His death written life The novel, 1984, by George Orwell, describes a dystopian society in which there is no freedom; not even freedom of thought. The scene takes place in Oceania, a society where the ruling power called “the Party” strictly controls everything people do: from the way they speak, to how they move, to their very thoughts. Winston Smith, the main character of 1984, struggles in everyday life having to blend in among the brainwashed citizens of Oceania, where monitors called telescreens record and analyze every little movement. Anyone who does not show signs of loyalty and homogeneity is vaporized, or in other words, ceases to exist and is erased from history. Tired of his restricted life, Winston decides that, according to the Oceania government, most of the actions Winston takes represent signs of rebellion. For example, in the first pages of the novel, Winston wrote the words “Down with Big Brother” several times in his diary (Orwell 16). “Big Brother” is the leader of the Party who supposedly watches over everyone. When Winston writes the phrase "down with big brother", he participates in ThoughtCrime. To commit a thought crime it is necessary to have thoughts that show hatred or defiance towards the Party. Participating in ThoughtCrime always leads to death, so had someone seen Winston's diary, then they would immediately go to the Ministry of Love, a place of torture, horror and death. Furthermore, Winston also rebels against the party by becoming Julia's lover and meeting her secretly several times. In this society, two people cannot love each other, show affection, or have pleasurable sexual relations without serious consequences. Winston breaks both of these rules with Julia because he loves to destroy the “purity” and “virtue” of the Party. He stands up for corruption and says he will do “anything to rot, weaken, [and] undermine” the Party (Orwell 111). He likes "animal instinct, simple undifferentiated desire" and thinks that the force of desire he feels "will tear the Party to pieces" (Orwell 111). Because of his beliefs, he repeats his actions over and over again. Throughout the book he tries to defeat the government, but in his heart he knows he has no hope of prospering because "...he was already dead" from committing ThoughtCrime and engaging in newsworthy acts. death (Orwell 36). All his character traits combined lead to his ultimate death. His attraction to beauty leads him to hold onto objects and things considered suspicious, his rebellion causes him to break almost all of society's rules, and his curiosity leads him to people and places which ultimately causes Winston to be tortured in the Ministry. of Love. Winston might have had some false hope of a better world where he could get away from all the harsh rules and regulations of the Party, but in reality his personality traits dragged him through a life already scripted and marked by a precocious
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