Struggle is Imminent

807 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Sociological analysis

Winston is confronted with struggle throughout the entirety of George Orwell`s dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Living within a totalitarian regime subsequently causes Winston to seek approaches for dealing with such abundant oppression; he finds liberation through self-awareness, understanding and ultimately rebellion. First, Winston realizes that “if you want to keep a secret you must also hide it from yourself”, alluding to the notion of thoughtcrime (162). This recognition exemplifies the complete cognizance that Winston has regarding the oppressive society displayed throughout the novel. Next, Syme states “It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words”, alluding to the idea of Newspeak (28). This statement directly correlates to Winston speaking with other party members to gain knowledge about how others feels about policies deployed by the government. This information-seeking also connects with Winston`s rebellion, as he actively searched for others to join his uprising, which is shown when Winston tells O’Brien “We want to join [The Brotherhood]” (171). Winston’s attempt to join a rebellious organization exhibits his evident desire to release his suppressed emotions. Winston devises a very methodical approach to deal with the problematic society he resides in. Short story “Here Be Monsters” by Nathan Sellyn depicts a situation where the speaker fails to overcome his emotional struggle in a rational and thoughtful manner. First, the speaker is revealed to be “sobbing”, which subsequently causes him to “swing harder and harder” while he murders Danny (54). This lack of emotional control demonstrates the speaker’s complete inability to deal with hardship. Next, the speaker, when looking back on h... ... middle of paper ... ...Katherine into a trustworthy and loving wife. In “Green Fluorescent Protein” by Neil Smith, Max fails to deal with Ruby-Doo’s forward homosexual advances in a rational and positive manner. First, Smith writes that Max thinks its"...damn faggy” to wonder [about Ruby-Doo's staircase analogy] and that he’d better snap out of it (P.30). This statement shows that Max doesn’t want to believe that he is gay, so he places a negative connotation towards homosexuality. It can be inferred from this discriminatory reaction based on his poor reaction that Max has difficulty dealing with hardships in life. Next, Smith describes Max's angry feelings towards Charlie when he sarcastically mentions that it wasn't queer [at all] for people to go around licking faces (P.30)". Max's distaste for Charlie's action again causes Max to act discriminatorily against gay people. Finally,

Show More
Related

  • 1984 Dialectical Journal Essay

    1795 Words  | 4 Pages

    Returning to his diary, Winston then expresses his emotions against the Party, the Thought Police and Big Brother himself; he questions the unnecessary acts by the Party and continuously asserts rebellion. Winston soon realized he had committed the crime of having an individual thought, “thoughtcrime.” The chapter ends with a knock on Winston’s door. Significant Quotes “From where Winston stood it was just possible to read, picked out on its white face in elegant lettering, the three slogans of the Party: WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH” (Orwell 7). “But there was a fraction of a second when their eyes met, and for as long as it took to happen Winston knew— yes, he knew!

    Read More

  • Comparing 1984, The Long Watch and The Ones Walk Away from Omelas

    1217 Words  | 3 Pages

    In “1984,” Orwell uses Winston to portray a single individual’s attempt to take action against a powerful government, culminating in his failure and subjugation. His individual efforts failed tremendously due to the overarching power of the Party to control every aspect of social life in Oceania. Orwell uses Winston’s deeply seated hatred of the Party to portray his views on power and social change. Winston’s actions show that even in the direst of situations ...

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis Of Horses Of The Night

    1107 Words  | 3 Pages

    When individuals face obstacles in life, there is often two ways to respond to those hardships: some people choose to escape from the reality and live in an illusive world. Others choose to fight against the adversities and find a solution to solve the problems. These two ways may lead the individuals to a whole new perception. Those people who decide to escape may find themselves trapped into a worse or even disastrous situation and eventually lose all of their perceptions and hops to the world, and those who choose to fight against the obstacles may find themselves a good solution to the tragic world and turn their hopelessness into hopes. Margaret Laurence in her short story Horses of the Night discusses the idea of how individual’s responses

    Read More

  • A Family in Turmoil in Today Will Be A Quiet Day

    861 Words  | 2 Pages

    Suffering from the death of a close friend, the boy tries to ignore his feelings and jokes on his sister. His friend was a mental patient who threw himself off a building. Being really young and unable to cope with this tragedy, the boy jokes to his sister about the bridge collapsing. "The mention of the suicide and of the bridge collapsing set a depressing tone for the rest of the story" (Baker 170). Arguments about Raisinettes force the father to settle it by saying, "you will both spoil your lunch." As their day continues, their arguments become more serious and present concern for the father who is trying to understand his children better. In complete agreement with Justin Oeltzes’ paper, "A Sad Story," I also feel that this dark foreshadowing of time to come is an indication of the author’s direct intention to write a sad story.

