winston character analysis essay

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1984 Character Analysis

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Published: Mar 13, 2024

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Winston smith is introduced to the reader as a disillusioned and discontented member of the party, one of the most intriguing aspects of winston's character is his complex relationship with julia, as the novel progresses, winston's internal struggles and external conflicts come to a head, in conclusion, winston smith emerges as a complex and compelling character whose journey serves as a powerful allegory for the dangers of totalitarianism and the enduring human desire for freedom.

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George Orwell

• Literature Notes
• Winston Smith
• 1984 at a Glance
• Book Summary
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Part 1: Chapter 1
• Part 1: Chapter 2
• Part 1: Chapter 3
• Part 1: Chapter 4
• Part 1: Chapter 5
• Part 1: Chapters 6-7
• Part 1: Chapter 8
• Part 2: Chapter 1
• Part 2: Chapters 2-3
• Part 2: Chapter 4
• Part 2: Chapters 5-6
• Part 2: Chapters 7-8
• Part 2: Chapters 9-10
• Part 3: Chapter 1
• Part 3: Chapters 2-3
• Part 3: Chapters 4-5
• Part 3: Chapter 6
• Part 3: Appendix
• Character Analysis
• Big Brother and Emmanuel Goldstein
• Character Map
• George Orwell Biography
• Critical Essays
• The Role of Language and the Act of Writing
• The Purpose of Newspeak
• The Role of the Author
• The Mutability of History
• Full Glossary
• Essay Questions
• Practice Projects
• Cite this Literature Note

Character Analysis Winston Smith

Winston Smith is the protagonist of 1984. He is the character that the reader most identifies with, and the reader sees the world from his point of view. Winston is a kind of innocent in a world gone wrong, and it is through him that the reader is able to understand and feel the suffering that exists in the totalitarian society of Oceania.

Even Winston's name is suggestive. Winston is taken from Winston Churchill, the exalted leader of wartime England, and Smith is the most common last name in the English language, thus allowing readers to see him as Orwell intended: an ordinary man who makes a valiant effort in extraordinary circumstances. A reader cannot resist identifying with Winston: He is ordinary, yet he finds the strength to try and make his circumstances better. He represents the feelings in every human being, and it is for this reason that a reader hopes that things will change. Orwell characterizes Winston as a complete, sympathetic human being, and in doing so gives the reader a stake in the outcome of the novel.

Because Winston is so real, so common, it is easy for readers to identify with him and to imagine themselves in his place. Perhaps Winston carries even more weight for today's reader, who can imagine the possibility of a society like Winston's, the value of technology over humanity.

Even though Winston's life is replete with misery and pain, Orwell allows him a brief time of happiness and love. During this time, there is hope for Winston, and subsequently, hope for the future. But Orwell makes certain that there is no happy ending. Totalitarianism does not permit such an ending; Winston must be crushed. If Winston were to escape, Orwell's agenda of showing the true nature of totalitarianism would have been lost.

Readers identify so closely with Winston because he has individuality and undying self-determination. Winston embodies the values of a civilized society: democracy, peace, freedom, love, and decency. When Winston is destroyed, these things are destroyed with him, and so goes the reader's faith that these values are undying and a natural part of being human. Winston represents the struggle between good and bad forces, and there is no mistaking where the lines are drawn.

Ultimately, Winston loses his spirit and his humanity, the two characteristics that he fought so hard to keep. Orwell insists that Winston's fate could happen to anyone, and it is for this reason that Orwell destroys Winston in the end, so that the reader may understand Orwell's warning and see that the society of 1984 never come to pass.

Previous Appendix

George Orwell

Everything you need for every book you read., winston smith quotes in 1984.

Nobody heard what Big Brother was saying. It was merely a few words of encouragement, the sort of words that are uttered in the din of battle, not distinguishable individually but restoring confidence by the fact of being spoken. Then the face of Big Brother faded away again, and instead the three slogans of the Party stood out in bold capitals: WAR IS PEACE FREEDOM IS SLAVERY IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious. That, [Winston] reflected, might almost have been a transcription from one of the Party textbooks. The Party claimed, of course, to have liberated the proles from bondage. […] But simultaneously, true to the principles of doublethink, the Party taught that the proles were natural inferiors who must be kept in subjection, like animals, by the application of a few simple rules.

