How is Winston Smith described in 1984?

How is Winston Smith described in 1984?

A minor member of the ruling Party in near-future London, Winston Smith is a thin, frail, contemplative, intellectual, and fatalistic thirty-nine-year-old. Winston hates the totalitarian control and enforced repression that are characteristic of his government. He harbors revolutionary dreams.

What did Winston Smith do in 1984?

Winston is an Outer Party member, which is basically this story's version of a middle class. As a records editor at the Ministry of Truth, his job is to literally rewrite history, revising old newspaper articles so they're in line with the Party's current vision of the truth.

What happens to Winston Smith at the end of 1984?

In the final moment of the novel, Winston encounters an image of Big Brother and experiences a sense of victory because he now loves Big Brother. Winston's total acceptance of Party rule marks the completion of the trajectory he has been on since the opening of the novel.

Is Winston Smith a hero in 1984?

Winston Smith, the protagonist in George Orwell's 1984 struggles to face the state of Oceania and ultimately loses everything he loves and believes in. Winston is a tragic hero, for he is a man with a tragic flaw. Winston's fatalism, selfishness and isolation ultimately lead him to his own destructive downfall.

What does Winston Smith symbolize?

Winston embodies the values of a civilized society: democracy, peace, freedom, love, and decency. When Winston is destroyed, these things are destroyed with him, and so goes the reader's faith that these values are undying and a natural part of being human.

What is the irony of Winston Smith's name?

His name is Winston Smith. His first name is ironic because he is anything because he is anything but a winner. It is also symbolic and flows with the theme of winning/Victory that the Party creates. Smith is one of the most common surnames.

How long was Winston Smith tortured?

However, O'Brien is really an agent of the Thought Police, which has had Winston under surveillance for seven years. Winston and Julia are soon captured. Winston remains defiant when he is captured, and endures several months of extreme torture at O'Brien's hands.

What is Winston's motivation in 1984?

The main reason why Winston is willing to take such dangerous risks is because of his strong fatalistic view of the world. He's understandably paranoid, and he fully expects that the Party will eventually arrest and torture him.

How was Winston Smith tortured?

In Room 101, O'Brien straps Winston to a chair, then clamps Winston's head so that he cannot move. ... With the writhing, starving rats just inches away, Winston cracks. He screams that he wants O'Brien to subject Julia to this torture instead of him.

Who is the hero in George Orwell's 1984?

The protagonist in the novel, “1984 by George Orwell”, is Winston Smith.

Why does Winston Smith love Julia in "1984"?

• Winston's love for Julia is rooted in loyalty and sacrifice . He recognizes that Julia significantly improves every aspect of his life and he can forget about the threatening government for brief moments when he is in her presence. The fact their love is forbidden also intensifies Winston's feelings for Julia.

Is Winston Smith a hero in 1984?

• Winston Smith is a hero. Despite his anticipated and inevitable failure at the end of 1984, he personifies humanity's nature to resist subjugation and repression. Actions and intentions are the true measure of a hero and Winston Smith is not found lacking in either. His failure does not diminish his status as a hero.

Is Winston Smith a stereotype in 1984?

• Because of the satirical purpose which Orwell had in writing 1984, the characters in the book tend to be shadowy or two-dimensional stereotypes. Thus, only one character in the entire work is presented as a complete and believable human being; that is, of course, Winston Smith. Indeed, Winston is the only human character whose full name is given.

What is Winston's main goal in 1984?

• His goal is to resist surrendering his interior life to the Party and maintain a sense of personal autonomy. What makes Winston unusual as a protagonist is that he recognizes, by his own admission, that his goals are doomed to failure from the start.