Works of fiction are often used as an escape from daily life. Reading or watching a character face outlandish adversaries inspires a certain hope within oneself while simultaneously distracting them from their own problems. However, in times of mental strain in which there is no escape, one might wish for a near future where such mental strain does not exist. Such is the case with Winston in 1984, where an overbearing government surveys its citizens 24/7, causing a mass paranoia. Winston’s “safe haven” to defend against this extreme stress is the idea of rebellion against the Party. Winston’s dreams and delusions become a crucial part of the text, detailing the kind of thought process the Party has invoked in its citizens.
Nearly all of Winston’s daydreams center themselves around an imaginary uprising, whether it be the desire to partake in it, or …show more content…
When he travels to the junk shop for the second time, he purchases the paperweight which is, to him, a relic of the past. However, once Julia leaves him in the room above the shop, he imagines the paperweight with the entire room inside of it, with the coral in the center representing his and Julia’s love, making it a symbol of hope for the future. When Winston is arrested, the paperweight is shattered, symbolically shattering all hope for the future as well.
Overall, Winston’s perspective takes up almost the entirety of the text, and it changes according to what he’s been exposed to—Julia’s experiences, Mr. Charrington’s experiences, and the constantly changing history of the Party. He gets temporary relief from the Party’s constant surveillance once he meets Julia, but the both of them grow careless when they think they have the luxury of privacy. Winston’s mind is changed for good once he’s arrested and subjected to torture, never again experiencing the desire to