And then—no, it was not relief, only hope, a tiny fragment of hope. Too late, perhaps too late. But he had suddenly understood that in the whole world there was just one person to whom he could transfer his punishment—one body that he could thrust between himself and the rats. And he was shouting frantically, over and over. “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!”

1984 Winston Smith Character Analysis

Winston Smith is one of the most important characters in 1984, and he is also one of the most complex. He is a character who is constantly trying to find ways to resist the government and its control over him, and he also has a very strong will to survive.

Winston is an intelligent man who is able to think for himself and come up with strategies to rebel against Big Brother. However, he is also plagued by many weaknesses, such as his fear of being caught and punished by the government. Winston is a very complicated character, and it is interesting to explore all of his different aspects.

One of the most important aspects of Winston’s character is his rebellion against the government. He is always looking for ways to resist Big Brother and the Party, and he is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in. Even though he knows that there is a high risk of being caught and punished, Winston continues to fight against the government. He is a symbol of hope for all people who are oppressed by the Party, and he shows that it is possible to overcome even the strongest opposition.

Another important aspect of Winston’s character is his will to survive. Despite the fact that life under the Party is very difficult, Winston never gives up hope. He is determined to make it through each day, no matter what happens. Even when things are at their worst, Winston never loses faith in himself or in the future. This makes him a very strong character and a true survivor.

Although Winston Smith is a complex character, he also has his share of weaknesses. One of his biggest weaknesses is his fear of being caught by the government. He knows that if he is caught, he will be punished severely, and this often causes him to hesitate or even back down from doing something that could get him in trouble. Another weakness of Winston’s is his lack of self-confidence. He often doubts himself and his ability to change anything, which makes it difficult for him to fight against the government.

Overall, Winston Smith is an interesting character who possesses both strengths and weaknesses. He is a man who is fighting against an oppressive government, and he is also a man who is trying to survive in a difficult world. He is someone who is both brave and vulnerable, and this makes him an intriguing character to read about.

The Party’s goal is to have everyone thinking the same way and believing in the slogans, whereas Winston Smith’s mission is to destroy it so that the past may be restored. However, while on his path, he is caught by Big Brother. Orwell’s Character, Winston Smith, is a seemingly bright youngster who indulges in the most heinous crime of all: literary suicide. Winston believes that without writing down his ideas, he will be unable to connect with the antagonist character O’Brien.

Orwell’s 1984 is an important political novel that scrutinizes the society in which we live. The book addresses the problems of totalitarianism and its effects on the individual. The protagonist, Winston Smith, is a clerk working for the government. He hates the totalitarian government and yearns for the past when things were different. Winston is arrested by the government and tortured because he possesses forbidden thoughts about overthrowing the government.

Orwell creates a character who is able to think for himself and who objects to the rigid rules and controls of 1984 society. Winston represents those who challenge authority and demand freedom. His struggle against the oppressive government is inspiring. However, his ultimate defeat is a reminder of the dangers of opposing totalitarianism.

In the text, Orwell asks, “It was absurd since the writing was not more dangerous than the initial act of opening the diary; nevertheless for a moment he felt emptied to rip out the ruined pages and abandon the project entirely,” (18). Winston was always rebellious. He bought the diary in order to keep his ideas down. In Oceania, there are no restrictions on keeping a diary, but there are crimes that can be punished such as keeping your thoughts written down or even thinking.

Winston is able to think for himself and he knows that, “The best books…are those that tell you what you know already,” (Orwell 9). Winston does not blindly believe in the Party’s propaganda. In fact, Winston often questions the Party and their motives. For example, Winston remarks, “But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself.

He loved Big Brother,” (Orwell 95). This statement shows that Winston has been brainwashed by the Party. He no longer has any independent thoughts; he only believes what the Party tells him to believe.

Winston is unable to keep his thoughts in check; Winston’s thinking will be his undoing. The goal of Orwell’s character, Winston, is to topple the regime and destroy Big Brother. Winston desires the freedom to do whatever he wants whenever it is convenient for him. The thought of The Party misled Oceania’s people makes Winston cringe. Smith sees through the lies of The Party members and is prepared to reveal them at all costs. This implies that Smith believes in a better life for everyone and will risk his life trying to make it happen.

