It was a dark day in the midst of the dark and cold winter where this chance occurrence happened. Was it by chance, or was it by destiny? In this collectivist society, no one would really know, nor actually the question.

At twelve o’clock noon, Winston was walking down the street wondering what would become of him, and more importantly, this world. Winston looked up at the sky and what he saw were clouds that seemed as if they were watching him. Somedays, he wished as if he could go back to the old days, the days that weren’t permanently etched into his mind. The days where he longed to remember yet seemed to remember them absolutely for split seconds seemed to be so far but so close at the same time. Winston felt like an ant dropped in an entirely new environment, as he pondered whether or not there were anyone else in the world who knew what he knew.

Meanwhile, Julia was strolling around town looking for some fun and entertainment. Nothing seemed to satisfy that girl and it seemed as if she just wanted to enjoy life to the fullest. Julia’s stomach was growling as she hadn’t eaten since the morning. Food was rare in the winter, especially in a winter as cold and cruel as this. Julia looked up at the sky and hovering over her were clouds. Unlike the summer clouds, these clouds had almost no emotion and if they were watching her, it wouldn’t seem as if they were that interested in her.

“What a shame,” Julia thought, as she buttoned the top button on her jacket.
Julia often wondered about Winston, as he was the most interesting man she had ever met. Julia didn’t just see Winston as a physical commodity but a puzzle as well. She found in him a complex, damaged, and curious human being, something that was tough to find in a society like this.

As Winston was walking down the sidewalk, he spotted Julia on the other side of the road. Quickly, he waved her down, not quite knowing why. Julia, just wondering about Winston, saw him and questioned if this was a coincidence or an act of God – as Winston would sometimes say. They found a table and sat down in the cold. Winston, being his usual self, asked how her day was going and how she’s been. The usual chit chat ended however, and the real conversation started. Julia often felt that Winston was trying to dissect her – not in the literal sense but in the figurative one. Winston often questioned her as if he was a member of the police and was trying to figure something out. Julia, not quite knowing why, answered his questions. Questions like what do you believe in, what is your purpose in life, and why do you think the government cares so much about us were usually asked or of some sort of variation similar to them.

Julia simply said, I don’t know and I don’t care. Julia honestly only cared about enjoying her life to the fullest and believes that Winston’s ideas about a revolution and taking down the party is a huge waste of time and life. Winston, however, doesn’t know how Julia can live her life in such bliss when she is aware of what the party is capable of. Winston’s obsession with the historical past and Julia’s obsession with living in the moment allows these two to mesh together quite well. Opposites attract, and Julia and Winston are polar opposites. While both do rebel in their own personal ways, Julia is doing it for herself while Winston seems to be doing it due to ideology that he has carved out thanks to flashbacks and historical references that haven’t left his mind entirely.