Examples Of Heroism In George Orwell's '1984'

1984, by George Orwell, tells a story of a man who fights an oppressive government with his pure thoughts and actions. The government of Oceania, where the story takes place, manipulates its citizens into worshipping a figure known as “Big Brother.” Privacy is a foreign concept, as the government constantly spies on their people, not even allowing them to think about disagreeing with the people in power. The main character, Winston Smith, begins to disobey this tyranny. He does this by writing in a journal, committing “thoughtcrime”, and having an affair with a woman named Julia. However, Winston is eventually caught by the Party and tortured into submission, and ends the novel by stating that he loves Big Brother. Winston, despite his flaws,

is the hero of the story by risking his life, thinking for himself, and defying the Party.
Winston Smith shows his heroism by flouting the rules of the Party, despite the knowledge that it will end with his demise.

Upon Winston illegally writing in a journal, the book states, “Whether he wrote DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER, or whether he did not go on with it, made no difference. The Thought Police would get him just the same”. (Orwell 19) This proves that Winston is not simply acting recklessly, but he is conscious of the consequences of his actions and that they are an act of rebellion against Big Brother. “Whether Winston Smith is truly a humanist, in the classical sense of the term, is of no matter; in comparison to the totalitarian regime which destroys him, Winston is, in fact, the last embodiment of the human” . (Fitzpatrick) Winston knows that the party will destroy him, but it can be interpreted that he is symbolically the last human left, as he is the only one brave enough to oppose Big Brother and the

Party.
Winston is also considered heroic by questioning the ideals instilled in him by the government. Speaking of his neighbor’s children, Winston says “Nearly all children nowadays were horrible. What was worst of all was that by means of such organizations as the Spies they were systematically turned into ungovernable little savages...the songs, the processions, the banners, the hiking, the drilling with dummy rifles, the yelling of slogans, the worship of Big Brother...” . (Orwell 24) This excerpt shows that the Party indoctrinates children with propaganda and turns them into robotic, loyal allies at a young age. Winston truly has to teach himself to question everything that has been taught to him. “Aside from being concerned about labor and government, Orwell was very aware of an important invention that was just becoming popular after World War II and would eventually be a dominant force in Western culture: the television”. (“Historical Context: 1984) The Party also uses the telescreens as propaganda to keep citizens loyal, and to spy on them. Winston is constantly being misinformed about issues and the party is always portrayed in a positive light, so it is noble for him to question it.
Winston proves that he is a hero by actively disobeying the government and seeking to overthrow the Party.

“‘We believe that there is some kind of conspiracy, some kind of secret organization working against the Party...We want to join it and work for it. We are enemies of the party”, (Orwell 170) says Winston, as he tells O’Brien that he and Julia want to join the resistance group. Winston does not just dislike the oppressive government; he wants to take action and try to overthrow it. “When O'Brien reveals that he does have revolutionary thoughts, Winston is excited to go with him to a secret underground meeting led by Emmanuel Goldstein. The group aims to overthrow the Party”. (“1984”) After reading the works of Emmanuel Goldstein, the infamous enemy of Big Brother, Winston is inspired to take action and make an actual change, and is seemingly a good guy fighting against the evil

government.
To summarize, Winston Smith is the hero in the novel 1984, because he resists the Party up until his demise, where he was driven to submission by torture and his biggest fears. Winston demonstrates his heroic qualities by endangering his own life for his ideals, prioritizing free thought, and rebelling against Big Brother and the Party. Winston is obviously a flawed hero, as he gives in to Big Brother in the end, but he is one of the only people who questions the government and that makes him heroic in this story.