1984 is a story about Winston Smith, living in a society where the government controls everything. Winston hates the government and everything it stands for. He thinks for himself and refuses to follow the rules set by The Party. This gets him into trouble many times throughout the novel. Despite the dangers, Winston continues to think for himself and stand up against The Party.

“Freedom is the freedom to assert that two plus two equals four,” says Winston (81). O’Brien is attempting to subvert and re-shape Winston’s world — what he knows isn’t true — into whatever The Party wants it to be. This is the contention that Winston makes to Julia; he needs to have the ability to state what is unmistakable and not be controlled by The Party. Notwithstanding, if Winston surrenders this reality, he is no more than an animal in a cage.

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A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapter 1

Part 1, Chapters 2-4

Part 1, Chapters 5-6

Part 1, Chapters 7-8

Part 2, Chapters 1-4

Part 2, Chapters 5-8

Part 2, Chapter 9

Part 3, Chapters 1-5

Part 3, Chapter 6-Appendix

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Winston Smith

Winston Smith is the 39-year-old protagonist of the novel. He has a constantly-itching varicose ulcer on his ankle and is susceptible to coughing fits, physical ailments paralleling the dismay of London under Party rule. Winston is an Outer Party member, placing him below the Inner Party yet above the proletariat in the novel’s political and social hierarchy. Winston suspects life was better before the revolution and the rise of the Party’s power, but he knows the dangers of crossing the Party so remains diligent in his work and tries to keep the appearance of an obedient and unquestioning Party member.

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George Orwell Anti-utopian Reality in 1984 Novel

The overwhelming spread of military literature in the 20th century gave the readers a great abundance of books to read on these topics. Some authors take both pro and con sides of the military states and actions in discussing the political realities of their times. Among them, George Orwell wrote a novel that depicted the future that is relevant for all centuries and all political powers. The book 1984 (published in 1949 right after World War II) talks about a personality that has to survive under the pressures of an oppressive government.

Throughout the whole story, Orwell depicts an invisible fight between the individual and the system. The book is pretty dark, heavy and depressing. Under enormous pressure, the protagonist of the story betrays his love, admits that 2+2 is 5 and glorifies his oppressors. He can’t afford an extra move, step or look – Big Brother is watching him. The reader can get scared reading the book – but not reading it will leave all of us blind to the potential dangers of this world.

It would be mistaken to assume that 1984 makes a specific reference towards one well-known social totalitarian state that no longer exists. The resistance for oppression was relevant before USSR appeared, it is still relevant in many situations today and will still be relevant no matter how democratic and liberal our societies claim to be. That’s why 1984 was, is and will be the desk companion for many readers throughout the world.

Main Characters and Roles of 1984

The characters of the book each serve very specific roles and purposes in the text, so let’s first briefly explore what the 1984 book is about. The book talks about a possible scenario for the development of the world. After several sanguinary wars and revolutions, the Earth was divided into 3 super states named Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. Their alfa governments are in constant conflict with each other. Such never-ending conflicts are needed to distract the attention of the population from poor internal public management, terrible living conditions of the counties. More importantly, the existence of the conflict allows the government to fully control the inhabitants of the states.

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Winston smith character analysis.

In one of such “superstates”, namely Oceania, lives the protagonist of the book. He is 39, he is thin and has a somewhat unhealthy look on his face. An employee of the Ministry of Truth, Winston Smith serves the government institution that works day and night to rewrite the past and destroy the facts that are unwanted by the government. Every day Winston changes the past with his own hands and makes it conform to the new standards devised by the ruling party.

In addition to changing the past, the Ministry of Truth also works tirelessly to promulgate the values and mantras of the county’s political elite. Seeing such truth tailoring and past elimination on a daily basis, Mr. Smith can’t help but wonder whether what is happening is right.

His soul grows a seed of suspicion and doubt and that induces him to start writing a diary. This diary is the only thing that hears what Winston thinks about his job, his life and his government, it marks the beginning of his protest.

The protagonist has to be very careful and do the writing in complete secrecy, hiding from other people and devices. As mentioned in Part 1 Chapter 1, his TV is not only a tool to feed him proper information, it also spies on him:

“The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it, moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well as heard”.

Whatever he writes in his diary is a crime of through and qualifies for the death penalty.

