While much of his past is a mystery, considering his job has him rewriting history for the totalitarian system, he might not be. The character was employed by orwell as an everyman in the setting of the novel, a central eye. However, his internal monologue is seditious and revolutionary. Its depiction of a state where daring to think differently is rewarded with torture, where people are monitored every second of the day, and where party propaganda trumps free speech and thought is a sobering reminder of the evils of unaccountable governments. Written in 1949, the novel is set in a futuristic totalitarian state referred to as oceania. It reflects his belief that party members, even rebellious ones, will never be able to overthrow the party from within, but that such sweeping action would only be possible by the much more numerous, but brutally poor social group made up of the proletarians, or proles in the language of the novel. He works at the ministry of truth and proclaims the independence of the. Some of the most important characters from george orwells dystopian novel 1984 include winston, julia, big brother, and obrien. Winston is a 39yearold man who lives in oceania and supports the ideology of gang. Apr 26, 2019 winston is a 39year old man who works at the ministry of truth, where his job is to alter the historical record to match the governments official propaganda. Hes an everyman character who represents the average person, or one the readers can easily identify. The torturing takes parts in the book in order to cripple winston s will and thoughts. Though winston lives in constant fear of the party, he often considers rebellion of some sort, and, eventually does rebel.
This gives the reader, as well as winston an uneasying feeling about the. Winston is a kind of innocent in a world gone wrong, and it is through him that the reader is able to understand and feel the suffering that exists in the. The protagonist of the novel, a 39yearold outer party functionary who privately rebels against the partys totalitarian rule. Julia is winston smith s loveinterest and his ally in the struggle against big brother. As a records editor at the ministry of truth, his job is to literally rewrite history, revising old newspaper articles so theyre in line with the partys current vision of the truth. Winston smith, george orwells main character from 1984, contributes greatly to the novel in many ways. Nov 05, 20 character analysis of winston smith winston is the main character in this novel and he seems to be separated from all of the other characters in the book by his thoughts. Winston smith a minor member of the ruling party in nearfuture london. Being winston smith in the novel, 1984, the main protagonist, winston smith, guides us through the society of oceania. The first name reminds one of the famous british statesman, winston churchill, and the surname smith is a very common english name. He is a member of the outer party and works in the records department of the ministry of truth. The first actor to play the role was david niven in a 27 august 1949 radio adaptation for nbcs nbc university theater. She represents the elements of humanity that winston does not. Winston s darkhaired, sexually rebellious 26yearold lover, who works in the fiction department at the ministry of truth.
This effect is partly a result of his mysteriousness and partly because the novel hinges on obriens turnabout actions. At the beginning of the book, orwell is careful to present winston in an unheroic light, and by the end of the book it is clear that winston has not achieved the status of hero by his behaviour. Frail, intellectual, and fatalistic, winston works in the records department of the ministry of truth rewriting news articles to conform with the partys current version of history. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. Winston is a member of the outer party, and is under the ruling of the inner party, living under a mask that he is a loyal follower of big brother as those who do not follow big brother are vaporized and are never to be seen again. Winston smith main character in 1984 analysis study. Ap literature 30 august character analysis of winston smith from 1984 winston smith, george orwells main character from 1984, contributes greatly to the novel in many ways.
Winston smith character analysis in 1984 litcharts. Get everything you need to know about winston smith in 1984. He drinks and smokes this was written in the 1940s, mind you, and has terrible coughing fits in the morning. Winston is a kind of innocent in a world gone wrong, and it is through him that the reader is able to understand and feel the suffering that exists in the totalitarian society. Winston writes this in his forbidden diary early in the novel. Winston smith is a fictional character and the protagonist of george orwells dystopian 1949 novel nineteen eightyfour. Winston smith is the main character of a novel, nineteen eightyfour written by george orwell and published in 1949. Orwell wrote nineteen eightyfour as a warning after years of brooding on the twin menaces of nazism and stalinism.
