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Paranoia In 1984

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Winston Smith finds himself living in a society wherein surveillance and authority reign supreme. He cannot think for himself, feel for himself, or live for himself. He is constantly being watched by telescreens and the thought police. However, Winston’s desire for subversion begins to grow. Initially purchasing an antique diary for its aged looks, he soon makes use of it. Winston finds an alcove in his apartment, the perfect place wherein he cannot be seen by the telescreen (Orwell, 8), and begins to fill the diary’s pages with slurs, thoughts and statements against Big Brother and The Party. Unconsciously, uncontrollably, relentlessly and drunkenly smearing the phrase “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” (Orwell, 20) throughout the diary, Winston does …show more content…

Anyone can see his evident feelings of paranoia. But this fear of becoming a criminal and getting caught adds fuel to the fire that is his rebellion. This convinces Winston that he can no longer turn back. He needs to continue to rebel in order to find the truth, and overthrow Big Brother. Long has Winston desired to know the truth, as well as what life would be like free from the control of Big Brother, as it was before. Living in a society wherein one cannot speak his mind, his diary is a near-perfect outlet for rebellious and honest thoughts. Moreover, it is for now the closest Winston can feel to the obtaining the truth. His privileged position of not only being able to have privacy within the alcove, but also unleashing his humanity and individuality onto the pages of the diary, is something that Winston has now fallen in love with. Even though Winston has been thinking illegal thoughts for years, writing in this diary can be seen as him putting the first spoke on the wheel that is his ideal revolution. It is his first conscious effort to undermine the party, as well as regain his individuality. From the moment he puts pen to paper, Winston takes a path of rebellion and …show more content…

Charrington’s shop. The room is seen as a utopia for Winston. A place wherein there is no surveillance or authority, as there is no telescreen. A place wherein he could unleash his unadulterated lust to defy and rebel against The Party by making love to Julia. This was a room where him and Julia could be totally alone and unsupervised. By Winston renting this secluded, private and unmonitored room, he is of course committing a crime. He had no right to privacy, as it was illegal. This was something that made Winston feel like living. His life was no longer mundane. The room he rents from Mr. Charrington is literally homier than his own home, as it is filled with books, journals and reading chairs. Being in such an environment with another person whom he could express emotions towards, also in a physical sense, made him feel human. A feeling that is constantly suppressed by The

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In the book 1984, Winston’s “safe haven” is the idea of rebellion. Whether it is him dreaming of it, seeing Julia, or writing in his diary, he takes comfort in whatever act he can take against the Party. Much of the narrative has to do with Winston’s thought process. It is not an objective approach to the situation, and is therefore full of personality and opinion. Winston’s hopes and dreams of rebellion become a crucial part of the text, adding insight as well as limiting perspective to that of only one character.

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