Big Brother Character Analysis

Big Brother is the supreme ruler of Oceania. He has zero tolerance for individualism or diversity and absolutely no need for pluralism of opinion. He also has a network of Spies and tools set up in the country to make sure that every move of his citizens is observed, controlled and can be contained, if necessary. The Spies adore him and the Party:

Part 1, Chapter 2 “The songs, the processions, the banners, the hiking, the drilling with dummy rifles, the yelling of slogans, the worship of Big Brother — it was all a sort of glorious game to them.”

It’s impossible to do something privately in Oceania: all the houses are made of glass, all walls have surveillance and wiretapping, the Thought Police watches every move of every citizen. However, there is a difference in how Big Brother treats certain classes of its citizens. For example, for their love affair, Winston and Julia often choose secret places for dating, such as the countryside or other places where normally low-class labor workers hang out because the state doesn’t have that much security there. Low worker class is considered to have less tendency for thinking thus is treated as a lower-risk population.

Big Brother is an ultimate leader of Oceania, he is like a God and the ultimate goal is to please him. All the mistakes and loopholes of Big Brother or the Party are simply rewritten just like the newspapers. His pictures are everywhere, all the slogans are signed by his name. He is the only source of information, faith and worship in Oceania.

O'Brien Character Analysis

O’Brien is an undercover agent of the party. He secretly works for the Thought Police trying to find people who are thinking about rebellion. He is well-behaved, reserved, has a strong body. He deliberately pretends to oppose the party and Big Brother. His role is similar to that of Mephistopheles in Faust, he is the agent of the devil.

O’Brien is both a character and a concept in the book. He invades the dreams and provokes Smith to think that he doesn’t share Party ideas, he constantly pushes Smith to give birth to his unspoken internal conflict. Finally, when Smith and Julia are ready, he offers them to join the rebel movement. Later O’Brien will personally supervise the torture of his capturers, slowly killing any traces of personalities or thinking in them.

Emmanuel Goldstein Character Analysis

Emmanuel Goldstein was once a leader of the Party that brought it to power. He is now in exile and represents the only opposition available. He established an organization “Brotherhood” that is proclaimed by the Party to be the Enemy of the People. In fact, nobody knows for sure whether the organization really exists and what it does. Goldstein is an imaginary magnet for potential opposition, he serves the purpose of bringing all those who are against the Party under one roof to be destroyed then.

The Party spends a great deal of effort to publicly broadcast the hate clips about Goldstein and the Brotherhood just to give a bait for those who are seeking allies to create a rebellion.

Tom Parsons Character Analysis

Tom Parsons and his wife Mrs. Parsons live next door to Winston. Tom is a complete opposite of Smith, he follows the Party blindly and never doubts Oceania for a second. He is devoted to the war against other states and will do whatever he can to contribute to Oceania’s victory.

Ironically, he brought up a daughter who is just as fierce and loyal to Oceania as her parents are. One day she betrays her father by reporting to the Thought Police that Parsons spoke badly of Big Brother in his sleep. To aggravate the irony even more, Orwell makes Tome immensely proud of his daughter for “doing the right thing”.

Julia Character Analysis

Julia is another protagonist of 1984. She is 26, she also works for the Ministry of Truth in the Fiction Department. She writes novels depicting the greatness of her country and its ruler. She is quite experienced sexually and is known to seduce Party members. She is instinctive, not very logical, irrational, with lots of untamed desire and energy. She is courageous and much more adventurous than her lover Smith. In fact, she is the one who tells about her feelings to Winston and takes him outside of town.

It’s difficult to elaborate on the nature of Julia’s and Winston’s relationship since they are the only creatures with a soul portrayed in this book. So it makes sense that they found each other and grew fond of each other. Would they have felt just as fond of each other if there were other options available – who knows? But the main point Orwell makes is that in such an authoritarian government as Oceania, finding people who think and have their own opinion is an extremely rare thing.

Julia’s sexual and emotional freedom is her way to protest against the strict order of her country. She wants to put her energy into love, emotions, memories and enjoyment, not for the glorification of Big Brother and Oceania. And it only makes the reader even more upset when in the end she breaks under the tortures of O’Brien and says in Part 3 Chapter 6:

“You think there's no other way of saving yourself, and you're quite ready to save yourself that way. You want it to happen to the other person. You don't give a damn what they suffer. All you care about is yourself”.

