1984 Essay

Michaela Grenham Grenham 1

English 10 Honors

March 19, 2009

1984 Essay

Is Winston, a hero, failure, or an average man?

In many novels like Oedipus, A Separate Peace and others, the main characters are shown to have certain qualities. They are heroic, complete failures or an average person. In 1984 Winston has the quality of failure. Winston had all the qualities to stand up against the party but he did not use these to the best of his ability. Winston failed because of his lack of confidence, his loyalty to the party and his mistakes.

Confidence is a great trait to have within a person. In 1984, Winston completely lacks this quality in many ways. Winston is introduced as a 39 year old out of shape man. Winston was always putting himself down because of his size. He shows a perfect example of his lack of confidence when he is with Julia for the first time, “I’m thirty-nine years old. I’ve got a wife that I can’t get rid of. I’ve got varicose veins. I’ve got false teeth” (120). The quote shows how Winston does not have any confidence in himself and how he is so bold with his self consciousness. Another example of Winston’s lack of confidence is when he and Julia are in Mr. Charrington’s shop. Winston says that he is afraid they are going to die: “We are the dead” (134). The small quote shows how Winston is convinced everything he does is bad and he does not know what to believe in. If he just had this quality he would have been a hero.

Grenham 2

Winston says many times that he is going to rebel against the party. It seems very believable at first but he ends up chickening out. The first instance when he says he is going to rebel against the party, “That was above all what he wanted to hear. Not merely the love of one person, but the animal instinct, the simple undiffereniated desire: that was the force that would tear the part apart” (126). The significance of this quote is that Winston actually believes that he is going against the party. The truth is that he lets his loyalty get in the way. Winston’s loyalty comes to show when he is put into 101: “Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don’t care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to her bones. Not me Julia! Not me!” (286). This shows that Winston fell for the Party’s tricks and shows that he falls under what they say. His insecurities made him stay loyal to the Party even after Winston left the Ministry of Love, “He loved Big Brother” (298). Winston said that he wanted to rebel, but he was too much of a coward.

Winston made a lot of mistakes throughout the story. The most known one is telling O’Brien to put the rats on Julia. That was not the only one though. One mistake that Winston and Julia both made is not checking Mr. Charrington’s shop out completely. If they did a careful expecting of the place they would have not gone through the pain and suffering at the Ministry of Love. This happened when they found a telescreen behind the picture: “It was from behind the picture” (221). Another mistake Winston made is going along with all of O’Brien’s demands. If Winston was strong he would have kept his mouth shut and taken the pain as a warrior.

Grenham 3

Winston was not hero. He had so much potential if he set his mind to it. He said he was going to rebel against the party and the only thing he did was go along with it. He betrayed his love, Julia. Winston seemed that he could have an impact of tearing the party apart. The only thing he did was make it stronger. Winston is a wimp. He had the chance to change the party but he let it go and make himself a failure.

the enddd

"He released Winston with a little push towards the guards. 'Room 101' he said" (282).

This sentence from O'Brien is Winston's breaking point. He was fell for the system in this room. He realized that he can't change the system. O'Brien tortured him with rats, like scaring someone, and right then and there Winston broke down and told them to torture Julia. This quote shows the end of our fallen hero, and how he states he loves Big Brother.


torpid: having lost motion or the power of exertion or feeling

unbidden: to entreat

3.3 *

"You know the party slogan 'freedom is slavery'. Has it ever occurred to you that it is reversible? Slavery is freedom" (264).

The quote has significance because the fact that Winston is getting brain washed it shows that the party does and will always have control. The slogan in reality is reversed. But the question is its reversed in our reality but what would it be in theirs? The point of it is though the party is the alpha it will never end. Its infinite there is no way that it can get shut down.

uninhabited Having no residents; not inhabited.

reintegration restoration to a unified state.

up to page 260 :)

"To cure you! To make you sane!" (253).

This statement made by O'Brien shows that the party is insane. They have been injecting Winston with needles, they're talking about how he has four or five fingers, and he is making things up. The party would scare the crap out of me and make me realize that they have complete control over these people and they are filled with fear.

embezzlement:to appropriate fraudulently to one's own use, as money or property entrusted to one's care.

blissfulExtreme happiness; ecstasy.

3.1 and stuff

"They got me along time ago" (238).

This quote is when O'Brien comes out as being a party member. I was completely shocked when I read this. O'Brien was suppose to be a friend to Winston, and turns out he was not. He is the perfect example of the expression keep your friends close and your enemies closer. His brotherhood was completely false and shows that not everyone around is trustworthy.

Supple: adj. lithe; ability to bend easily
truncheon :the club carried by a police officer

end of goldstein stuff :)

" A party member is expected to have no private emotions and no respites from enthusiasm. He is supposed to live in a continuous frenzy of hatred of foreign enemies and internal traitors, triumphs over victories, and self- abasement before the power and wisdom of the Party" (211).

This quote shows how a typical party member should act. This shows how much control this party has for rules. Like in our society, the party's rules for its member is like a sports team. The captains have a rule over the other members, but they all have to follow this rule made by the coach. The system shows how the people in the Inner and Outer Party should represent themselves as. The expectations of the member is relevant for the fact of how the slogan "War is Peace" is stated. It shows that the same feelings towards the other places is shown through the members rulebook.

intermittently: stopping or ceasing for a time; alternately ceasing and beginning again

cynicism: cynical disposition, character, or belief.

idk the goldstein stuff !

"The primary aim of modern warfare ( in the accordance of doublethink, this aim is simulanteouslyand not recognized by directing brains of the Inner party) is to use up the products of the machine without the general standard of living" (188).

The quote means that Goldstein is explaining that this is the rule of modern warfare in Oceania. This is also an exciting chapter because you find what modern day countries are in Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. The concepts Goldstein touches upon are pretty interesting and the fact that half the stuff he says is messed up. I'm confused but at the same time entertained.

impoverishment: to reduce to poverty
indefatigably: incapable of being tired out; not yielding to fatigue; untiring.