this affair with Julia, and by following O’Brien who claims to have connections with the Brotherhood, the anti-Party movement led my Emmanuel Goldstein. Winston and Julia are both eventually arrested by the Thought Police when Mr. Carrington turns out to be a undercover officer. They both eventually betray each other when O’Brien conducts torture upon them at the Ministry of Love. Orwell conveys the limitations of the individual when it comes to doing something monumental like overthrowing the established hierarchy which is seen through the futility of Winston Smith’s actions that end with his failure instead of the end of Big Brother. Winston’s goal of liberating himself turns out to be hopeless when the people he trusted end up betraying him and how he was arbitrarily manipulated. It can be perceived that Winston was in fact concerned more about his own sanity and physical well-being because he gives into Big Brother after he is tortured and becomes content to live in the society he hated so much. Winston witnesses the weakness within the prole community because of their inability to understand the Party’s workings but he himself embodies weakness by sabotaging himself by associating with all the wrong people and by simply falling into the arms of Big Brother. Orwell created a world where there is no use but to assimilate from Winston’s perspective making his struggle utterly hopeless.
Nineteen Eighty-Four describes a world where the most obvious paradox is seen as a commonplace. At least it appears so to the people living in Airstrip One (the former United Kingdom). Winston Smith is one of these citizens who survive on shortages of food and rations of Victory Gin. He believes that his life is being improved day by day even though the reality is the absolute opposite. He is a diligent worker on the Ministry of Truth where he enjoys his job of rewriting the past. One day, however, he decides to start writing a journal. This simple act is already considered as a death crime – the so called “thoughtcrime”. By just thinking against the Party that rules the society, he conspires against it and is considered as a criminal who should be converted to accept the truth that only the Party is right. He should truly love only the Big Brother – an icon and the dictator of the totalitarian Oceania. He finds a place where he believes he can secretly commit his crime of independent creative thinking. He needs to take this precaution because everyone is under a complete surveillance by the authorities through “telescreens” in their households. The phrase “Big Brother is watching you” constantly reminds the people of this through the propaganda system in this state.
In the middle of the novel, O’Brien appears as the escape from Big Brother, providing both Winston and Julia with information pertaining to the Brotherhood. Unfortunately for these two lovers, it is all façade. O’Brien is merely trying to find out what their limits and breaking points are. After asking Winston and Julia a set of questions, O’Brien asks the ultimate question, “You are prepared, the two of you, to separate and never see one another again” (180), to which Julia replies, “No” (180). This exchange of words gives O’Brien the upper hand for later events. He now knows that the love shared between Winston and Julia is not solely an act of rebellion, but also that it is what will get the two characters to conform and accept Big Brother. This finally gives O’Brien the opportunity to change Winston; something that he has been willing to do for some time now. O’Brien states, “For seven years, I have watched over you. Now, the turning-point has come” (256). Prior to Winston’s relationship, O’Brien had nothing to hold over Winston if he was to get Winston to conform, and was waiting for the opportune moment to do so. However, he is now able to manipulate Winston’s love for Julia, and turn it towards love for Big Brother. He uses their love as leverage while torturing Winston. O’Brien also
The protagonists in stories are often portrayed as heroic and not like everyone else. The author of 1984, George Orwell, did so in a rather unusual way. His definition of heroism is: ordinary people doing whatever they can to change social systems that do not respect human decency, even with the knowledge that they can’t possibly - - - - -succeed. This definition is already a bit different to what most people would think. Hero’s are mostly seen as people with superpowers who cannot be defeated or - - - -influenced by higher, external powers. Winston Smith, the protagonist of the story, struggles to embody the characteristics of a true hero while dealing with Big Brother and the Party.. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
However, he secretly harbours resentment toward these policies due to his desire to retain his individuality and character. This is evident when he goes against the law by purchasing a diary and writing the statement, “Down with Big Brother”, the person leading his government. In many parts of the book, he uses his diary to express his views on the flaws of his government. This reinforces his desire to be independent and attempt to maintain his character. Thus, it allows him to stray away from his responsibility of being a lawful citizen. Another instance of him attempting to retain his character and individuality is when he engages in sex with Julia on numerous occasions in the grove and in the room rented from Mr. Charrington. In the general, sex is a powerful symbol which represents the essence and vigour of humanity. It is tied with individuality since it allows a human being to experience pleasure and the emotions an individual experience make them unique. Thus this allows Winston and Julia to be different from their comrades. Therefore, this allows average individuals to attempt to maintain their independence and their
The novel, 1984, by George Orwell, depicts a dystopian society where no freedom exists; not even the freedom of thought. The scene takes place in Oceania, a society in which the ruling power called “the Party” strictly controls everything people do: from the way they speak, to how they move, to their very own thoughts. Winston Smith, the main character of 1984, struggles through the day to day life of having to blend into the brainwashed citizens of Oceania, where monitors called telescreens record and analyze every little movement. Anyone not showing signs of loyalty and homogeneity become vaporized, or in other words, cease to exist and become deleted from history. Tired of his constricted life, Winston decides
