ipl-logo

Paranoia In 1984

948 Words4 Pages

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

Show More
Related

Ethos Pathos And Logos In George Orwell's '1984'

546 Words | 3 Pages

Winston conveys the clear message to beware of the ‘eyes’ of the party, enforcing the slogan “big brother is watching you. Winston promotes this awareness towards the other rebels of the party and general people to overall spread his knowledge and hopefully influence revolt. While

Read More

Winston's 'Safe Haven': Novel Analysis

401 Words | 2 Pages

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.

Read More

Examples Of Thoughtcrime In 1984

786 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout the story, Winston commits various “thoughtcrimes”, which are punishable by death, against “Big Brother” in order to escape its tyranny. We see the things he commits these crimes with, specifically with his diary and Julia, to be what he cherishes most. At the start of the book, Winston’s first “thoughtcrime” was writing in his diary. In this society, expressing thought is against the law and

Read More

Rhetorical Analysis Of 1984 By George Orwell

466 Words | 2 Pages

Nothing has happened that you have no foresee. ”(Orwell 299). Winston still finds himself in confusion on how he committed any crimes and still believes he did nothing wrong. This belief leads Winston to the room of darkness, Room 101. Winston was broken down piece by piece and lost all his dignity, even betraying the person he loves the most, Julia.

Read More

To What Extent Is 1984 Winston Smith A Hero

863 Words | 4 Pages

A crime which Winston is fully aware of committing, he wrote, "DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER." (1:1:36) Winston, knowing the consequences, he continued on, "It was not by making yourself heard but by staying sane that you carried on the human heritage." (1:2:37) He then wrote to an audience hoping his thoughts would be passed on someday, “To the future or to the past, to a time when thought is free…from the age of Big Brother, from the age of doublethink-greetings!”

Read More

Examples Of Heroism In 1984

611 Words | 3 Pages

With this act of rebellion against the oppressive system of Oceania, Winston showcases his courage because he does all of this to aid him in his journey towards uncovering the truth of the past. Next, there is the selflessness that Winston possesses. For this specific quality, it is shown most prominently when Winston gets into a disagreement with Julia on their goals for their rebellion. During this argument, Winston firmly states that the reason for his desire to obtain and keep incriminating records of the Party’s lies is so that they can be left behind, thereby allowing for “‘the next generations [to] carry on where [they] leave off’” (196). From this, Winston demonstrates how unselfish he is because, rather than worrying about himself – like Julia – he wants actual change and progress to come as a result of his rebellion.

Read More

Why Is Winston Ineffective

542 Words | 3 Pages

Inside of it held a forbidden phrase: “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER" (Orwell 19). When Winston was writing in his diary, his thoughts and actions were considered a crime in this society, but overall His writing in the diary was not a big enough crime for him to be a threat because it couldn’t harm or influence anyone to go

Read More

How Does Orwell Express Animosity In 1984

1278 Words | 6 Pages

“You had to live- did live, from habit that became instinct- in assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and except in darkness, every moment scrutinized” (Orwell 3). Winston Smith lived in a society where every individual’s thoughts and actions were being watched by the Party. If one did have thoughts or actions defying the Party they would vanish and cease to exist in the past, present, and future. The Party had control over everything and everyone.

Read More

The Evils Of A Rebellion In George Orwell's 1984

874 Words | 4 Pages

Winston’s realization of the Party’s morally wrong actions gets him to start rebelling against him. The first instance of a rebellion is when he purchases a diary from a store, which is prohibited. He secretly writes down any anti-Party suspicions, knowing that he is going to get captured for it. In the first act of 1984, Winston continues to write in his diary.

Read More

Comparison Of Fear In 1984 And The Time Machine By H. G. Wells

2740 Words | 11 Pages

(Orwell 108). Winston thought for sure that the Party was monitoring him and that he would get caught and taken away. Winston was always worried about being punished for thought crime. Mr. Parsons, whose children were spies and informed on their father, was taken away because of what he had said about The Party, “Down with big brother!’ Yes, I said that”’

Read More

George Orwell 1984 Betrayal Analysis

607 Words | 3 Pages

The reader can see, however, that Winston, despite his “loyalty” to The Party, is still committing acts of rebellion. Orwell depicts Winston arriving at home and instantly pulls out a notebook and beginning to write. The act of having a notebook alone is considered a crime. The term “thought-crime” is commonly used in this society. The Party does not allow individualized thoughts, therefore, confirming, the idea that Winston’s use of a journal is his first act of documented rebellion.

Read More

Examples Of Tyranny In 1984 By George Orwell

453 Words | 2 Pages

Winston is defiant and rebels against Big Brother and the Party through various illegal actions. After purchasing an empty diary, he continuously wrote “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” when the telescreens were out of view (Orwell 21). This simple thought is considered to be a severe crime where Winston lives because it is direct disapproval towards the Party. Winston feels as if Big Brother is controlling every aspect of his life, so this rebellious action allows for him to vent his frustration.

Read More

The Characteristics Of The Party In George Orwell's 1984

825 Words | 4 Pages

The Party’s approach to life has not always been for everyone, including Winston who frequently gets angry at their actions. In the beginning of the book, Winston says he was writing, “as though by automatic action… DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” (1.1.18). His thoughts and actions toward Big Brother and the Party have become so strong that he is involuntarily writing words against them. Winston also resents the rule that there can be no love in Oceania, and leaps at the chance to break it.

Read More

Similarities Between 1984 And Brave New World

1898 Words | 8 Pages

This moment of weakness for Winston demonstrates his ego because he is satisfying his urge to rebel against the government in an efficient and appropriate way, as described by Marie Doorey in a reference about psychoanalysis (Doorey). Winston waited until he had acquired the diary to begin conspiring his thoughts against Big Brother. Winston mistakenly thought he was writing in secret, when in fact he was not. He was always being watched by Big Brother. Moreover, Winston attempts expressing his individuality by writing his thoughts and feelings in the diary.

Read More

True Purpose Of Education Essay

808 Words | 4 Pages

True purpose of education is to make minds, not careers. - William Deresiewics When we first start going to high school the first thing that our elders tell us is that we better do good from this point on because it decides what we are going to do and be when we get out of school. For us teen-agers we want to enjoy life before we start acting like adults because when that time comes we won 't be able to enjoy life in school. School to teenagers is way to spend time with friends but we also somehow no matter what time we have to get up in the morning we make school fun.

Read More

More about Paranoia In 1984

Related Topics

Open Document