Review Of 1984 Essay, Research Paper
1984
By George Orwell, 1949
Main Characters
Winston Smith – The 39 year old protagonist of the novel whose rebellion against Big Brother and
the Party and love for Julia is completely wiped out by O’Brian at the Ministry of Love.
Julia – Member of the Junior Anti-Sex league who becomes Winston’s secret lover and fellow rebel.
O’Brian – Member of the Inner-Party who learns that Winston has rebellious tendencies and sets a
trap for him over the course of 7 years and ultimately destroys him.
Big Brother – Mysterious omnipresent figurehead who is the embodiment of all the ideals of the
party.
Minor Characters
Emmanuel Goldstein – Leader of the rebels and designated enemy of the citizens.
Mr. Charrington – Secret Member of the thought police who owns and operates an antique store
and rents a room to Julia and Winston as a trap for O’Brian.
Settings
Oceania – One of the three totalitarian superpowers that rule the world using censorship and pure
terror.
Mr. Charrington’s rented room – Winston and Julia’s secret hideaway where they come to make
love and hide from the telescreens and constant watch of the Party.
Ministry of Love – A rehabilitation center which uses torture and brainwashing technique in order to
completely conform its prisoners into the thinking and beliefs of the party only to be later killed, sent
to forced labor camps, or even released back into society.
Plot
In 1984, Winston Smith lives in London which is part of the country Oceania. The world is divided
into three countries that include the entire globe: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. Oceania, and both
of the others, is a totalitarian society led by Big Brother, which censors everyone’s behavior, even
their thoughts. Winston is disgusted with his oppressed life and secretly longs to join the fabled
Brotherhood, a supposed group of underground rebels intent on overthrowing the government.
Winston meets Julia and they secretly fall in love and have an affair, something which is considered a
crime. One day, while walking home, Winston encounters O’Brian, an inner party member, who
gives Winston his address. Winston had exchanged glances with O’Brian before and had dreams
about him giving him the impression that O’Brian was a member of the Brotherhood. Since Julia
hated the party as much as Winston did, they went to O’Brian’s house together where they were
introduced into the Brotherhood. O’Brian is actually a faithful member of the Inner-Party and this is
actually a tra
and Julia are sent to the Ministry of Love which is a sort of rehabilitation center for criminals accused
of thoughtcrime. There, Winston was separated from Julia, and tortured until his beliefs coincided
with those of the Party. Winston denounces everything he believed him, even his love for Julia, and
was released back into the public where he wastes his days at the Chestnut Tree drinking gin.
Symbols
Scarlet Sash – emblem of the Junior Anti-Sex league which all its members wear. Actually, it is
camouflage for Julia and other members of the party to give them the appearance of celibacy while
they are actually promiscuous.
Room 101 – the final stage of the torture and rehab at the ministry of love. The room symbolizes and
consists of the one thing each person hates and fears most. It symbolizes the fearfulness and
helplessness each person experiences when faced with his greatest fear.
Chess pieces – the chess pieces symbolizes the players in the great political game. The white pieces
are the Party and shows the way they never lose.
Style
Orwell’s prose is very descriptive and informative. He portrays terrifying images and conveys
horrifying truths in a calm voice that contrasts effectively with the true horrors of his message.
Foreshadowing and suspense is used to heighten this exciting novel.
Dominant Philosophy
In 1984, George Orwell warns of the terrifying dangers that man may create for himself in his quest
for a utopian society. It warns that people might believe that everyone must become slaves to the
government in order to have an orderly society, but at the expense of the freedom of the people.
Quotes
“WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH” The two minutes
hate ended with this message which is the slogan of the Party.
“The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became truth.” The narrator describes the
way the party manipulates history by changing all documents referring to the history.
“Nothing in the world was so bad as physical pain. In the face of pain there are no heroes, no
heroes, he thought over and over as he writhed on the floor, clutching uselessly his disabled left
arm.” Winston winces at the pain of the blow to his elbow, and also at the realization at he his
helpless in the face of pain.
“You must love Big Brother. It is not enough to obey him; you must love him.” O’Brian tells this to
Winston as he begins the final stage of Winston’s rehab into submission of the Party.