Mr. Charrington Character Analysis

Mr. Charrington is the owner of a thrift shop in a parole district. Proles are the majority of Oceania population who are not part of the Inner Party (those who rule) or Outer Party (those who serve the rulers) and are deemed incapable of thinking or posing a threat to the government. However, in Part 1 Chapter 7 Winston expressed his opinion in the diary that proles might rebel one day and take the Party down:

“If there is hope, it lies in the proles”.

Winston buys his diary from Mr. Charrington and that marks the beginning of Winston’s journey into critical thinking and rebellion. Later, Winston will rent a bedroom upstairs above the shop to meet with Julia there.

Winston trusts Mr. Charrington because he holds on to the past (second-hand items) and thus keeps the past intact when Oceania is doing everything it can to change or destroy the past. At some point, Winston even thinks that Mr. Charrington is a member of the Brotherhood. But as it turns out, he is an informant of the Police and spies on everything Winston and Julia do in his shop.

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Full Summary

After the Second World War, the civil war broke down in Great Britain, which lead to it being occupied by a new superstate – Oceania. The citizens of Oceania live under the rule of an ideology of one Party. The ruler and impersonification of that Party is a leader called Big Brother.

The Party is divided into Inner Party (the 2% of the ruling population), Outer Party (the 13% who implement their policies) and the others, who are called proles and don’t have any opinion or importance whatsoever. But not all members of the Outer Party are in unanimous agreement with the Party ideology. Winston Smith works for the Ministry of Truth and is starting to question the Party’s right to rule and tell him what to do. But he understands that there’s nobody with whom he can share his concerns. So he shares his thoughts in a diary, which is also quite a dangerous thing to do.

One day Smith notices that his colleague Julia is paying a lot of attention to him. At first, he is afraid that she busted him and will give him up for the Thought Police. But after some time he finds a love note from her. They start a secret relationship that is prohibited by the government. They hide and dream about a revolution. Smith believes that their relationship will not end well – such encounters between men and women are strictly prohibited in Oceania.

Eventually, they meet a representative of a real revolutionary movement, O’Brien, who gives them a book on the philosophy of the upcoming rebellion. While reading the book in the room they rented for dating, the couple is busted by the Through Police – the so-called revolution movement representative was nothing but a set-up of Big Brother to find and eliminate potential rebels.

The government imprisons Julia and Winston and tortures them cruelly. They break under the tortures and betray each other. In the end, both Winston and his ex-beloved Julia praise the majesty and powerfulness of Big Brother and sincerely believe that their country is doing great. The Through Police manages to “cure” Winston from his revolutionary thoughts. At first, Smith thinks that he gave up Julia and his freedom just to evade the torture, but once he is released, he realizes that he is now the right man who sincerely believes in Big Brother and the Party.

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1984 Theme 1: War. The author wrote his dystopian classic in 1948 and he simply changes the last two digits of the year when naming his book. The first theme that is present in the text is the war – 1948 is the time after one of the biggest tragedies in human history, Second World War, and the time when the world watched in terror the emergence of two huge military powers – USA and USSR. Despite the victory and defeat of the fascist movement, people, tired of the loss and tragedy the WW2 brought about, felt helpless when it came to the conception of potential World War Three. The danger was in the air, the fatigue was in the minds, the fear was in the nightmares lived by almost everybody around the world. 1984 was just one of the many military literature pieces heavily exploring one of the possible scenarios that were about to happen.

In 1984 there are three states — two of which are allied, while the third is an enemy. The alliances change regularly and yesterday’s ally can turn into an enemy tomorrow. The war and conflict give Oceania a powerful excuse to disregard the shortages of food, ever-present surveillance and other social problems. The war is a guarantee of internal order in Oceania – how can a loyal citizen undermine his own country when they are at war with an external enemy?

1984 theme 2: Control. Dictatorship and the right of any institution or any given personality to exercise control over people was a hot topic for discussion towards the end of the 20th century. The thing is that there are people who don’t like making decisions because with decisions comes responsibility. So they welcome others to make decisions for them and society accepts it as their right to use predefined solutions. But step by step such willingness to let others make your choices can turn into a dangerous overcontrolling net. Oceania didn’t appear in one day, some processes led to it being like we know it. In 1984 Orwell elaborates what consequences can the war between authoritarian states have and how easy it is to turn to tyranny “for the greater good of the society”.

