How Does Winston Determine His Fate

In George Orwell's 1984, Winston strongly believes that every action he takes has a consequence that ultimately determines his fate, however, knowing this information, Winston is determined to not let his fate determine his actions and survive. This is especially prominent When Winston returns to his apartment (after assisting Mrs. Parson with her clogged kitchen sink) and begins to write in his diary a message to anyone who might come across the book. However, while he does this, he contemplates the severity of his actions. “He was already dead, he reflected. It seemed to him that it was only now, when he had begun to be able to formulate his thoughts, that he had taken the decisive step. The consequences of every act are included in the act itself. He wrote: Thoughtcrime does not entail death: thoughtcrime IS …show more content…
The word “Dead” can be read and interpreted as a pun. Winston states that he is already dead which can be understood that he is basically deceased because he participated in thoughtcrime, which he said is equivalent to death. Additionally, dead can be understood as the state of being caught or in trouble thus, he could be suggesting that he was. Still, dead can also be interpreted as how Winston feels about his life. Winston's life so far is described as gloomy and oppressive. He is constantly living in fear and he has essentially nothing and no one to for live for; the word dead can be his way of expressing his current state of mind and his attitude towards his assumed fate. Despite already acknowledging his fate, he is determined to not let it control his actions. Finally, the imagery used when he describes his two fingers being inkstained hints to the reader that Winston’s perceptiveness to even the smallest details that might give him away shows his unrelenting yearn for survival despite knowing that at some point his very existence would erased by the thought