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Individuality In George Orwell's '1984'

419 Words2 Pages

In “1984” George Orwell conveys many themes. The theme I’ll be focusing on is individuality/Freedom of thought and speech. The entire plot of the book is based around Winston’s individuality. The book is based on his need for freedom of speech. The need for freedom of thought is what lands many different characters in jail. The most direct example of individuality in this book is Winston himself. Throughout the book he goes against the Party, trying to be himself. In the beginning winston only goes against the Party in small ways. He buys a diary to write down is thoughts. He first describes a movie he is forced to watch. Later during the Two Minutes Hate, he writes “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” over and over again. Once he does this we know for sure that he is different than everybody else. The biggest act of defiance and freedom, is when Winston and Julia have their affair. Up until that point in the book, Winston never did anything to horrible to the party. For Winston it was more about the idea behind the affair than the actual affair itself. At the end of chapter two, of book two, Winston thinks about their embrace. He calls it a “...blow against the Party”. “A political act.” The only reason that the affair …show more content…

They monitor the citizens to make sure they don’t say or do anything that could be considered free thinking. The entire point of doublethink is to think one thing, but do another for the Party’s sake. Their is an entire ministry dedicated to destroying free thought. The ministry of Truth exists to rewrite anything that contradicts the party. It also exists to rewrite the dictionary so you can’t think freely, the words to do so are completely destroyed. Towards the end of the book O’Brien tells Winston “ Power over matter- external reality, as you would call it-is not important.” This shows that the Party doesn’t consider free thinking a

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