1984 essay

Submitted By lilililililili123
Words: 1125
Pages: 5
Open Document
Winston, truly a Rebel in 1984 Every government in the world has a unique way to maintain and protect power, even though some of them are extreme and cruel. A rebel is someone who refuses allegiance to, resists, or rises in arms against a government. (DC). Once people are not satisfied with their government and seek changes, rebels are likely to surface among these people. In George Orwell’s novel, 1984, the society is described where the government has no limits to its power and controls every single aspect of people’s lives wherever it is feasible. For instance, it is considered a crime when people think anything that is not related to the party, or even against the party. This is called “thought crime”. Winston Smith is one of these rebels. He shows his rebellious behavior first with his thoughts and then, gradually, through his actions. He is willing to sacrifice himself in order to gain control of his own life from the government. Thus, it is very clear that the main character, Winston Smith is a rebel in the novel, 1984. Winston has many thoughts which go against the party throughout the book. One clear example is his attitude towards his job. Winston works for the Ministry of Truth and his job is, essentially, to edit the past newspapers and magazines and rid them of anything that does not conform to the reality desired by the government. However, he does not simply change the information but tries to keep some evidence that he can use to prove the government creates fake news. He wants to plant a few doubts about the government and believes little knots of resistance will gradually grow, “so the next generation can carry on where we leave off” (Orwell, 163). Winston also refuses to believe the history that is described by the government textbook. The book tells how bad London used to be before the glorious Revolution compares to the present beautiful London where everyone is living happily and people are equal to each other. After reading this, “lie” is the only word that emerges in Winston’s mind. “The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth” (Orwell, 78). Although Winston is extremely curious about the past, there is no way for him to discover the truth. However, he refuses to accept the lies in its place. “The only evidence to the contrary was the mute protest in your own bones” (Orwell, 76). This quote shows that he is protesting deep in his heart. Winston’s diary is another good place for him to express thoughts. Winston knows exactly that it is illegal to write a diary and he will be punished by death if he is detected, but he still decides to take the risk and write down his rebellious thoughts. He once repeats a short sentence over and over again, all in capital letter, “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” (Orwell, 20) and at the next moment, he is seized by a kind of hysteria so he begins writing, “They will shoot me in the back of my neck I don’t care down with big brother” (Orwell, 21). If he is not thinking anything against Big Brother, why does he take such a big risk to write it down? The real reason is that he has no one to talk to about these thoughts, so he needs to express them out loud in writing in order to vent his dissatisfaction with Big Brother and the party. Even though all of these are just Winston’s thoughts about the government, it is absolutely enough to prove him as a rebel. However, Winston’s real actions are even more convincing than his thoughts. In the society of Oceania, people are not allowed to have sex for a reason other than making offspring. But for Winston, he first finds an old prostitute in the street because he feels the need to have sex. He notes “It was on a dark evening…There was nobody in the streets, and no telescreens. She said, ‘two dollars’” (Orwell, 55). He knows he is doing something wrong and against the law since he is worrying whether someone will catch him as he finishes and goes back to his apartment. After that, Winston finds Julia
Show More

Related Documents: 1984 essay

1984 Essay

1984 Essay: Dystopian Fiction Hailey Rutherford Mr. Chornie March 10th, 2015 Over time, there have been many different versions of dystopian fiction. Some of the most popular examples include; Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, The Time Machine by H. G. Wells, and of course, 1984 by George Orwell. Dystopian fiction It has been characterized as a type of literature that consists of an imaginary place or condition in which everything that could go wrong, goes wrong (Oxford Dictionary Reference)…

Words 1185 - Pages 5

Response to 1984 Essay

Hailey Smith English 101-10017 Essay 2 July 9, 2009 Is Their World Really That Different? 1984 by George Orwell is a novel consisting of a world controlled by a higher power. A world where people live in constant fear of doing or saying something wrong and thoughts can be incriminating. Thoughts of impurity result in disappearance and people are constantly being watched and observed without knowing. Telescreens are everywhere and could constantly be watching every facial expression, abnormal…

