Orwell e Sassoon

Party's Lies

Winston struggles to remember how things were previously, which is why he starts keeping a journal, even though it is difficult with the strict control he is under. He then meets another girl, Giulia, who is against the Party and they start a relationship, but are betrayed by O'Brien, a man that at first acts as if he is with them but is actually a member of the Inner Party. They are arrested and, even if at first Winston resists torture, he collapses into room 101, where the Thought Police threaten him with his biggest fear, rats: here he will say “do it to Giulia”, proving the failure of the free man. At the end of the book, he will be convinced that he loves Big Brother and that he has faith in the Party, leaving Europe without the last man.

Themes

Orwell’s aim was not to write a science fiction novel, but something that people could imagine not too far from their reality. The plot is not the most important thing in the novel, but the building of a world that’s the maximum example of a dictatorship, without it being necessarily linked to a party or another. Obviously, the importance of language and of memory is crucial in the story too. Orwell believed that only through memory and education it’s possible to defeat and prevent a dictatorship.

Characters

• Winston Smith: He is the main character and the name he chose for him is not casual. Winston reminds of Churchill, a sort of hero in WWII just like the character is a hero in its own way, being the last free man. This clashes with the typical English surname Smith, an ordinary name that reminds that he is also just a simple man. So at the end, he is both a hero and a commoner.
• Immanuel Goldstein: He is the designated enemy of the Party who is blamed for everything wrong in Oceania. Both his name and surname are Jewish because historically Jews had always been the scapegoats.
• O'Brien: He is a member of the Inner Party but he will lie to Winston saying that he is a member of the resistance in order to capture and torture Winston and Julia.
• The proles: They represent the population whose main job is to provide soldiers to the nation. Because of that, they are encouraged by the party to have a family, something that is forbidden for the members of the party. Furthermore, they have limited access to education and are told to drink or have fun to pass the day. That is a direct reference to the fact that education is essential to rebel against injustices and to better understand what’s going on around them.
• The INGSOC (the English socialist party) is divided in three main sections:
  • Big Brother: He is a legendary figure that none has seen but everyone follows. He is portrayed through images of propaganda where he is seen having a mustache that resembles the one of Hitler or Stalin.
  • The Inner Party: This represents the part of the members who have a direct access to power and are in the position to make decisions for the country. In contrast to the proles, they are forbidden sex, the consumption of alcohol, and any romantic relationships in order to not share opinions or ideas. They are trying to introduce the ‘New speak’.
  • The Outer Party: This is the other part of the party and can be described as the middle/high class who work in the ministry, Winston is one of them.
  • Thought Police: They are part of the military force and their duty is to spy on everyone, both the proles and the members of the party through the TVs that broadcast propaganda.