Human Nature, Not Thou Shalt : What Makes Us Human Make Us Real?

The effort the two lovers must put in to see each other is unthinkable, as they must avoid telescreens and microphones almost everywhere they turn. When Mr. Charrington allows them to use his room without a telescreen, they take full advantage of it. Seeing as Winston is still married to his wife and sexual acts are illegal, Julia and Winston defy the Party in more ways than one. Winston has changed from full obedience to the Party to defying it due to his outsized amount of hatred for Big Brother. Julia and Winston engage in negative talk about the Party, which puts them subject to arrest.

Other than Winston’s weak characteristic and his lack of planning, the main cause that contributes to Winston’s downfall is his indulgence. Winston lacks the ability to control himself from anything addictive in life. This personal flaw makes Winston lost in his cause to the destruction of “Big Brother”. In the novel, Winston constantly drinks and smokes to distract himself instead of focusing on a plan to take down “Big Brother”. Winston’s dream is to have a love affair: “Almost as swiftly as he had imagined it, she had torn her clothes off, and when she flung them aside it was with that same magnificent gesture by which a whole civilization seemed to be annihilated” (Book 2, Chapter 1). His illegal love affair with Julia does no good to his objective of bringing down “Big Brother”. The only result that the love affair accomplishes is Winston’s

1984 examines a future under the rule of a totalitarian society. One of the unique notes about Orwell's 1984, is the views that Orwell presents on humanity, and human nature. Orwell presents humanity as divided into two sides- the dominant, and the submissive, with few quickly-eradicated anomalies in between. Human nature, however, is universal, and all humans

Even though he is married, he and Julia have an affair that combines their personal desires as well as their desire to fight against the Party as it is explicitly stated in the novel. Winston and Julia both willingly participate in the affair because they are both moved to action by the Party’s acts of injustice. Winston is aware that the Party has blatantly outlawed “love” and Winston wants to feel romance in order to spite the Party. Both Julia and Winston would do anything to spite Big Brother. In addition to the love factor, Winston isn’t just participating because Julia is youthful, more so because he is drawn to the act of power. Winston isn’t just resisting power, he feels the need to hold

In the novel, Winston is a character who lacks "hero" traits as he has more traits of an everyman than a hero. Winston is an out of shape, average man with a "varicose ulcer above his right ankle" (3). Considering the typical hero, not only does Winston lack the physical strength, he lacks the mentality as well. Throughout the novel, he consistently talks about "overthrowing the Party," but he never actually does it. Instead of overthrowing the Party, he rebels by purchasing a diary and writing sentences such as "DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER" (20) and " I don’t care down with big brother they always shoot you in the back of the neck" (21). Winston chooses to write these into his diary as he is too cowardly to say this in public. As time passes, his

Before Winston met Julia, his body was wasting away and he believe he didn’t have anything worth living for. He started a journal and wrote “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” all over a page, even though he knew he would be killed for committing thoughtcrime (19). However, when he sees “the words I love you [on Julia’s note,] the desire to stay alive had welled up in him, and the taking of minor risks suddenly seemed stupid” (91). Not only has Winston’s appetite for life returned because of Julia’s affection, but he becomes physically healthier as well. He “had grown fatter, his varicose ulcer had subsided… [and] his fits of coughing… had stopped” (124). Julia’s love strengthens Winston. After detailed planning to assure the Party could not eavesdrop on their date, Julia and Winston spend a whole afternoon in the countryside together and make love (98-106). This adventure is even more special to them because it is an act of rebellion against the Party, though they realize the fact they are able to be together is all that is important. Through each of their rendezvouses, Winston and Julia’s relationship grows stronger. Whenever they meet, “they [sit] talking for hours” (108). All the time they spend together leads

Described as “young”, “free-spirited”, and “practical”, Julia differs from Winston in many ways. She is open about her sexuality, and sleeps with several party members before she meets Winston. Although these acts are frowned upon in the eyes of The Party, Julia doesn’t intend them that way, and tells Winston that it is only to satisfy her own desires. Julia only “..questioned the teachings of the party when they in some way touched upon her life”(153). She was too young to remember a life that contradicted The Party’s teachings, and because she believed all Party propaganda to be lies, Julia had no interest in what those teachings were anyway.

