Summary Of 1984: Personality Traits Of Winston Smith

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1984: Personality Traits of Winston Winston Smith is a character that was created to represent the average man; unremarkable and powerless yet still carrying a subtle sense of superiority. 1984 investigates how Winston deals with the conflict between the suppressive society and his defiant nature. Throughout the book, Winston repeatedly voices his contempt for the party and for Oceania’s society as a whole. His disregard for societal norms and The Party’s wishes provides Winston with a rebellious disposition. Additionally, through Winston’s defiance, it is demonstrated that he is quite the rationalist. He is exceptionally skilled at spotting doublethink and other contradictions that help him to make sense of his situation. Winston may be no greater than average, but his interesting traits provide the reader with an in depth …show more content…

Extreme surveillance and conditioning of the people makes it incredibly hard to rebel. This is one of Winston’s biggest problems. He knows that there are people like him out there, but he does not know how many there are and where they are. Despite this, Winston fully embraces his rebellious nature. He repeatedly questions the Party’s actions and criticizes the state of the country. “How could you tell how much of it was lies?” Challenging the function of the Party is strictly illegal in Oceania. Undeterred, Winston pays no mind to the Party’s opinions and what they want him to think. On a related note, Orwell represents Winston’s thought process during acts of rebellion as quick yet precise, often using parallel structure to demonstrate it, “... perpetually working, fighting, triumphing, persecuting - three hundred million people all with the same face.” Winston’s defiant nature is not an unimportant aspect of 1984, although his practicality and scrutiny presents a relatable and insightful perspective of the society he lives