Winston is one of the principal characters that is opinionated on the party’s quest for power and how power is misused by the leaders. Winston is a public servant who works in the records department in the ministry of truth as a records editor (Orwell, 1963). This job title is what has afforded him an in-depth looks at the misuse of power all around him. However, his habits of smoking and drinking highlight that he is somehow a rebellious character who likes to question the norms of society whether they are bad or good for him.
Winston holds a concept that everything is fixed by love in society. This concept is valid as love is what brings society together as a whole and cements the liking of other individuals in the same society. In the narrative, Winston asks that Julia to come and heal his ulcer which never seems to heal with her love. The ulcer might be cancer, he developed to the long habitual smoking of cigarettes and cannot be cured by the old medicine practiced at the time, however; his pain and suffering all seem to go away when he is with Julia (Orwell, 1963). Her presence and love often lead to Winston forgetting about the power parties.
Leaders and officials often tend to use love and respect to forge their empires; it is not unheard of in that era of royal families marrying royalty for other areas in order to strengthen their empires. But the Big Brother totalitarian approach championed by the power party is built on entirely different aspects of society such as fear, ultimate control, and intimidation. The party only wants the power for their one selfish agenda, such as acquiring wealth and land (Orwell, 1963).
- Orwell, G. (1963). George Orwell’s 1984. Dramatic Publishing.
