Winston Smith: the Only Human Being in Nineteen Eighty-Four Often characters of significance in literature have distinctive attributes that set them apart from other figures in their stories. Winston Smith of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty Four is the protagonist of the story and a very unusual character compared to other figures in the work. Winston shows many examples of rebellion against the dictatorial Party and is the only character that can be credited with real human emotion. Firstly, Winston is able to think independently from the control of the Party, in contrast to Mr. Parsons, who does everything for the Party and raises his children to do so as well. Further, Winston is acknowledged for his ability to experience real emotions,
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Parsons’ who lives simple minded life, always thinking toward the Party. Winston is eventually captured by the Thought Police after the traitorous O’Brien lures him into his trap. While Winston is beaten nearly to death, he converses with O’Brien himself and mumbles, “I Think I exist, I am conscious of my own identity. I was born and I shall die”(272). Winston is fully aware of the world he lives in, he can recognize who he is and that he exists not through the Party, but for himself. Winston realizes that the people in his world are brainwashed and live an Orthodox lifestyle because of the influence of the party. Mr. Parsons, a neighbor of Winston Smith lives without independent thought because of the Party. Parsons is a follower of the Party and teaches his children to do the same. Parsons is caught in his sleep discriminating against the Party by his daughter, who turns him into the thought police the very next day. He is sent to the Ministry of Love only to find Winston there too. It’s in the Ministry that Parson says he is proud of his daughter. When he witnesses his daughter’s loyalty to the Party he remarks, “I don’t bear her any grudge for it, in fact, I’m proud of her it shows I brought her up in the right spirit anyway”(295). Parsons is brainwashed toward the Party just like his children. Parsons simply adopts the party’s beliefs without a second thought in an ignorant fashion, whereas Winston is a conscious member of
Parsons’ who lives simple minded life, always thinking toward the Party. Winston is eventually captured by the Thought Police after the traitorous O’Brien lures him into his trap. While Winston is beaten nearly to death, he converses with O’Brien himself and mumbles, “I Think I exist, I am conscious of my own identity. I was born and I shall die”(272). Winston is fully aware of the world he lives in, he can recognize who he is and that he exists not through the Party, but for himself. Winston realizes that the people in his world are brainwashed and live an Orthodox lifestyle because of the influence of the party. Mr. Parsons, a neighbor of Winston Smith lives without independent thought because of the Party. Parsons is a follower of the Party and teaches his children to do the same. Parsons is caught in his sleep discriminating against the Party by his daughter, who turns him into the thought police the very next day. He is sent to the Ministry of Love only to find Winston there too. It’s in the Ministry that Parson says he is proud of his daughter. When he witnesses his daughter’s loyalty to the Party he remarks, “I don’t bear her any grudge for it, in fact, I’m proud of her it shows I brought her up in the right spirit anyway”(295). Parsons is brainwashed toward the Party just like his children. Parsons simply adopts the party’s beliefs without a second thought in an ignorant fashion, whereas Winston is a conscious member of