Rebecca Solnit, a modern day author, essayist, and activist once wrote that “The revolution is waiting, but it doesn’t look like what people expected”. Revolution has been both glorified and criticized in human society, but no matter the cause, it is a fundamental change in the status quo. When revolution boils down, it comes to passion, but also the willingness of the few to take great risks for the many. George Orwell’s 1984 returns again and again to a struggle with the concept of rebellion, especially against an oppressive government force like The Party. Does one take the chance of moving forward, or stay stagnant in their current situation? As readers follow Winston in this internal conflict, it’s clear to see that in order for a …show more content…
Described as “young”, “free-spirited”, and “practical”, Julia differs from Winston in many ways. She is open about her sexuality, and sleeps with several party members before she meets Winston. Although these acts are frowned upon in the eyes of The Party, Julia doesn’t intend them that way, and tells Winston that it is only to satisfy her own desires. Julia only “..questioned the teachings of the party when they in some way touched upon her life”(153). She was too young to remember a life that contradicted The Party’s teachings, and because she believed all Party propaganda to be lies, Julia had no interest in what those teachings were anyway. Julia simply does not care about what the Party is saying to the public. She doesn’t know whether or not it’s true or false, and can’t even remember what is said half the time. For example, Winston asks to recall 4 years ago, when Oceania was fighting with Eastasia, not Eurasia, despite Party insistence that it had always been the other way around. At first, Julia tells Winston that she never paid much attention to Party propaganda, because she didn’t care who was fighting the war. It is only after several minutes of arguing with Winston that Julia can actually remember the difference. Since Julia is so far removed from a cause to rebel, she has no desire to. Ironically Julia works for the Ministry of Truth, one of four essential branches of government
To her, freedom was “[keeping] the small rules” so “you could break the big ones” (Orwell 129). Julia doesn't believe in associating herself with an organization such as the Brotherhood because she thinks their pointless and they have no direct impact on her life. She is under the impression she already attained freedom since she is able to indulge in some of the perks that The Party is trying to keep her. Although Julia is not a firm supporter of freedom, she does tend to think with her heart. Even from the beginning Julia has so much confidence in love, she risk her life just to pass a note to Winston which read “I love you” (Orwell 108). Her faith in emotion persisted when she and Winston talk about the consequences of The Party finding out about their love affair. Winston claims that confession is not the worst deed The Party can coerce them do, rather force them to stop loving the other. Julia trusts that “they can't do
The Proletarian woman is a symbol of fertility which makes Winston ponders over how his lover, Julia will never bare children and so defying the Party which Winston loves the fact that Julia has no capacity to complete her ‘duty’ as she is ‘corrupt to the bone’ and has the desire to tear the party to pieces. We wonder about her real personality whether she is so ‘corrupt’ to change her whole nature to manipulate men. She could be the link that captures the depths of Winston’s mind to rebel against the party. Unknown to Orwell, Julia
The effort the two lovers must put in to see each other is unthinkable, as they must avoid telescreens and microphones almost everywhere they turn. When Mr. Charrington allows them to use his room without a telescreen, they take full advantage of it. Seeing as Winston is still married to his wife and sexual acts are illegal, Julia and Winston defy the Party in more ways than one. Winston has changed from full obedience to the Party to defying it due to his outsized amount of hatred for Big Brother. Julia and Winston engage in negative talk about the Party, which puts them subject to arrest.
The main character in George Orwell’s 1948 novel, 1984, Winston Smith can be seen as many things. To some, he may be a hero, but to others he is a coward and a fool. Throughout the novel, Winston’s characteristics are explored, and readers are shown the reasoning behind Winston’s twisted mind. It is evident that although Winston thinks he had control over his own mind and body, this is an imagined factor. The world of 1984 is one of a totalitarian society, where no one can be trusted, and no one is safe, Winston being the primary example of one who trusted thoughtlessly.
Having a passionate relationship is no longer a foreign concept to Winston, he now loathes it. When having a conversation with Julia he thinks, “. With Julia, everything came back to her own sexuality." As soon as this was touched upon in any way she was capable of great acuteness.”. Winston does, in fact, enjoy the sex, but after seeing Julia for months at this point, he realizes their differences. Julia is focused on having a sexual relationship with people, but not committing anything that would affect the integrity of the party’s rule. When Winston thinks, “ With Julia, everything came back to her own sexuality”, it is showing the signs of a disconnect. While the love for Julia has not changed in this passage, his quest for anti-Big brother actions is not fully satisfied. The physical relations between Julia and Winston only scratches the surface on what Winston desires.
“ In this room, I’m going to be a woman, not a party comrade.”This shows that Julia could not care less what the party says and she is going to do as she pleases.
