Examples Of Justice In 1984

Justice, as defined from dictionary.com, is “the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness.” When it comes to Justice as defined in 1984, however, the noun can be viewed as “the maintenance or administration of what is just by law, as by judicial or other proceedings.” These two definitions differ immensely in the society that the novel depicts, which allows the reader to understand each character’s view of justice as having the ability to contradict another’s. These two varying ideas are crucial to the story not only to help distinguish right from wrong, but it also allows the reader to understand exactly what each character’s quest for justice actually entails.
The protagonist of the story, Winston Smith, is

viewed as an antihero due to his lack of conventional heroic qualities; Winston’s deficiency is a gamut of characteristics which range from courage all the way to morality, and this deficiency immensely affects his actions and ideas.

When it comes to Winston’s understanding of justice there are two specific points that should be paid to mind. First of all, Winston believes that for there to be justice, freedom must first be given to the people. In the text Winston thinks to himself, “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command,” yet down in his heart he knew that their statements were false (103). Winston knew that the claims of the party, as widely accepted as they were, simply held no solid ground. “Truisms are true… fall towards the Earth’s center” using common knowledge Winston was able to prove why exactly the Party’s statements cannot be trusted, and he did so in a clear way in which even the proles could understand, with their primitive lifestyle (103). Secondly, the need for privacy, for a removal of 24/7 surveillance overshadows most other necessities in the novel. Therefore, the reader can safely assume that these actions would be one of Winston’s prerequisites in order for justice to prevail against the darkness. Throughout the novel everyone is constantly

monitored. The party has telescreens that observes every action committed; The Party sends drones and thought police who ensure the “safety of the people,” when in reality they merely enforce the Party’s doctrine; The Party has even abolished the sacredness of the love between a parent and their child. Not only are children encouraged to tattle on their parents, but children grow up in a society where denouncing their parents for one small misdemeanor is rewarded and the right thing to do. Only when Winston and Julia assume that they’re alone and not under the constant watch of the party can they finally relax, and Winston knows that the inability to be at peace and relax truly counts as injustice.
As much as Winston knows the true properties of justice (not necessarily behavior in accordance with laws, but behavior justified by moral decisions) the reader will be aghast to learn that his attempts to bring individuality and freedom back to the common people were all in vain. The beginning of the novel sets up the story, the climax of the novel occurs when Winston and Julia are captured after their collaboration against the Party, and the end reveals the harvest of Winston’s crops... absolutely nothing. Winston lived in a society where individuality was outlawed, and only the Party can decide on matters. Winston knows that he does not think like the others. Where Winston wonders and hopes whether human freedom will ever be achieved; the rest of society only care about “worshipping” Big Brother. Winston attempts to hide his rebellion against the party, but in his quest for freedom he is alone. No other person shares his thoughts. The only person remotely different from the common people was Julia, and she only cared about what happened right now at this moment, which is quite different from Winston. While Winston’s fellow comrades have sold their ability of thought in exchange for protection and security, Winston is the last man in Europe who wishes to use his own mind. He is the last man to resist Big Brother’s control. In the long run, however, Winston trusts the wrong people and is consequently captured. The party later forces him to love Big Brother. The last free man has finally turned into a mindless slave controlled by the Party. The final component has been added to the machinery that fuels the Party.
Despite the fact that Winston’s search for Justice ended in complete failure, the reader must contemplate the significance of his search for the work as a whole.

The book 1984 was a political statement by George Orwell. It did not declare that the society depicted would become a reality in the future. Orwell wrote this novel in order to give a warning to mankind. A warning that would become the world as we know it if mankind did not become aware of the attacks on their individual freedom and did not defend their right to individual thought. The many tragedies that Winston faces are insignificant to the meaning that they give to the reader. Winston being the last free-willed man in Europe, is an attempt by Orwell to explain a deeper message to the reader. Although there can be many possible interpretations, one such thought is if mankind strays too far from what matters, the ability to express oneself freely, there may be no turning back. This is enforced by the knowledge that life is no fairy tale, and good shall not always triumph over evil. At the end of the story this one idea may very well be the reason that George Orwell wrote 1984. The idea that he could warn mankind from his deepest fear through the story of Winston’s search

for
Justice.
Justice can be defined in varying ways, though the main influence would be the context by which one uses the term. In 1984 Justice is not accordance to the laws that society present. Justice as in the novel mean the actions and ideas that originate from moral righteousness. These two separate definitions are not only important to the story, but also important to the message that the novel gives. The only question that remains is “Will mankind heed George Orwell’s warning from 1984, or will mankind be doomed to follow in the book’s footsteps.” The answer to this depends how one defines justice in his or her life.