The conclusion of Orwell’s 1984 comes as no surprise; it was only a matter of time before Winston got discovered and penalized for exercising “doublethink”. Despite the harsh consequences, Winston ultimately finds himself better off; a personal victory of sorts: “Forty years it had taken him to learn what kind of smile was hidden beneath the dark mustache … But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself” (Orwell 308). The characters in the novel are very confused as they are often unable to differentiate between the truth and lies, but Winston is now satisfied with his position, no matter how unreasonable it may be. There is finally a sense of security and certainty in life.
The point that I found most interesting while reading the novel was the ease in which minds and thoughts of individuals, (even the general population) could be tampered. Winston’s perception of both Julia and O’Brien are completely altered by the last page. The people inhabiting this futuristic world are merely pawns being shuffled around a game board.
The novel as a whole was engaging, but I was expecting a bit more in the end. It was almost too obvious that Winston would somehow be reprimanded for his wrongdoings. I wish he would have truly overcome the party and Big Brother instead of the small personal victory he experienced, giving into their misguided notions.
No comments:
Post a Comment