Winston’s identity can be likened to Karl Marx’s argument “it is not the consciousness of men that determines their existence, but their social existence that determines their consciousness”1. The impact of the world has an impact on Winston’s existence as it is “Big Brother” who controls the thoughts of the citizens of Oceania. Thoughts is a crucial element to one’s identity as it enables people to have power and control over themselves; Winston being incapable of holding these thoughts affects his identity. This reflects the time in which the book was written, as in 1949 there was a rise in socialism, the Soviet Union being one of the biggest communist superpowers during the Cold war, deprived people of their freedom and freedom of speech.