Character analysis winston smith winston smith is the protagonist of 1984. Winston smith, the protagonist of 1984, takes action to go against big brother but fails to proceed any further before any action occurred. A duplicitous and whimsical creature, her sexual allure inspires winston to start the rebellious writings because he fantasizes about her. The reader experiences the nightmarish world that orwell envisions through the eyes of the protagonist, winston. He works in the ministry of truth as a minor party member. It is the year 1984, and winston lives in airstrip one, which used to be known as great britain. He can also be considered the storys hero as he represents a force of relative good in the face of evil and fights against it, even though he does not come out victorious. Syme was a comrade of winston smith who worked in the research department as a philologist. Julia winstons lover, a beautiful darkhaired girl working in the fiction department at the ministry of truth. Under the oppressive regime of the party led by big brother, winston lives a life characterized by hatred for the party, rebellion, fatalistic views, and paranoia. Character analysis of winston smith from 1984 winston smith, george orwells main character from 1984, contributes greatly to the novel in many ways.
The party is a group who controls the people of oceania. The protagonist of the novel is winston smith, who is a clerk at the records department in the ministry of truth. Winston smith a minor member of the ruling party in nearfuture london, winston smith is a thin, frail, contemplative, intellectual, and fatalistic thirtynineyearold. Julia is opportunistic, practical, intellectually primitive, vital, and uninterested in politics. He seems to be the only one set apart from the rest of the characters. Winston is a common man that most of the readers can sympathize with. It is winston s uncommon character that we see unfolding as we read through the novel. He detests the party and hes constantly challenging its authority. Hes 39 years old and works as a records editor in records department at the ministry of truth. Through winston smith, orwell portrays a common mans struggle to retain his identity, sanity, and natural rights in a society that is filled with fear, loneliness, and. George orwells novel 1984 followed in the footsteps of his previous works that mocked the political entities of the day. While he is presented to be a simple man, winston adds many complex ideas to the classic piece of literature.
A party member, winston works at the ministry of truth correcting errors in past publications. Winston smith a grey man in a black world arthur hall numbrecht november 2010 the. Winston smith character analysis essay top talent through rigorous recruiting process in addition to using sophisticated design and winston smith character analysis essay tools in order to winston smith character analysis essay deliver the best results. Winston smith character analysis essay example graduateway. He hates the totalitarian control and enforced repression that are characteristic of his government. He is the character that the reader most identifies with, and the reader sees the world from his point of view. Winston smith, fictional character, the protagonist of george orwells cautionary novel nineteen eightyfour 1949. The character of smith has appeared on radio, television and film in adaptations of the novel. Here weve provided a simple analysis of these important characters. A minor bureaucrat in the civil service, winston smith lives a drab, conforming existence but wants to experience a meaningful life as an. The 1984 quotes below are all either spoken by winston smith or refer to winston smith. While winston is characterized as an individual, a small man in a large society, obrien is bigger than life and remains so throughout the novel. He is a member of the outer party and works in the records department of the.
In george orwells 1984, the main character, winston smith, undergoes a significant change of character. Character analysis of winston smith essay 439 words. Analysis and discussion of julia in george orwells 1984. Winston s rebellion, however, extends beyond the act. The novel presents an imaginary future of 1984 governed by a group known as the party, whose ruler and dictator is a big brother.
Winston smith character analysis essay examples 1762 words. At the beginning of the novel, winston is portrayed as a character who has intelligence, an ability to stray from. Detailed analysis of characters in george orwells 1984. In this presentation, i will be discussing the character trope. The book is set in 1984 in oceania, one of three perpetually warring totalitarian states the other two are eurasia and eastasia.
A character analysis of winston smith in 1984 by george. Outwardly, winston smith is a meek and obedient member of the party. Julia is a twentysix year old outer party member who works in the fiction department of the ministry of truth. Learn all about how the characters in 1984 such as winston smith and big brother contribute to the story and how they fit into the plot. Character analyses because of the satirical purpose which orwell had in writing 1984, the characters in the book tend to be shadowy or twodimensional stereotypes. The protagonist of the novel has been given a very interesting name by the author. Is a thin, frail, contemplative, intellectual, and fatalistic thirtynineyearold. Jan 12, 2019 an english 1 honors assignment focusing on analytical writing. Characters winston smith orwells primary goal in 1984 is to demonstrate the terrifying possibilities of totalitarianism. After finishing the project, i had decided to archive my.
