In a world where almost everyone blindly follows a leader, there are bound to be problems. Where no thoughts are allowed, there is bound to be at least one that wants to rebel. In the novel, 1984, by George Orwell, all citizens of Oceania are kept under surveillance 24/7. There is no freedom in their world. However, not everyone is down with The Party. Winston and Julia take a different route, and choose to rebel against Big Brother, thinking they have escaped the watchful eyes of The Party. However, they were sadly mistaken. Big Brother sees all. Orwell’s character, Winston, is a quiet and critical thinker;
Winston’s role is to overthrow The Party in order to bring the past back; however, while on his journey, Winston is caught by Big Brother. Orwell’s Character, Winston Smith is a ostensibly intelligent individual who indulges himself in the worst crime, his own thoughts. Winston is a secessionist. He feels the need to have his thoughts written down in order to feel a connection with the antagonist character, O’Brien.
In the text, Orwell ponders, “It was absurd, since the writing was not more dangerous than the initial act of opening the diary; but for a moment he was empted to tear out the spoiled pages and abandon the enterprise altogether,” (18). Even from the beginning, Winston was rebellious. He purchased the diary in order to keep his thoughts written down. Although there were no laws in Oceania about keeping a diary, there are acts that were punishable, such as keeping your thoughts written down, or even thinking at all. Winston is a wise philosopher; He is capable of even the most complex thoughts.
Throughout the novel, he questions everything The Party says, which also happens to be dangerous. During his torture by O’Brien Winston whimpers, “But the word tself is only a speck of dust. And man is tiny–Helpless! How long has he been in existence? For millions of years the earth was uninhabited,” (265). During his torture, O’Brien is attempting to fill Winston’s head with what The Party wants him to think, however, Winston is headstrong, and knows better than to eat up all the information fed to him. Smith is not a blind follower. His mind is too complex and intelligent to just allow him to go with whatever is said. He plans on taking The Party down, and restoring the past. Little does Winston know, not all of his companions are on his side.
Winston is not capable of confining his thoughts; Winston’s thoughts are going to be the death of him. The purpose for Orwell’s character, Winston, is to defeat Big Brother, and overthrow The Party. Winston wants to have the ability to do whatever he pleases at whatever time is convenient to him. The thought of The Party lying to the citizens of Oceania makes Winston cringe. Smith sees through the lies of The Party members, and is determined to expose the deceptions. This leads the reader to believe that Smith wants a better life for all, and he will risk his life attempt to make a difference.
Winston establishes, “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two makes four,” (81). O’Brien is attempting to drive The Party’s own rationale on Winston; more particularly, he is attempting to control and reshape Winston’s world–what he knows not valid– into whatever will suit the motivation behind The Party. In the event that Winston has the privilege to demand his rendition of reality—which is a truth that stands free of belief systems—then he can hang on to a remnant of being human and dictate some of his life for himself.
While reading the novel, the readers catch glimpse at Winston’s growing hatred towards Big Brother. It may seem apparent that Winston feels the need to go against everything The Party says in order to establish a safe ground for his manipulated mind. Orwell remarks, “His pen had slid voluptuously over the smooth paper, printing in large neat capitals– DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER… ” (18. ) Unleashing the greater part of his anger, Winston, at long last triumphs his over apprehension by setting pen to paper in the crucial insubordination that contains every single other wrongdoing in itself–thoughtcrime.
By filling half of the page with the phrase, DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” Winston shows that he is against everything Big Brother stands for. Also, the author gives a glimpse at Winston’s defiant personality. In order to restore an orderly government to Oceania Winston must find a way to collapse The Party, and conquer Big Brother. Winston must overcome being seized by the Thought Police due to his betrayal towards Big Brother. Without inquiry, Winston rents the room above Mr. Charrington’s shop; Orwell’s portrayal of Mr. Charrington drives the reader to trust that Mr. Charrington’s lack of concern to Winston’s practices shows that he is against
Big Brother also. However, Winston is flabbergasted when Mr. Charrington, whom he thought was on his side, enters the room with the police. Orwell discloses, “It occurred to Winston that for the first time in his life he was looking, with knowledge, at a member of the Thought Police,” (224). At that moment, Winston was well aware of the fact that he has been caught by the Thought Police. All of a sudden ,the realization that Mr. Charrington had been working for The Party the whole time, dawned on him. The author let the readers believe that Winston could confide, and trust Mr. Charrington, which finally ended
Winston’s rebellious ways. There was no turning back now; Smith knew that what was ahead of him was going to be an endless amount of suffering. There was nothing Winston could do to take it all back; consequently, he had to face The Party. Along with Charrington, O’Brien was also against Winston the whole time. Both characters let Winston carry on with his rebellious attitude, all while the watched his demise. What came next was no doubt going to be the worst time of Smith’s’ life. Winston knew that there was only torture ahead. O’Brien announces, “‘You asked me once,’ said O’brien, ‘what was in Room 101.
I told you that you knew the answer already. Everyone knows it. The thing that is in Room 101 is the worst thing in the world,” (283). The Party does not simply utilize physical torment on the caught, and guilty criminals, but also mental torment. O’Brien felt the need to break Winston’s being down. As a result of deceiving Big Brother, Winston must endure being captured, and tortured by the Thought Police. Winston, is a peaceful and basic mastermind; Winston’s part is to topple The Party so as to bring the past back; be that as it may, while on his excursion, Winston is captured by Big Brother.
In the novel, 1984 by George Orwell, all subjects of Oceania are kept under reconnaissance day in and day out. There is no flexibility in their reality. Be that as it may, not every one is for The Party. Winston and Julia take an alternate course, and oppose Big Brother, supposing they have gotten away from the careful gazes of the gathering. In any case, they were tragically mixed up. Big Brother sees all. Winston goes against all odds, attempting to be the vigilante in his messed up world. Sadly, Winston’s actions were detected, and he must now face the consequences.
