Deception Of The Government In George Orwell's 1984

1000 Words4 Pages

1984 by George Orwell offers a look into the fictional future society ruled by the Party. In the novel, peoples’ actions and even thoughts are limited, and the thought police ensures that people will live their lives unconsciously and routinely. In order to give the reader insight into the harsh future of 1984, Orwell created Winston. Differing from most citizens in Oceania, Winston lives consciously and thoughtfully but has learned to blend into society without alerting the Thought Police. Winston is 39 years old, meaning he lived through the revolution. This gives him a relatable perspective, as he was not brought up under the ruling of the party. Throughout the novel, Winston changes drastically, going from a frail individual who would never openly challenge the views of the party, then to an outspoken adversary of the party, and finally to a brainwashed follower. On his journey through self-discovery and rebellion, …show more content…

At the Ministry of Truth, he worked in the Records Department, which aimed to give information to the citizens of Oceania. There, Winston worked to construct “delicate pieces of forgery” to strengthen the public image of the Party (Orwell 43). His work required Winston to repress his own free thought, so as not to see the deception that the Party forces upon its citizens. Work to Winston was his “greatest pleasure in life”, meaning he was a follower of the Party and did not have any (or at least did not show any) detestation towards the Party (43). The description of his job is the first main description of Winston throughout the entire book. Orwell wrote 1984 specifically wanting Winston initially to be a normal citizen of the Party. This characterization of Winston gives the reader an accurate gauge of what most citizens lives are like within the setting of 1984, and also creates a foundation for Winston’s personality before it rapidly begins to