Winston belongs to the outer party, yet he hates all it stands for and secretly rebels. Syme informs a plan to continue the construction of a new language known as newspeak, which will prevent thought crimes. Antihero, and relating it to the protagonist of the story, winston. Winstons darkhaired, sexually rebellious 26yearold lover, who works in the fiction department at the ministry of truth. His job is to rectify historical records to align with the current rhetoric of the party. Meet winston smith, the main character in george orwells book, 1984. Winston is the character that i found easiest to relate to, and im sure most people would. Winston is the character that the reader is supposed to relate to in the novel. Orwell uses internal and external characteristics, symbols, and significant quotes to. Oct 11, 2017 download the free study guide and infographic for george orwells novel 1984 here.
He is a man who wants to test the limits of the partys powers by seeing how many illegal things he can get away with. Essay analysis of george orwell s the great gatsby of heroism according to george orwell. Orwells protagonist in 1984 is winston smith, a lowranking citizen of oceania. There are many rules that the people must abide by. Antihero, and relating it to the protagonist of the story, winston smith. She believes that the party is unconquerable read full character analysis. An analysis winston smith the novels protagonist makes an unlikely rebel. Winston is an outer party member, which is basically this storys version of a middle class. He carefully practices his facial expressions and is always conscious of being watched, even in his apartment. He is the character that the reader most identifies with, and the reader sees. Winston smith character analysis 1202 words bartleby. While winston simply manages to survive, julia is a true survivalist, using any means necessary to conduct her selfcentered rebellion. Winstons long reflections give orwell a chance to explore the novels important themes, including language. Winston is a member of the party, which rules oceania under the principles of ingsoc english socialism.
Winston smith winston s character, a low ranking member of the party, is designed to represent the common man. Winston is a kind of innocent in a world gone wrong, and it is through him that the reader is able to understand and feel the suffering that exists in the totalitarian society of oceania. Winston smith is the protagonist through whose eyes the story is told. It is through winston s point of view that the reader peers at the world created by orwell, and it is through the character development of winston that orwell conveys his fears and warnings about a totalitarian society. Winston is a quiet 39yearold man living in oceania in the year 1984. Winston smith was the main protagonist of the novel nineteen eightyfour, written in 1948 by george orwell. Learn about characters in george orwells novel 1984 with course heros video study guide. When the reader is introduced to him, he is with winston smith on their lunch break. Winston smith character analysis just great database. Winston smith is the pensive, fatalistic, and justifiably paranoid protagonist of george orwells novel 1984.
It is winstons uncommon character that we see unfolding as we read through the novel. Winston smith is the central character of 1984, but he is not presented as the hero of the novel. The novels protagonist, winston smith, is a citizen of oceania, one of the worlds three superstates along with eurasia and eastasia. Analysis of winston smith in the novel 1984 by george orwell, winston smith is the protagonist. Winston smithwinston smith, the main character in the novel 1984, rebels, acts stubborn, and shows braveness against the party in many ways. Winston is also an amateur intellectual who nurses a secret hatred of the party. Winston is just old enough to remember a time before the current regime. Winston smith is the everyman character who is the protagonist in the story. Study 40 terms political science flashcards quizlet. He is a man who wants to test the limits of the partys powers by seeing how many. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Winston is the main character in this novel and he seems to be separated from all of the other characters in the book by his thoughts. He was born in london, airship one, oceania england.
He symbolizes the reader by sharing some of the same thoughts feelings, and experiences. Character analysis of winston smith winston is the main character in this novel and he seems to be separated from all of the other characters in the book by his thoughts. Winston has a tendency to be rebellious, which is his most prominent character trait. Winston smith character analysis essay examples 1762. Winston hates the totalitarian control and enforced repression that are characteristic of his government. Thus, only one character in the entire work is presented as a complete and believable human being. Nov 29, 2010 analysis of winston smith in the novel 1984 by george orwell, winston smith is the protagonist.