Words 942 - Pages 4

1984 Essay

Rebels of the Party In the book 1984 by George Orwell, a new world order has been introduced. The book revolves around a member of the Outer Party of Oceania, Winston Smith. In the year 1984, the world is divided among 3 sections, Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia. Oceania is split into 3 classes, the Inner Party as the upper class, the Outer Party being the middle, and the proles being the lowest. The Party is the government of Oceania, it controls everything, it sees everything and it is everything…

Words 614 - Pages 3

1984 Essay

The reader is filled with total cynicism after reading 1984. Do you agree? In his novel ‘1984’, George Orwell describes a terrifying vision of a totalitarian future in which everything and everyone is slave to a tyrannical regime. The citizens of Oceania are ruled by fear, brainwashed by propaganda, constantly being watched, have no rights and certainly no freedom of expression. The amount of power Ingsoc has on its people is so great that people in the society don’t even possess the ability to think…

Words 970 - Pages 4

1984 Essay

Tayler Romanelli Mr. Cox Dual Enrollment English; B2 18 May 2014 Totalitarian Society In the book 1984 by George Orwell, the author illustrates the value and power of the individual in a totalitarian society. Orwell communicates the power in a totalitarian society generally through O'Brien. He explains that this type of society is based on power of only those in the controlling party. Orwell shows that the society is not only controlled by one individual, the society is solely about power not others…

Words 1082 - Pages 5

1984 Essay

Nicole Chheda Mrs. Zavacki English 10 Seminar-3 22 October 2013 Irony of Orwell’s Novel, 1984 Even though Orwell’s dystopian novel, 198,4 was written in the late 40’s, the resemblance of their privacy, perpetual war and altered language methods seem to resemble modern day society. Orwell’s famous novel relates to our present day world in various ways. Based on many different circumstances, it remains hard to distinguish what Orwell’s true purpose was for writing this book. The thought…

Words 720 - Pages 3

Essay On 1984

‘The world will grapple with a range of problems in the future.’ Fellow year 11 students Don’t you think the future looks pretty bleak if we read Nineteen Eighty-Four? The Orwellian vision is so dark and horrible; most of us couldn’t bear to watch the film. And even though some of us weren’t able to follow the film, we were all able to see the struggles that Winston Smith faced, with being watched by ‘Big Brother’ 24/7. Who is ‘Big Brother’? It’s just the idea of your own big brother looking…

Words 659 - Pages 3

Essay 1984

1984 George Orwell Winston changes dramatically throughout the novel. At the beginning, he is trying to survive in his society, but all the while doubtful, questioning, and hateful towards the powers that ran it. He knew things weren't right, but didn't quite know how. He knew that he couldn't be the only one that hated the party, but felt hopeless that he could connect with anyone else. He was confused and struggling. As time passes, and he meets Julia, his confidence in his own mind and rebellion…

Words 308 - Pages 2

1984 Essay.

A totalitarian government eliminates luxuries in order to gain power and appreciation from his or her people. This is because people often grow to be unappreciative of the luxuries they are being provided with. So, by taking away or even eliminating a luxury, it forces people to be more appreciative and thankful for it. Even more so, they show love towards the provider in which case is the totalitarian government or leader. If the leader is gaining love and thankfulness from their people, it is equivalent…

Words 871 - Pages 4

1984 Essay

Secrets Have Consequences In George Orwell’s 1984, the main characters Winston Smith and Julia learn that one lie or secret can accumulate into many lies or secrets and affects not only themselves, but everyone around them. In the beginning Winston and Julia question the Party’s activity, but fear to even think or say aloud how they feel about the Party’s actions. They begin to constantly lie and accumulate secrets which inevitably backs Winston and Julia into a corner, and leaves them with no…

Words 935 - Pages 4