Winston writes, “Down with the Big Brother” (Orwell 19). From the beginning of the novel readers see Winston’s extreme disgust with the government. He expresses the views that no few in the society will. Winston rebels against the government to find meaning in his life. His journey into finding individuality shows his expression of freedom which no one else expressed. As Alex McGuinnis, a professional academic writer part of the Professional Development Collection, discusses the “Allness” language used by Big Brother to control a populous and perpetuate conformity within a society. As McGuinnis states, “Allness thinking is especially dangerous because those who influence our minds most in frequently are the people who are constantly groups using allness” (108). This quotes shows how Big Brother used “Allness” language to control the people in the society. Many times Winston is critical when talking about Big Brother and to show lack of conformity and resistance towards the regime. Tyner continues to show how Winton’s small actions show resistance towards a tyrannical regime. Winston challenges all societal behavior, such as expressing his thoughts in his journal and deciding to have an affair with Julia even though facing punishment by the government. In addition, readers see that “Allness” language is used and taught to younger generations to influence them from early in development. Winston’s change and expressions were miniscule resistance towards the whole society, but it still provides an example of an individual who choices not to conform to societies standards. Orwell express how even though with miniscule resistance towards conformity cannot get rid of it without the help of an entire
George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 follows the psychological journey of main character Winston. Winston lives in a utopian society called Oceania. There, the citizens are constantly monitored by their government coined “Big Brother” or “The Party”. In Oceania, there is no form of individuality or privacy. Citizens are also coerced to believe everything and anything the government tells them, even if it contradicts reality and memory. The goal of Big Brother is to destroy individual loyalties and make its citizenry only loyal to the government. In Orwell's novel 1984, he uses Winston's psychological journey to stress the dangers of individuality in a totalitarian regime because it can result in death. Winston’s overwhelming desire to rebel
Although, with the realization that Winston was dead in the eyes of the thought police. A relationship built on sexual impulses, love, and rebellious actions and thoughts against Big Brother was like waving a red flag above their hands for the thought police. Despite this fact, their relationship continues for a few months and it wasn’t until they gained entry into the brotherhood with the help of O 'Brien , did the thought police finally captured them. By installing the relationship between Julia and Winston, George Orwell is presenting how totalitarianism and manipulation works hand in hand. Totalitarianism because they understand they will be punished for their thoughts and actions, and manipulation due to the fact that even though the thought police could not see them they getting caught
O’Brien is already aware of Winston and Julia’s thoughtcrime, but he does not turn them in. He knows that the more he can hold against them with their illegal activities, the more control he will hold over them. To obtain this control, he begins to develop a relationship with these two characters. O'Brien invites Julia and Winston over to his place in order to make sure they are ready to join the Brotherhood. By making others be part of this group, it holds them accountable to carry out their tasks. O’Brien knows that this relationship will enable him to manipulate these two characters, thus increasing his control over them. O’Brien portrays himself as the leader of the group and tells Winston that “When you receive orders, they will come from me” (Orwell 144). Winston agrees to give almost anything to O’Brien and responds, “We want to put ourselves at your mercy. If you want us to incriminate ourselves in any other way, we are ready” (Orwell 140). The dedication that Winston has, makes it easier for O’Brien to control
In this case, the government has to use severe actions to ensure they will never act in this way again. Winston Smith, is a minor member of the ruling Party and is aware of some of these extreme tactics. Since Winston is not completely brainwashed by the propaganda like all the other citizens, he hates Big Brother passionately. Winston is one of the only who realize that Big Brother is wiping individual identity and is forcing collective identity. He is “conscious of [his] own identity”(40-41) . Winston continues to hold onto the concept of an independent external reality by constantly referring to his own existence. Aware of being watched, Winston still writes “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER, DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER”(21) in his diary. Winston believes whether he writes in his diary or not, it is all the same because the Thought Police will get him either way. Orwell uses this as a foreshadow for Winston's capture later on in the novel. Fed up with the Party, Winston seeks out a man named O’Brien, who he believes is a member of the ‘Brotherhood’, a group of anti-Party rebels. When Winston is arrested for thought crime by his landlord, Mr.Charrington, who is a member of the Thought Police. Big Brother takes Winston to a dark holding cell, to use their extreme torture strategy to erase any signs of personal identity. Winston's torturer is O’Brien, the man he thought to be apart of the brotherhood. Winston asks
The events of 1984 transpire in a utopian society with an omnipotent dictator known as Big Brother, where any negative thoughts or acts committed that contradict the government have severe and deadly consequences if reported by comrades or captured through devices similar to television that are constantly on, called telescreens. In the novel, the protagonist, Winston Smith, acquires a dislike for the Party which reigns over his city, and conspires with a fellow worker named Julia to commit treacherous acts in an organization that opposes the government. The two characters are unfortunately betrayed by an acquaintance, who was a member of the thought police, and sent to an establishment where they are brainwashed and tortured