Sam Ponder Mrs. Killian Language Arts IV 31 March 2023 The Analysis & Change Of Julia In 1984 Within the novel, 1984, many different characters are ultimately affected by the total control of Big Brother and the environment that is created by said control. Characters such as the contemplative yet hopeful Winston, the intelligent O’Brien, and even the frail Mr. Charrington are all deeply affected by the environment created by Big Brother. However, no such character is more deeply affected by their totalitarian environment that the rebellious Julia. Julia is the single character in the novel that brings about a sense of normalcy to her whenever she is present, a stark contrast to the abnormality of the totalitarian landscape of Big Brother that …show more content…
Of what is known, Julia was born in Oceania in 1958 and was raised there her whole life, making her 26 during the events of the novel. She seems to have at least a high school level education as she appears to be educated in some concepts that many people in the totalitarian society have no apparent knowledge about. She works at the Ministry of Truth, also giving her knowledge about past events and people that were “erased” from existence. Although Julia’s parents are not explicitly seen or even mentioned during the novel, it seems like Julia doesn’t necessarily have the best relationship with her parents. This could be because they are both submissive towards Big Brother, a characteristic that Julia has proved to despise, or it could be that they simply were “erased” or were never in her life to begin with. Julia does mention her relationship with her grandpa, who taught her about life before Big Brother took over, but he was mysteriously vaporized when she was just eight years old, leaving her knowledge of life before Big Brother extremely outdated and maybe even incorrect. With the combination of her parents potentially being submissive, her grandfather disappearing, and her apparent dislike of Big Brother and her environment, this could have potentially spurred her to the level of rebellion and defiance that eventually causes the events of the novel in the first …show more content…
Julia’s social status is quite complicated in the novel as she initially pretends to be a follower of Big Brother while she is actually a rebellious woman who wants nothing more than to witness and play a part in the fall of Big Brother. However, her fake beliefs end up becoming real by the end of the novel after her torture, making her social status just another sheep in the herd for Big Brother. Julia also doesn’t seem to have any deep relationships with anyone, whether that be friends or family, except for Winston. Since Julia hates people who are submissive to Big Brother, it would obviously be difficult for her to make friends with anyone since she will secretly detest them. Along with that, love is considered a thoughtcrime, so it can be reasonably inferred that friendship would be one as well. As previously stated, Julia's family is not mentioned or seen in the book, possibly signaling that their relationship is not very strong or they are under the party's control. However, the most likely outcome is that they have been "erased" by Big Brother, just like her grandfather. Julia doesn’t usually let up her facade of being a subservient member of society, but we can see her loosen her guard when she is with Winston, eventually being the catalyst for what inevitably gets them caught and tortured. When Julia and Winston are meeting for one of the first times, it is described