Verified Document

Winston Smith Is The Hero Of The Essay

Winston Smith is the hero of the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) by George Orwell. Winston's ultimate failing is not the failing of a human being, instead it is a symbol of the ultimate power of the society. Persuasive technique - definition, personal observation)

In literary terms a hero can be vaguely defined as the main character. However, further to this the character needs to be superior, of good character or extraordinary in some way (Baldick 98). Winston Smith is the main character in 1984 and he is extraordinary. What is most important in understanding this is realizing that we must not compare Winston with modern man in this society, but with modern man in the society of 1984. This is one of the key aspects to understanding, to first understand the society he is existing in. This society is one where the people are completely controlled, with the people having no freedom from this control. This is represented in the opening chapter of the novel where we are introduced to Big Brother and the Thought Police. The fact that Winston cannot escape Big Brother is hinted at by the posters and by the voice of Big Brother. We first see that the eyes of Big Brother are always watching, "On each landing, opposite the lift shaft, the poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall. It was one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you move. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran" (Orwell 3). We then see how Winston is also unable to escape the voice of Big Brother, "The instrument (the telescreen, it was called) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely" (Orwell 4)....

We also see that the Thought Police are always watching. Even the name 'Thought Police' indicates that there is no escape. This is also made clear in the line "Winston kept his back turned to the telescreen. It was safer; though, as he well knew, even a back can be revealing" (Orwell 5). In analyzing Winston then, we need to view his actions in relation to his environment. In the novel we see that Winston goes against the society and tries to rebel. This rebellion is far more than just a brave act when we consider his environment. Consider the reality of Big Brother and the society on human freedom. Winston is not able to speak of his problems, he is not able to write them down, he is not able to read about other opinion's as the media is controlled. Added to this he has the constant voice of Big Brother convincing him of the goodness of the society. Not only is Winston not able to speak out or take action against the society, it is also a struggle just to form an opinion about it. Looked at in this way, Winston is truly extraordinary that he finds the ability to go against the society and attempt to take action against it. This is what makes Winston a heroic character and separates him from the rest of the society. Unlike the majority of the society, he manages to have and sustain his own personal opinions that are different from Big Brother's. Winston's act of heroism begins when he finds the courage to write, "The thing that he was about to do was to open a diary. This was not illegal (nothing was illegal, since there were no longer any laws), but if detected it was reasonably certain that it would be punished by death, or at least a forced-labor camp...…

Sources used in this document:
Bibliography

Baldick, C. Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.

Gardner, A. George Orwell. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1987.

Orwell, G. Nineteen Eighty-Four. London: Penguin Books, 1989.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Human Nature Is a Precarious
Words: 832 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

He is unaware that it is his free will that is longing to escape. While he is wise not to ignore his inner yearnings, he is oblivious on how to obtain his freedom. All he knows is that he is lost and he must find a way to himself. This is a personality trait that every human being is born with and when it becomes endangered the human instinct

1984 and the Concept of
Words: 1509 Length: 5 Document Type: Research Paper

The motif of slavery is seen everywhere -- whether in the propaganda campaigns announcing the scarcity of products, or in the "newspeak" slogans that populate Oceania, or in the thought police that keep "proles" from arriving at any real truth or connection with the past. Indeed, Winston's attempt to understand history as it really happened is seen as a kind of act of terrorism. In conclusion, 1984 is a novel full

Art and Literature
Words: 2435 Length: 9 Document Type: Term Paper

Humanities are Important: An analysis of the Da Vinci Code, Beethoven's 9th, and 1984. A novel by George Orwell (pseudonym), real name Eric Blair Published in 1949 A reaction to the totalitarian state engulfing the global community The Da Vinci Code A (2006) film by Ron Howard Based on the novel by Dan Brown Robert Langdon follows a series of clues that link Leonardo's masterpieces, the mystery of Jesus Christ, and a totalitarian regime in the guise

Privacy Rights and Media
Words: 2294 Length: 7 Document Type: Research Paper

1984 to Now: Fiction Becoming Reality? In the 2016 film Snowden by Oliver Stone, illegal governmental surveillance of the lives of private citizens via digital means (such as ordinary computer webcams) disturbs the film's hero, a dramatized representation of real-life whistleblower Edward Snowden. Snowden ultimately rebels against the government agency that employs him as he rejects the totalitarian principles that govern the agency. Indeed, the film touches upon a reality that

1984 Apply Today George Orwell Wrote the
Words: 1066 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

1984 Apply Today? George Orwell wrote the book 1984 in 1949. The world had been through two world wars, the Spanish civil war and the horrors of the holocaust. Although, he was writing based in and about England, like Machiavelli's The Prince it is possible to see his vision in the workings of almost any government, especially one like the current administration, that is quite determined that it will do

Major Themes in the Works of George Orwell
Words: 1749 Length: 4 Document Type: Research Paper

George Orwell's most powerful and important works were Animal Farm and 1984, which described the corruption of the socialist ideal in the 20th Century at the hands of Lenin and Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union. Instead of liberating the masses from the oppression of capitalism, they created a new kind of totalitarian tyranny that was more brutal than the old order it replaced, one that enslaved the common people

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now