Another crime that Winston committed leading to more alienation was his affair with Julia. Having sexual relationships with another person was frowned upon by the “Party”. This was not an actually law, but these values were encouraged by the anti-sex league. The “Party” believed that having sexual relations would develop feelings, which were seen to be illegal. Winston did have a hatred for the opposite sex, “He disliked nearly all women, and especially the young and pretty ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies and nosers-out of unorthodoxy.” (Orwell) Winston was attracted to Julia who was an exception to his hatred and they ended up rebelling against the “Party’s” value. Because of their secret relationship, he started to develop feelings for Julia, which causes him to become even more alienated. Another factor that didn’t help was the fact that the complete surveillance of life prevented them from having a private life, “With that development, the totalization of surveillance of Party members, not

Even though Winston contributed to committing acts against the government that are quite courageous, it was all in a discrete manner. Instead of engaging in an open revolt, Winston’s sexual escapades with Julia and journal entries were in secrecy and remote locations that were never repeated twice, also in the room provided by Mr.Charrington. I interpreted Winston’s approach to act in confidence from everyone around him out of the fear of the reactions of people during the two minute hate, telescreens, hidden microphones, and brainwashed, spying neighbours outing you at the first open moment to save themselves very cowardice rather than make an open revolt. The open revolt would have spoken actions of a hero, “ordinary people doing whatever they can to change social systems that do not respect human decency, even with the knowledge that they can’t possibly succeed”. Basically even if Winston’s public revolt to get others to go against rather than conform to the Party’s laws and live in fear didn’t succeed, it would have been the effort that counts for what a hero would do to better a country, people, or even the world. The fear Winston felt and had thought of in the back of his mind that he mentioned all kept him regretting the actions he took part in.

After starting an affair with Julia, he tries to communicate with her, but his efforts are futile. As only a “rebel from the waist down”, she’s unable and unwilling to effectively communicate and understand Winston’s thoughts. After learning of her multiple affairs with others, he hopes of the possibility of communicating with them of his beliefs and possibly gaining enough strength to encourage the proles to revolt. Without the ability to connect with her previous affairs, Winston’s forced into isolation within his own minds like many others with only the party’s doctrine to guarantee him

Ironically, their bond was created when Winston was handed the note in which he believed enclosed the a message from the Thought Police actually had a message written saying the words, “ I love you.” They began meeting in secrecy, which quickly escalated to a sexual relationship and his mind was soon at ease. He found out that the girl’s name was Julia and that she disliked “The Party” as well. Winston and Julia’s forbidden affair made them both develop sexual desires and emotions for one another which was prohibited in Oceania. “The Party” states that their purpose is to, “remove all pleasure from the sexual act.”

As Winston is captured by the government, he is told that there are three stages of his “reintegration”; learning, understanding, and acceptance. Winston refuses to betray his lover Julia until the last stage as he yells to his tormentors, “Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! I don’t care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia. Not me!” (300). , Orwell) Spewing such harsh and petrifying phrases about his past lover, showcases that Winston under the torment and oppression of the Party has capitulated and accepted Big Brother while breaking the final bonds of his romantic relationship with Julia. Instilling oppression on romantic love ensures that the citizens of Oceania love Big Brother and the government with their full capacity; confirming that the individual will never favour their loved one over the government. Once a courageous individual rebelling against the government, using his relationship with Julia as a weapon, now merrily a shadow of his former past, broken down by the oppression instilled by the government. By betraying his lover, Julia, Winston demonstratesions that the government has won. Contradictory to his initial feeling towards Big Brother, Winston’s love is now dedicated towards the government. In the aftermath of his “reintegration”, “[Winston] loved Big Brother,” (311) , Orwell) leaving no additional room in his damaged heart for Julia. However, Winston is not the only character who suffers with the decision of betraying their loved

What overwhelmed him in that instant was admiration for the gesture with which she had thrown her clothes aside” (Orwell 40). An important aspect of the party’s oppression of its subjects is the forced repression of sexual appetite. Winston cannot express his sexual desires in reality, therefore, Winston fulfills his sexual needs in the world in which only he can experience. Through Winston’s dream, he shows sexual desires are part of human nature. Additionally, Winston unfortunately divorces his former wife named Katharine because she is absurdly devoted to the party and views sex as acting against her

     Tired of feeling the way he is, with the monotonous struggle of everyday life Winston decides to oppose the party in more real ways; and begins to deviate from certain set behaviors to free himself from this bondage of the party. “To the future or to the past, to a time when thought is free, when men are different from one another and do not live alone-to a time when truth exists and what is done cannot be undone”(25-26). He has realized what the government does to people; how everyone is made to be the same, where no one is allowed to think on their own. The party is omnipotent in all affairs and he will not go along with it anymore. Winston has made up his mind; he is going to do everything he can to bring down the party. He and Julia go to O’Brien’s apartment one afternoon, and Winston’s true hatred is revealed. “We believe that there is some kind of conspiracy, some kind of secret organization working against the Party,

Winston fell in love with a woman he worked with named Julia. He and Julia shared the same beliefs and frustrations with the government. They both felt like they needed to rebel against the country's regulations. Winston wanted to outwardly rebel against the government. He wanted to make life better for future generations with freedoms and individuality. Julia knew that cooperating with the party outwardly and rebelling in