George Orwell 1984 Analysis

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

can be seen in his keeping of a diary and his relationship with Julia.
Winston begins his spree of rebellion against Big Brother first through his keeping of a diary.

Winston even states when contemplating whether he should write in his diary that, “To mark the paper was the decisive act (Orwell, 5).” To Winston, his diary is the only recorded history that he remembers and believes as true and not altered by Big Brother. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth where his job is to rewrite historical documents to align with ever changing beliefs of the Party. Therefore, his diary would be the only accurate account of history of his time. Also, it would only contain the personal thoughts, descriptions, feelings, and narratives of Winston- not the Party's. Unfortunately, this a dangerous act in this totalitarian ruled regime wherein any form of individuality is outlawed. The Party wants its members to function as slaves abiding by the Party’s law. Any form of individuality or personal expression is a threat to the Party’s uniformity. Even, the mere thought of rebellion is enough to get someone killed by the thought police. The Party wants to control a person’s thoughts and mind, their most personal possessions. Hence why, the Party has a Thought Police because in the human brain ideas form, and those ideas can form into actions, and those actions can form into rebellion- this is the Party’s greatest fear. The Party wants the totality of an individual and wants to turn him into a “comrade.” Winston understands this; yet, he does not care,

expressing:
"They'll shoot me i don't care theyll shoot me in the back of the neck i don't care down with big brother they always shoot you in the back of the neck i dont care down with big brother (Orwell, 13). "
Winston’s individuality is so much more important to him that he is even willing to risk death. He does not want to conform and accept the Party’s doctrine. Winston resents people who do so like Mr. Parsons. Mr. Parsons is Winston’s neighbor and coworker at the Ministry of truth. Winston despises Mr. Parsons’s wholehearted belief in the Party’s doctrine. Winston expresses these view about Mr. Parsons, as Winston aides Mrs. Parsons by fixing their faucet:
Parsons was Winston's fellow employee at the Ministry of Truth. He was a fattish
but active man of paralyzing stupidity, a mass of imbecile enthusiasms -- one of
those completely unquestioning, devoted drudges on whom, more even than on the
Thought Police, the stability of the Party depended (Orwell, 15).
Winston viewed individuals as such as weak, and he was the antithesis of that. He was going to do all he could to live and die as an individual. Subsequently, this was Winston’s achilles heel, resulting in him being caught and tortured.
Winston’s relationship with Julia is another form of rebellion Winston commits. The Party has a disdain for relationships and views them as dangerous. To the Party, relationships are a coalition of individuals. Therefore, the Party partners individuals together for the goal to “beget children for the service of the Party (Orwell, 45).” There is no personal choice involved in this decision. However, Winston’s relationship with Julia is the most organic and the most fitting relationships in the novel because Winston chooses Julia and Julia chooses Winston. The Party resents this since individuals are supposed to only have loyalty to the Party, and a relationship based on love and loyalty is stronger than that based merely on loyalty.
Winston’s love for Julia stems from who Julia is. Julia also is against the Party’s dogma and finds ways to get around the rules to fulfil her pleasures. For example, Julia is a member of the Junior Anti-Sex League, a league of youths who are supposed to abstain away from sex. Despite this fact, she has sex with multiple party members. Julia, herself, hates Big Brother and does this in spite of the Party’s teachings. Winston adores this rebellious aspect of her. He detests the perfect portrait the Party tries to paint of every individual. Thus, any flaw that distorts the Party’s perfect image is a win against Big Brother. Consequently, Winston’s and Julia’s relationship resorts to them getting captured.
When Winston is captured, he is faced by O’Brien- a Party member and Winston’s deceiver. O’Brien wants to break Winston and destroy Winston’s loyalty to Julia. At first, Winston holds off even stating, “He loved her and would not betray her (Orwell, 159).” The personal bond Winston and Julia formed was unbreakable, even in the sight of death and torture, Winston pledge to not betray Julia. Ultimately, Winston does betray her and cries in torture “Do it to Julia! (Orwell, 202).” In that, Winston lost his sense of self.
When Winston opened his diary, his first decisive act against the Party, he was willing to die for his actions. When Winston formed a relationship with Julia, he knew it would entail death- and he was ready. Winston throughout the novel he rationalized his actions, he knew the consequences, and he accepted them. But now, Winston, in his most broken state, was willing to discard- his loyalty, his love, his relationship with Julia- for Big Brother. In that, Winston lost himself. He was not in control of his thoughts. Winston made an impulsive decision and betrayed Julia. Now, the Party controlled Winston. The Party no longer sees Winston nor his ideas as a threat because they knew his weak spot. Winston’s individuality does not survive. Resultantly, Winston, foreseeing his death and being over won by the Party, proclaims:
“[Winston] He loved Big Brother (Orwell, 209).”
The same “love” Winston had for Julia is now given to Big Brother. Winston is no longer the same afterward. His individualistic thoughts and feelings of rebellion and love for Julia are now gone. Winston’s individuality is what made him human. Winston was not like the rest of the Party’s citizenry. He did not believe in the Party’s dogma and undeniably wanted to shatter it.
Orwell wants his audience to see that individuality in a regime as such can not strive. In a totalitarian regime, there is no such thing as ownership. The mind is not even considered a personal possession because “the Party” or “Big Brother” dictates individual think and believe. This is why Winston accepts his death when he considers writing a diary and rebelling. Rebellion and personal expression are prohibited. Likewise, Winston’s relationship with Julia was criminal. Humanity and the act of being a human being are revoked. A person must be one with the Party, and embody it fully, forsaking one’s humanity.
Orwell criticizes this type of regime. Orwell views relationships with oneself and others as necessary. He hates how individuals lose their sense of self in the midst of an overpowering dictator. Orwell sees this as a tragedy. Thus, explaining, Winston’s tragic ending wherein he loses himself and the one he loves. Orwell does not want individuals to die accepting what they do not believe. Orwell wants individuals to be strong and remain authentic, even if, it is dangerous.
In conclusion, any form of individuality can not survive in a regime where conformity is crucial. This was Winston’s downfall. He broke away from the Party’s norms and attempted to bring down Big Brother. Orwell emphasizes the dangers of being an individual, but he also expresses the necessity of having relationships and being individualistic. In 1984, Winston was a beacon of hope of individuality in a totalitarian regime. Regrettably, this does not last long and conformity suppresses any and all forms of individuality, and Winston dies a believer and lover of all that he hated.