The citizens of Oceania are in the absolute unity with their state: if they are following the state, they have nothing to worry about, nothing to hide, nothing to think about. They are the state, and the state is at war – so when Oceania wins the war, they will win as well. The control chain is eternal.

1984 theme 3: Mind Control through Newspeak language. The overwhelming control over social life was enhanced through another theme heavily explored by Orwell – the creation of a new language for Oceania called Newspeak. The new English Socialism ideology developed by the ruling party was imposed through the invention of its own language, where each word and grammatical rule were carefully handpicked. When the events in the book took place, the new language was in the process of being introduced: it appeared in the newspapers and party members wouldn’t miss an opportunity to insert a phrase or two in their speeches. The Newspeak was supposed to have completely replaced the Oldspeak (regular English language known and spoken today and in 1980s) by 2050. That would mean yet another victory of Oceania over people’s minds and freedoms.

1984 theme 4: New and improved truth. To keep the society in place and make sure the country is not disturbed and remains focused on the war with another state, the employees of the Ministry of Truth change the news. Every day they rewrite the newspapers of yesterday, backdate them and put them back into circulation.

The altered truth concept is also revealed in the fact that Winston is not actually that good of a character. He wants to be able to think and to love, but the truth is that he is also a wicked personality: he used to steal food from his mother and sisters, he ran away from home. And the readers aren’t sure whether he regrets doing it or not.

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The Memory Hole

Winston’s job was about changing the news so that it matched the reality that Oceania wanted its citizens to see. In his office there were three holes in the wall: for notes on changes that had to be made, for newspapers that had to be edited and for recycling of all the materials. They were called “memory holes” as symbols of ways to destroy and alter memories of thousands of people. Memory holes are also symbols for distorted communication channels Oceania used to brainwash its citizens.

Big Brother

There was one recognizable face that appeared on numerous propaganda materials (posters, TV clips, newspapers and etc.). These materials persuaded citizens how great Oceania was and also delivered a message that “he is watching” everybody at all times. It’s a message of hope (the country will be great one day) and desperation (you are watched 24/7). Big Brother is a symbol of Oceania’s national agenda, he is an idol, a person who gained enormous power not due to his leadership potential, but because of Oceania’s inhumate treatment of its citizens.

Winston had to admit to this famous calculation when he was tortured by the Though Police. This is the symbol of a vivid false statement that is accepted socially in the society governed by a totalitarian ideology.

Winston's Varicose Ulcer

The medical condition that bothers Winston represents his oppressed feelings and desires. It is an external expression of his internal pains. From one point of view, varicose ulcer is a symbol of Smith sexual desire that is prohibited to exhibit in Oceania. On another hand, it’s a mark of Winston’s dissatisfaction with what is going on around him, it’s a visible physical repercussion of living under total control.

The Red-armed Singing Prole Woman

The woman from a lower worker class (prole) is a symbol of potential rebellion. Winston believed that proles would rebel one day and that the hope for Oceania to regain its civic freedoms lies with proles. Her female capacity to give birth is a symbol that a thought can be born within proles’ minds and new generations can see the world without total control of Big Brother.

1984 is a book that will live forever. It will resonate with readers from different countries, backgrounds, and political views. It is an instruction for government managers on how to compel obedience from its citizens. It’s also a vivid demonstration for citizens how the government can make them do whatever. It’s a scary but real story, cruel but eye-opening, it changes the way we treat our fundamental freedom rights. This book helps us appreciate what we have – the possibility to choose friends, love the people we find attractive, do what we like doing, think, speak, and make decisions in our lives.

Sometimes when you have a task to write custom essays according to the book plot, and it's complicated for you to understand the idea of the book, you may need help. It can be writing, editing, proofreading, etc. So contact us to hire a persuasive essay writer and we will help you asap.

