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In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, a character named Winston Smith goes through
a painful, mind altering experience with tragic results. Winston is forced to betray
the woman he loves. From love and commitment to hate and deception, Winston
enters the road most traveled by the mighty characters of 1984. The novel is a
disturbing and twisting journey which is not realistic. Winston, the protagonist,
betrays his beliefs and one true love by accepting what the all-powerful Big
Brother and O’Brien have to say. As one can read the slogan of Oceania they may
understand the twisted ideas of this novel: WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS
SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
The novel 1984 revolves around a nation known as Oceania. The book
was written in 1949. Orwell transferred his thoughts of the future and put it together
in a novel. These disturbing thoughts included a Party who controlled what you
were doing at all times and what your beliefs were. “Freedom is the freedom to say
that two plus two make four.” (69) To the people of Oceania, believing in the truth
of a simple equation is freedom taken for granted. You were being watched when
you woke up, during the day, and as you were sleeping. “It was terribly dangerous to
let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a
telescreen” (54) The Party, in which Winston is a member of, is currently forcing
the use of an invented language called Newspeak which prevents the possibility
for political rebellion by eliminating all words related to it. Thinking any type of
rebellious thoughts is illegal, this being thought crime is the worst crime of all.
Betrayal against the Party comes with it’s major consequences as Winston
soon realizes. Being rebellious is one of those acts that Winston loved to portray.
Not only did he illegally purchase a diary where he puts all of his criminal thoughts ,
but he falls in love and has an intimate affair with a girl named Julia. They met and
made an instant connection. How could Winston ever doubt his love for Julia?
They thought nothing or no one could stand in between their love. “If they could
make me stop loving you, that would be the real betrayal.” (137)
Once the Party heard news of their affair they immediately took Winston to
the Ministry of Love where they began their torture on him. Winston begins to
learn that betrayal surrounds him. It seems that O’Brien was a Party spy. He spends
months torturing and brainwashing Winston until he finally sends him to Room 101.
“We burn all evil and all illusion out of him; we bring him over to our side, not in
appearance, but genuinely, heart and soul.” (210) Room 101 is the room where one
man enters but exits a changed individual. Changed for the worst.
In Room 101 Winston is controlled by O’Brien where he is forced to change
his beliefs. In this room you are struck by the things you fear most. This is where
betrayal takes part. Once you give in to your fears you give in to all who are higher
than you. In Winstons case, rats were the main focus. Torturing Winston with a
cage of rats helps to eventually act on his fears but in the worst way, betrayal.
“Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don’t care what you do to her. Tear her
face off, strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia! Not me!” (236) Tortured, scared, and
hopeless, Winston gave up. He gave up on Julia.
Still having thoughts on Room 101, O’Brien eventually had Winston say the
words that would be the ultimate betrayal, admitting to loving Big Brother. O’Brien
and Big Brother won. If they could beat one mans beliefs, who knows how much
control they have on all the other individual Party members. Not seeing Julia in
awhile, Winston wonders how his feelings with Julia changed and if they hadn’t
changed will they once he sees her? Winston is finally encountered by Julia and
surprisingly he feels nothing towards her. The feelings that had been there before
had changed ever since Winston exitited Room 101. “’I betrayed you,’ she said
badly. ‘I betrayed you,’ he said.” (240) Both admitting to betraying eachother, their
love affair was over.
If two lovers can both admit into betraying eachother it is obvious that if
their love does not end now, betrayal might take over. As Julia notices, if you want
unbearable pain to happen to the ones you supposively love than you obviously
don’t love them as much as you believe you do. Was it betrayal that took over their
love or was it the forces that changed them? That question is one which Winston
wishes not to ask himself. Maybe he wishes to believe only what he is told since he
left Room 101.
Is loving Big Brother the way Winston should except his beliefs? To
Winston, that question doesn’t ever cross his mind. He is confident with his
decisions and is not ready to believe other wise. He had truly crossed over. Over to
the dark side. Why did he listen to O’Brien? Why did he let his beliefs contradict
with his own? Changing could be a powerful and understanding thing but it
depends on who you change into and what your reasons of changing are.
1984 is conveyed as a novel of misleading beliefs and acts of betrayal. One
may not understand Winstons ways of betraying his beliefs and Julia. Was it for
himself or the Party? Turning against others may be the result of your actions at the
time. Depending on the person and what they believe, only they themself can force
the deception upon them. Yes, unbearable forces can express ways of betrayal but
it is only acting on those expressive feelings to where betrayal is resulted. Winston
and Julia did believe that they loved eachother but was it love or was it a force that
brought them together in which this affection was expressed. Was it Winstons true
beliefs or was it the beliefs in which he was grown up to believe and respect. If one
is that truthful to such things as beliefs and love then no force can make them change
those thoughts. 1984 is a novel filled with hidden truth. One may wish to believe
such truth or one may wish to hide their beliefs for the sake of their acted feelings.
Word Count: 1092
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