Julia is the epitome of everything that Winston loathes; pretty young women, for it makes him think of his own wife and emphasizes his jealousy. However we eventually find out that she shares Winston’s ideals about the hatred of Big Brother, and she is described as a “sexual rebel”, and had sex with various Party members, but saves herself from being caught by the Thought Police by wearing the red sash of the Anti-Sex League. Julia deceives almost everyone in this dystopian society, by posing as an innocent young woman, but secretly rebelling and hating the Party. Julia’s deceiving nature is indicated through her “ripping off the scarlet sash of the Junior Anti-Sex League, and flinging it onto a nearby bough.” The choice of diction used by Orwell emphasizes both Julia’s reckless nature and her dislike for the party; “flinging” the sash indicates to the audience that she does not actually believe in the Junior Anti-Sex League; that is was indeed a cover to protect herself from being caught, and the word “scarlet” to describe the color of the sash is perhaps even a warning or a foreshadowing that something bad will happen in the future with Winston and Julia regarding the validity of Julia’s membership in this chastity pledge. Through her actions, Julia has been deceiving the Party for a long time, as well as deceiving Big Brother for she has not been caught for 12 years, until her and Winston’s affair becomes known to the Thought Police.
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
Julia, just like Winston, was tortured. She acted distance she didn't talk to Winston at first, which is unlike her because she used to be very social. She also seemed like she did not want to be seen with winston, when she looked at him with disgust. Instead of being very happy and full of life she was very tense and in a gray area just like everyone else in Oceania. Physically “her face was sallower, and there was a long scar...across her forehead and temple… her waist had grown thicker and, in a surprising way, had stiffened” (291) Her body was described as feeling like stone. He is suggesting that something similar happened to Julia that happened to Winston. Julia mentions betraying Winston showing that their tortured could have ended the same
Internal pleasures and emotions such as parenthood, love and sex are dangerous for the Party because “the lack of these essentials in people’s lives result in hysteria which can be transformed into war-fever and leader-worship.”(page 139) Julia creates a world of her own which can’t be altered by the Party while enjoying the simple pleasures of life. She doesn’t love the Party and sacrifice her life for the Party like she should; she develops an indifferent attitude instead. Unlike her partner Winston, she doesn’t question how the Party exists or why the party keeps all the power, she also shows no interest in the Brotherhood or engaging in anarchy acts against the party. She only finds pleasure in small acts of rebellion against the system like sneaking food or having sex and she tries to dodge the Thought Police with her enthusiastic disguise. She is an easier case to cure compared to Winston because she is somewhat integrated to the lifestyle of an average Party member except for her unorthodox leisures and has learned to survive in this system with her cunning personality and is more inclined to apply doublethink to her life unlike Winston. She is more of a survivalist, so she would be prone to give up easier compared to Winston while being cured in Room
Winston a grey and rough skinned, emaciated, fearful, thirty nine year old man with a varicose ulcer on his leg, who hated a woman named Julia. Winston described her as not handsome, attractive, natural looks, and he liked her hips. Winston has many thoughts about mortally wounding her. (Winston) Julia a twenty six year old woman, known as a rebel from the waist down and she’s a product of the Party. Julia wanted to experience love with someone, in this case Winston. Why did Julia like Winston? One reason Julia liked Winston happened to occur because he wanted to revolt against the party. (How) Winston’s rebellion takes place on a more "intellectual" level than does Julia 's. (How is) Winston hated
Julia’s belief of the secret brotherhood leads them into trusting O’Brien, a high ranking member
Julia and Winston met through passing through each other, on Winston’s way to the bathroom. Julia gave Winston a note, which has “I love you” (108). written on it. They both go to the Victory Square, and leave for the forest together. The significance about this location is that it reminded Winston of his dream of having an affair with a dark-haired woman. They are both alike because of their rebellious actions. “She had named a place where they could meet after work, four evenings hence” (140). Both individuals participated in anti-party activities. Additionally, they agreed to dislike the government. However, Winston yearned to change their society, while Julia wanted to break the rules herself. The main character was more outward-thinking and empathetic towards his world. Julia believed her life was okay as long as she did not get caught and subsequently killed.
Living in a world that continues to make advancements technologically and politically, a book written more than 50 years ago still warns the world of what could happen if government becomes too forceful. Because of George Orwell's strong hatred for totalitarianism and its life dictating qualities, readers can get a taste of the perfect "dystopia". Though the people of today have been warned and are afraid of an all controlling government, they continue to allow the concept of 1984 to become more and more real. If people continue to just watch their governments make decisions and not ask questions, they will fall victim to its power. If a man not of this time understands the terror of totalitarianism, everyone should
1.) Before Julia and Winston became intimate with each other, they met when Julia and another acquaintance entered a room inside of the Fiction Department. At first, Winston was afraid of Julia as he believed that she “gave him the impression of being dangerous than most” (10). After Winston and Julia became acquainted with each one another, they first ran into each other when Julia gave Winston a note that stated “I love you.” When Winston and Julia formally meet up at the countryside, they began to engage in more intimate activities. The significance of the countryside was that it directly refers to the “Golden Dream” Winston was thinking about, which ultimately fulfils his motives. Julia and Winston were similar through their mutual hatred towards the ideas inherited by the Party. The differences between the two were that Julia wanted to continue to embark on their relationship, while Winston thought that he was to cause potential trouble by loving her.