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1984 Winston Smith Character Analysis Essay

In a world where almost everyone blindly follows a leader, there are bound to be problems. Where no thoughts are allowed, there is bound to be at least one that wants to rebel. In the novel, 1984, by George Orwell, all citizens of Oceania are kept under surveillance 24/7. There is no freedom in their world. However, not everyone is down with The Party. Winston and Julia take a different route, and choose to rebel against Big Brother, thinking they have escaped the watchful eyes of The Party . However, they were sadly mistaken. Big Brother sees all. Orwell’s character, Winston, is a quiet and critical thinker;

Winston’s role is to overthrow The Party in order to bring the past back; however, while on his journey, Winston is caught by Big Brother . Orwell’s Character, Winston Smith is a ostensibly intelligent individual who indulges himself in the worst crime, his own thoughts. Winston is a secessionist. He feels the need to have his thoughts written down in order to feel a connection with the antagonist character, O’Brien.

In the text, Orwell ponders, “It was absurd, since the writing was not more dangerous than the initial act of opening the diary; but for a moment he was empted to tear out the spoiled pages and abandon the enterprise altogether,” (18). Even from the beginning, Winston was rebellious. He purchased the diary in order to keep his thoughts written down. Although there were no laws in Oceania about keeping a diary, there are acts that were punishable, such as keeping your thoughts written down, or even thinking at all. Winston is a wise philosopher; He is capable of even the most complex thoughts.

Throughout the novel, he questions everything The Party says, which also happens to be dangerous. During his torture by O’Brien Winston whimpers, “But the word tself is only a speck of dust. And man is tiny–Helpless! How long has he been in existence? For millions of years the earth was uninhabited,” (265). During his torture, O’Brien is attempting to fill Winston’s head with what The Party wants him to think, however, Winston is headstrong, and knows better than to eat up all the information fed to him. Smith is not a blind follower. His mind is too complex and intelligent to just allow him to go with whatever is said. He plans on taking The Party down, and restoring the past. Little does Winston know, not all of his companions are on his side.

Winston is not capable of confining his thoughts; Winston’s thoughts are going to be the death of him. The purpose for Orwell’s character, Winston, is to defeat Big Brother, and overthrow The Party. Winston wants to have the ability to do whatever he pleases at whatever time is convenient to him. The thought of The Party lying to the citizens of Oceania makes Winston cringe. Smith sees through the lies of The Party members, and is determined to expose the deceptions. This leads the reader to believe that Smith wants a better life for all, and he will risk his life attempt to make a difference.

Winston establishes, “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two makes four,” (81). O’Brien is attempting to drive The Party’s own rationale on Winston; more particularly, he is attempting to control and reshape Winston’s world–what he knows not valid– into whatever will suit the motivation behind The Party. In the event that Winston has the privilege to demand his rendition of reality—which is a truth that stands free of belief systems—then he can hang on to a remnant of being human and dictate some of his life for himself.

While reading the novel, the readers catch glimpse at Winston’s growing hatred towards Big Brother. It may seem apparent that Winston feels the need to go against everything The Party says in order to establish a safe ground for his manipulated mind. Orwell remarks, “His pen had slid voluptuously over the smooth paper, printing in large neat capitals– DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER… ” (18. ) Unleashing the greater part of his anger, Winston, at long last triumphs his over apprehension by setting pen to paper in the crucial insubordination that contains every single other wrongdoing in itself–thoughtcrime.

By filling half of the page with the phrase, DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” Winston shows that he is against everything Big Brother stands for. Also, the author gives a glimpse at Winston’s defiant personality. In order to restore an orderly government to Oceania Winston must find a way to collapse The Party, and conquer Big Brother. Winston must overcome being seized by the Thought Police due to his betrayal towards Big Brother. Without inquiry, Winston rents the room above Mr. Charrington’s shop; Orwell’s portrayal of Mr. Charrington drives the reader to trust that Mr. Charrington’s lack of concern to Winston’s practices shows that he is against

Big Brother also. However, Winston is flabbergasted when Mr. Charrington, whom he thought was on his side, enters the room with the police. Orwell discloses, “It occurred to Winston that for the first time in his life he was looking, with knowledge, at a member of the Thought Police,” (224). At that moment, Winston was well aware of the fact that he has been caught by the Thought Police. All of a sudden ,the realization that Mr. Charrington had been working for The Party the whole time, dawned on him. The author let the readers believe that Winston could confide, and trust Mr. Charrington, which finally ended

Winston’s rebellious ways. There was no turning back now; Smith knew that what was ahead of him was going to be an endless amount of suffering. There was nothing Winston could do to take it all back; consequently, he had to face The Party. Along with Charrington, O’Brien was also against Winston the whole time. Both characters let Winston carry on with his rebellious attitude, all while the watched his demise. What came next was no doubt going to be the worst time of Smith’s’ life. Winston knew that there was only torture ahead. O’Brien announces, “‘You asked me once,’ said O’brien, ‘what was in Room 101.

