Bio:
Age: 39
Family: separated from his wife because of differing views, blames himself for his mother and sister's disappearances Comrades: Syme, Parsons(neighbor), Julia(partner in Thought Crime) Talents: concealing emotions, rewriting history Inner Desires: join the Brotherhood, overthrow the Party, pursue a relationship with Julia, learn the truth about the past |
"To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while lying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly forget it again: and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself" (Orwell 35) |
Winston's role in 1984:
Winston's ability to understand the Party's methods and his refusal to let go of his individuality allow the reader to see the effects of the Party's totalitarian control. As Winston reflects, Orwell is able to delve into themes such as manipulation, value of understanding the past, and censorship as mind control. Winston's rebellious nature allows the reader to see his human nature pushing through despite the oppression of the Party. In a effort to maintain his sense of freedom, Winston finds several ways to secretly rebel including writing in his diary and his intimate relationship with Julia. Winston is able to justify his crimes because of his sense of fatalism; he knows he cannot escape the Thought Police forever, and his capture is inevitable. His acceptance of impending doom allows him to take more significant risks, such as renting the room above the antiques shop, and ultimately leads to his demise. While Winston does ultimately succumb to the fear and mind control of the Party, his character shows the imperfections of totalitarian control when his innate human characteristics come peaking through.