    Read More

  • Role of the Fathers in Chaim Potok’s The Chosen

    1050 Words  | 3 Pages

    As a result of Reb Saunders’ treatment, Danny suffers throughout the story, mainly due to his inability to tell his father essential information about his future–like his aspirations of becoming a psychologist–or any other aspects of his life. Even simple conversation proves to be an almost insurmountable endeavor for Danny.... ... middle of paper ... ...

    Read More

  • Winston’s Struggle in 1984

    1726 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • True Emotions In Carolyn Kizer's Bitch

    1016 Words  | 3 Pages

    Individuals may or may not go through a situation where they would enjoy nothing more than to yell, scream, or even fight another person for something that he or she said or did. It is challenging to hold back such intense emotions, but it is the wise thing to do in order to avoid further conflict. In Carolyn Kizer’s “Bitch”, the speaker demonstrates holding back her emotions in front of her ex-lover. It was tough for her to do so because she wanted him to understand how she felt. Overall, Kizer establishes the importance of being the better person by holding back one’s feelings in order to avoid further consequences. She illustrates this through portraying the speaker’s true emotions, revealing information of her ex-lover, and showing how the speaker carries herself on the outside.

    Read More

  • Betrayal In George Orwell's 1984

    956 Words  | 2 Pages

    The constant theme of betrayal in 1984 is being used by George Orwell to show how hopeless Winston’s struggle against the Totalitarian system is, giving the reader an idea of how bad this type of government is. The reader is introduced to this dark time and given hope in the form of the rebellious protagonist, Winston. However, the reader soon realises how hopelessly alone Winston is in his silent battle when they see that the government is against him, he has no support or allies, and that even his own mind can be turned against him. The message is clear and makes readers who live in a democracy happier with what they have.

    Read More

  • Emotional Discomfort in Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

    845 Words  | 2 Pages

    Emotional discomfort can sometimes be perceived as mental instability. A person may look, act, or feel insane, when in truth they are just very uncomfortable in their own skin. The narrator has a genuinely difficult decision to make which far outside his comfort zone. He is choosing between a woman who has been like a mother to him and much needed job that he feels he may enjoy. This choice is tearing him apart from the inside out. From the ringing noises that interrupt his every thought to the skin he is scraping off. The author uses diction, syntax, and extended metaphors to express the complete and utter discomfort of the narrator, both physically and emotionally.

    Read More

  • 1984: Oppression Of Truth

    1571 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the novel 1984, Orwell produced a social critique on totalitarianism and a future dystopia that made the world pause and think about our past, present and future. When reading this novel we all must take the time to think of the possibility that Orwell's world could come to pass. Orwell presents the concepts of power, marginalization, and resistance through physical, psychological, sexual and political control of the people of Oceania. The reader experiences the emotional ride through the eyes of Winston Smith, who was born into the oppressive life under the rule of Ingsoc. Readers are encouraged through Winston to adopt a negative opinion on the idea of communist rule and the inherent dangers of totalitarianism. The psychological manipulation and physical control are explored through Winston's journey, and with Winston's resistance and ultimate downfall, the reader is able to fully appreciate O'Briens reasoning, "Power is not a means, it is an end."