I told you that you knew the answer already. Everyone knows it. The thing that is in Room 101 is the worst thing in the world,” (283). The Party does not simply utilize physical torment on the caught, and guilty criminals, but also mental torment. O’Brien felt the need to break Winston’s being down. As a result of deceiving Big Brother, Winston must endure being captured, and tortured by the Thought Police. Winston, is a peaceful and basic mastermind; Winston’s part is to topple The Party so as to bring the past back; be that as it may, while on his excursion, Winston is captured by Big Brother.

In the novel, 1984 by George Orwell, all subjects of Oceania are kept under reconnaissance day in and day out . There is no flexibility in their reality. Be that as it may, not every one is for The Party. Winston and Julia take an alternate course, and oppose Big Brother, supposing they have gotten away from the careful gazes of the gathering. In any case, they were tragically mixed up. Big Brother sees all. Winston goes against all odds, attempting to be the vigilante in his messed up world. Sadly, Winston’s actions were detected, and he must now face the consequences.

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The Outsiders: Character Sketch - Dallas Winston

Dallas Winston or 'Dally' is one of the main characters in the book The Outsiders. He is a very dynamic character. He is the toughest member of the outsiders' gang. He grew up in New York where he was toughened into a cold hater of the whole world. Dally's first characteristic is that he is tough. When in New York he was arrested when he was ten. 'Man, I thought New York was the only place to end up in a murder rap, Jesus Christ! '. Everyone in the gang knew Dally was the toughest and wasn't one to be messed with. How can I take it? Dally is tougher than I am. Why can I take it when Dally can't? ' Chapter 10, pg. 152. Dally's toughness was shown when he came to the rumble even though he was still injured from when the roof of the church collapsed on him and Johnny. 'You get tough like me and you don't get hurt. You look out for yourself and nothin' can touch you... ' Chapter 9, pg. 147. Dally was tough, even when it came to breaking laws or even the fuzz (police). : 'He liked to show he didn't care whether there was a law or not. Chapter 2, pg. 20. Another characteristic of Dally's is that he cared about very little in the world. He hated nearly everything. 'The fight for self-preservation had hardened him against caring. ' Chapter 4, pg. 59. He was so full of hate and dislike that Ponyboy rationalized that Dally had almost no feeling other than hate at all. 'I wanted to cry, but Greasers don't cry in front of strangers. Some of us never cry at all. Like Dally and Two-Bit and Tim Shepard--they forgot how at an early age. ' Chapter 7, pg. 102.

Dally didn't even care that his parents didn't care about him. You think my old man gives a hang if I'm dead in a car wreck or drunk or in jail or something, he doesn't care but that doesn't bother me. You're not going anywhere. There was on thing in the world Dally cared about, besides himself, and that was Johnny Cade. 'We gotta win that fight. I'm gonna get EVEN with those little Socs! Let's do it for Johnny, man. We're gonna do for Johnny! ' He didn't want Johnny to get hardened like he had. 'Johnny, you don't know what a few months in jail can do to you, man.

You get mean in jail, I just don't wanna see that happen to you like it happened to me, man. Understand? ' Johnny worshiped Dally. 'That was the first time I realized the extent of Johnny's hero-worship for Dallas Winston. ' Chapter 5, pg. 76 Johnny nearly considered Dally's word as unbreakable law. When Johnny and Ponyboy were going back with Dally, Ponyboy knew if Dally had said it would have been better to stay hidden, Johnny would have stayed hidden. When Johnny died Dally just couldn't take it because the only thing in the world he cared about had been taken away. Johnny's dead. Told him about beating the socs, I don't know. He just died. Told me to stay gold. Dally's gone. He couldn't take it, he's going to blow! ' Dally's dynamic character is shown through his changes through the book. In the beginning of the book he was tough and kept his reputation as a dangerous person. In the end of the book Dally was hit so hard by the death of the only thing he cared about, that he figured that he had nothing to live for and got himself killed. I enjoyed the book The Outsiders and recommend it to anyone who wishes to read a good book.

Author: Wilma Daniels