George Orwell Contrasts In 1984

Contrasts in 1984 are evident throughout the book. Polarity is tucked in between symbols, characters, motifs, and other elements of themes. Such elements are illustrated by the ironic details that the protagonist, Winston Smith, notices. The themes of the book intertwine with the comparisons as well. When one looks at the framework of contrasts and themes, Orwell limns it out for one major reason: Orwell wished to elevate the themes in the book by highlighting the disparity between thinking men (Winston) and those unmindful of their surroundings (Oceania’s other citizens).
The first collection of examples of contrasts would be names of locations and symbols. Big Brother, for one, has no warm fraternal qualities. The Ministry appellations are …show more content…
He feels despair, lethargy, disappointment, anxiety, and ecstasy. Winston is sentimental despite his missing memories. Unlike everyone else, his feelings are not branched in twain, both of which are love for Big Brother and loathing for Goldstein (page 15). While everyone has forgotten about the regime’s antecedent, Winston remembers and is filled with emotion every time he reminisces. Thus, he cannot completely devote himself to the Party’s doctrine, and hence his incapacity to wholeheartedly obey and love Big Brother. Secondly, Winston is a vulnerable target for being a vehement maverick. In every society where majority rules, the one set apart is either derided or punished. Here, Winston is being hunted for retaining his mind amidst the menticide of the people. As a human being, Winston makes mistakes: one of them was not suspecting Charrington being part of the Thought Police. In the antique shop, Winston exposes himself as one who appreciates the pulchritude of trinkets from the past and allows Charrington to scrutinize him for nonconforming or unorthodoxy. In the society of 1984, unorthodoxy is thinking of anything apart from what the Party wants its people to think. The last two proofs of Winston being set apart thus knot themselves with the second theme, which is nonconforming as a red …show more content…
Those who did have carte blanche were the Proles, who were tremendously neglected by the Party. They were unwatched by the Party and were treated like rabid fauna. In a way, the Proles were brainwashed: the Proles were uneducated, illiterate, and base. Hope of any intellectualism was lost on them. People who were adequately supplied with food and shelter were Ministry clerks, like Parsons, who represented everyone who worked under the higher-ups of the Party. But Parsons, who is the epitome of a non-thinking acolyte of Big Brother, is nothing like Winston. Parsons could not even admit to himself that he despised Big Brother (he said “down with Big Brother” in his sleep; page 232). Another Ministry worker is Julia, who actively rebels against Big Brother. However, she is completely insouciant rather than outraged about Big Brother. She remonstrates in quietude, but not for the propagation of social justice. Instead, Julia seeks to “have fun.” A slightly distinctive case is O’Brien, who is able to think. Nonetheless, O’Brien exploits his brilliance to further the Party’s pursuit for power. These character comparisons exist so that the reader could realize how lucidly Orwell sketched his theme of mind control in each of his characters. As we can see, the Oceanian community, Parsons, and Julia were all brainwashed into either worship or complete apathy while