    Read More

  • The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon

    1785 Words  | 4 Pages

    Whether a person’s life is something experienced authentically, or factually written down as literature, there are more complexities faced then there are simplicities on a daily basis. This multifariousness causes constant bewilderment and hesitation before any sort of important decision a person must make in his or her life. When it comes to characters of the written words, as soon sensations of ambiguity, uncertainty, and paranoia form, the outlook and actions of these characters are what usually result in regrettable decisions and added anxiety for both that character as well as the reader. Examples of these themes affecting characters in the world of fiction are found in the novel The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon, and the play Glengarry Glen Ross written by David Mamet. Throughout both of these texts, characters such as Oedipa Maas who allows these emotions to guide her in her journey of self discovery, and Shelly Levene who is so overcome with these emotions that they become his downfall. For both of these characters, these constant emotional themes are what guide their most impulsive actions, which can generally also become regrettable decisions. Even though it is a distinguishing factor of human beings, when these characters are portrayed in print, it somehow seems to affect the reader more, because they are able to see the fictional repercussions, and also know how they could have been avoided.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between 1984 And One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

    1813 Words  | 4 Pages

    In both the novels, there is a strong and recurrent theme of Individualism versus the Collective Identity. In 1984, Winston continually tries to assert his individual personality against the collective character that the Party demands him to adopt. The Party’s aim is to demolish all sense of independence by psychological manipulation schemes- same dull uniforms for all, same unappetizing food, same dilapidated housing. There is the Two Minutes Hate to generate collective rage and the Thought Police to eradicate free thought. However, Winston writes in his own private diary, engages in forbidden sex with a coworker, and only believes in his version of reality as an effort to retain his individuality. In the novel, a line states, “Being in a minority, even in a minority of one, did not make you mad. There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad.” Orwell makes use of Newspeak in this quote to emphasize on the fact that even though Winston was holding on to his individualism, his use of the Party’s language signifies the slow but sure breaking of his resistance and should serve as foreshadowing to the audience. The context of production is once again Orwell’s critique of the totalitarian regimes such as Hitler and Stalin and how they retain power through the use of propaganda and alarm.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Orthodoxy In 1984 By George Orwell

    562 Words  | 2 Pages

    In George Orwell’s 1984, the concept of orthodoxy is widely explored. The party creates its own definition of orthodoxy that the whole society must follow, using it to suppress its people. It creates a sense of anxiety for Winston throughout the whole novel, as he knows he is not within the Party’s definition of orthodoxy. In fact, the whole society lives in this sort of anxiety about their own actions and thoughts. In a critical scene in this novel, Winston explores orthodoxy and what actions are considered orthodox by analyzing Syme, an outer party member in charge of newspeak.

    Read More

  • The Psychoanalysis of 1984

    1027 Words  | 3 Pages

    At the end of the novel, Orwell describes Winston as a cured patient who has over come his metal disease. “He had won the victory over himself: he loved Big Brother” (Part 3, Chapter 6). Both Freud and Orwell break down the components of a person’s mind in the same way. Orwell’s character, Winston, depicts the different parts of the human mind so described by Freud. In Orwell’s 1984, he uncovers the same components of a human mind as seen by Freud, the instinctual drive of the id, the perceptions and actions of the ego, and the censorship imposed by the morality of the superego.

    Read More

  • How Does George Orwell Create A Dystopian Society

    1605 Words  | 4 Pages

    The novel which is 1984 by George Orwell is all about a dystopian society, describes an imaginary society that is as dehumanizing and as unpleasant as possible, which is controlled by complete totalitarianism. The writer really put himself in the book and I believe it's safe to say, he was indeed Winston Smith. In the book there are three classes, almost like our social classes-the lower(outer party), the middle(paroles), and the higher classes(inner party).Winston Smith is part of the Outer Party in Oceania. Everywhere Winston goes-his home, work, the bar or simply walking outside-the Party watches him through telescreens. Everywhere he looks he is reminded that the omniscient leader of Oceania is watching him, Big Brother. Winston works in the Ministry of Truth, where he alters historical records to fit the needs of the Party. He has mixed emotions and troubling thoughts due to the Party’s control of history-Oceania has always had an alliance with Eastasia against Eurasia. However, Winston happens to remember a previous time when this was not true. One evening Winston is given a note from a young dark-haired girl that he works with, the note says  “I love you.” She tells him her name is Julia and they begin to have a relationship that is highly dangerous.they have to spend every waking moment always on the lookout for signs of the Party monitoring them and their actions. Soon after, the couple decide to rent a room above Mr. Charrington’s shop where winston previously bought a diary-Winston doesn't like the party and has illegally purchased a diary in which to write “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER”. This relationship lasted for some time, but it started as an act of rebellion against Big Brother and gradually turned into something more. As Winston’s love grew for Julia, his hate grew for the Party grows.After

    Read More

More about Struggle is Imminent

Open Document