In George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, the protagonist Winston Smith is comparable to Edna Pontellier of The Awakening in the way that he also possesses “That outward existence which conforms, the inward life that questions.” Though living in a society where outward conformity is a must-have in order to survive, Winston is one to secretly question the oppressive norms which have been set into the culture. The tension created by these conflicting characteristics and the rebellion that ensues highlight ethical problems concerning government control and the rewriting of history. In Winston’s native country of Oceania, even though there are no written laws, there are strict codes of conduct that one must follow in order to stay alive.
