George Orwell 1984 Comparison Essay

In the beginning of Nineteen Eighty Four, George Orwell’s description parallels Winston’s bland and depressing life. Orwell describes the world as “cold” and “the sky [as] a harsh blue, [and that] there seemed to be no color in anything” (Orwell 4). Orwell wrote that in Winston’s apartment “the hallway smelt like boiled cabbage and old rags” (3). This dull setting allowed for the Big Brother posters and Party slogans to stand out. In addition, the Ministries had an intimidating and ominous effect due the fact that their Ministry buildings were white and grand compared to the grey, dirty buildings most comrades lived in. Throughout the first half of the novel, this trend of uninteresting setting and descriptions continued to mirror Winston’s

Orwell described the sun rays in between the trees as “pools of gold” and that “the air seemed to kiss one’s skin” (123). This diction is significantly different which creates a sensitive and liberated tone. Without the presence of Big Brother, Orwell describes the world to match what the the characters are experiencing. However, as Winston and Julia return to their homes, the diction and description changes back to more bland. Once again, the physical description changes to a more positive tone when Winston and Julia acquired an apartment together or when they meet O’Brien at his house. Words become more descriptive and more varied during these scenes. The effect is it highlights the emotions the characters are feeling as well as the significance of these scene. The change of diction produces a standout effect. In contrast, when Winston is at work or in public, the diction becomes dull to illustrate his boredom. Orwell uses description and diction to effectively describes portray tones that echo what the characters are going through. At the end of Nineteen Eighty Four, Winston had his final thoughts: “Everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.” For almost all of the novel, Winston struggles to fight and rebel against the Party and Big Brother. Winston’s efforts were futile because the more he rebelled the more the