Throughout the course of one’s life, there are many trials and tribulations with being loyal and receiving loyalty from others. The struggle with staying honest to one’s self and others is a human incompetence that arises from the indirect psychological warfare society and the media wages against individuals. The futuristic society found in George Orwell’s 1984 can be examined to reveal a deep message about what it means to be human by analyzing the characters of Winston Smith, O’Brien, and Julia. The three-pronged betrayal between the three dynamic characters will demonstrate the fragility of loyalty and the efficiency of psychological manipulation to break that loyalty. Winston Smith exemplifies all the characteristics of an observant and
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As an Inner Party member, O’Brien enjoys many privileges denied to the likes of Winston and Julia such as having access to wine, sugar, coffee, and being able to turn off the telescreen. All the luxuries enjoyed by the Inner Party members come at the expense of a subservient working class, which the Party acquires by constantly instilling the fear of war and keeping surveillance on the citizens. It also includes overcoming any rebellion at its roots before it spreads. The Party uses tactics emblematic to a Totalitarian state to make even the most rebellious individual obedient and that sometimes goes beyond physical pain. O’Brien tells Winston that pain is not always as effective. They have to go measures beyond physical pain when some individuals will go to death before they reach a breaking point. (Orwell 284). As expected when one’s spirit is completely broken, they lose their humanity along with every capacity to love, laugh, and feel joy. In Winston’s case, O’Brien made him love Big Brother by making him betray Julia when he confronted him with his greatest …show more content…
She dislikes the party, but does not care to revolt as she feels it is hopeless. She is concerned with breaking the law, but only on a small scale as to enjoy life and still stay alive. She is not hopeful for freedom and independence, but is also aware that the life they have in Oceania is terrible. In the room above Mr. Charrington’s shop, she discusses what would happen if they were to be caught and says, “confession is not betrayal. What you say or do doesn’t matter: only feelings matter. If they could make me stop loving you- that would be the real betrayal” (Orwell 166). She, essentially, promises Winston her unconditional loyalty, even if she were to be in a circumstance of do or die. Despite all her outwardly bravery, she succumbed to the torture at the Ministry of love. O’Brien says, "she betrayed you, Winston. Immediately-unreservedly. I have seldom seen anyone come over to us so promptly. You would hardly recognize her if you saw her. All her rebelliousness, her deceit, her folly, her dirty-mindedness – everything has been burned out of her. It was a perfect conversion, a textbook case" (Orwell 259). Julia’s betrayal of Winston is demonstrative of the fragility of even the strongest loyalty; loyalty that she swore would never be swerved even under extreme
As an Inner Party member, O’Brien enjoys many privileges denied to the likes of Winston and Julia such as having access to wine, sugar, coffee, and being able to turn off the telescreen. All the luxuries enjoyed by the Inner Party members come at the expense of a subservient working class, which the Party acquires by constantly instilling the fear of war and keeping surveillance on the citizens. It also includes overcoming any rebellion at its roots before it spreads. The Party uses tactics emblematic to a Totalitarian state to make even the most rebellious individual obedient and that sometimes goes beyond physical pain. O’Brien tells Winston that pain is not always as effective. They have to go measures beyond physical pain when some individuals will go to death before they reach a breaking point. (Orwell 284). As expected when one’s spirit is completely broken, they lose their humanity along with every capacity to love, laugh, and feel joy. In Winston’s case, O’Brien made him love Big Brother by making him betray Julia when he confronted him with his greatest …show more content…
She dislikes the party, but does not care to revolt as she feels it is hopeless. She is concerned with breaking the law, but only on a small scale as to enjoy life and still stay alive. She is not hopeful for freedom and independence, but is also aware that the life they have in Oceania is terrible. In the room above Mr. Charrington’s shop, she discusses what would happen if they were to be caught and says, “confession is not betrayal. What you say or do doesn’t matter: only feelings matter. If they could make me stop loving you- that would be the real betrayal” (Orwell 166). She, essentially, promises Winston her unconditional loyalty, even if she were to be in a circumstance of do or die. Despite all her outwardly bravery, she succumbed to the torture at the Ministry of love. O’Brien says, "she betrayed you, Winston. Immediately-unreservedly. I have seldom seen anyone come over to us so promptly. You would hardly recognize her if you saw her. All her rebelliousness, her deceit, her folly, her dirty-mindedness – everything has been burned out of her. It was a perfect conversion, a textbook case" (Orwell 259). Julia’s betrayal of Winston is demonstrative of the fragility of even the strongest loyalty; loyalty that she swore would never be swerved even under extreme