1984 Winston And Julia's Relationship

In Orwell’s 1984, the Party weaves its control into every aspect of the citizens of Oceania’s lives. Nothing goes unnoticed or unmonitored and even the most cautious will fall prey to its power and eventually see that the Party was always the one in control. What is striking about the Orwellian government is its ability to take emotions and control them for its own benefit. The oppressive nature of The Party in 1984 leads to a society void of authentic love and driven by the force of hatred.
Whether or not Winston and Katherine are in love is never called into question. The obvious hate they share for one another is apparent in each description of the relationship. Winston thinks often of the disaster that is their marriage and even fantasizes …show more content…
For one, the two were desperate, and their need for attention outweighed the realness of their interactions. At the beginning of the book Winston dreams of “a real love affair” and “[having] a woman of his own,” so he jumps at the opportunity once it is available (67). This is also shown through how rapidly the relationship evolves. Though Winston is aware of Julia’s existence for quite some time, he loathes her for the entirety of that period. Making the sudden leap from hatred to love is fairly unbelievable. More importantly, from the time they first meet in a romantic fashion the root of their attraction to each other is mutual abhorrence of the Party. Julia in particular sees it as just another way to rebel. For instance, she is “experienced” and has done this same thing “scores of times”(Orwell 117, 125). Not to mention, it is “always with Party members” (Orwell 125). For Winston, it is Julia’s drive for sexual rebellion that attracts him to her because “anything that hinted at corruption always filled him with a wild hope” (Orwell 125). Quite simply, “it was a political act” for both of them (Orwell 126). With loyalty being a key aspect of true love, the fact that Julia sells Winston out almost immediately after capture demonstrates her lack of attachment to him and further proves that to her he was just another aspect of her quest to find pleasure in spite of the Party. True love is something that has to be reciprocated and Winston is much more attached than she is. For him, turning her in is his ultimate act of submission and is a much bigger deal to him. It is argued that “confession is not betrayal” and that “only feelings matter,” but by the end of the book they are completely changed and feel nothing for each other (166). In a sense,

Show More