Rebellions_Never_Prosper_-_1984

Rebellions Never Prosper “Insanity is the only reaction to an insane society,” once said Thomas Szaz. With nowhere else to turn in a society full of absurdity, a citizen such as Winston Smith will subconsciously turn towards insanity in an attempt for freedom. The novel 1984 by George Orwell depicts a negative utopia in the country of Oceania where a ruling party controls all aspects of life. In every direction, Smith, the protagonist, sees posters hanging of Big Brother, the almighty leader of the Party, as well as telescreens monitoring his every move. The Party, or INGOSC, controls the language of the people, mandating the use of the invented Newspeak. They also control the history of their nation, altering current and past events in order for its citizens to be ignorant of their captivity. To prevent crimes, the Party convicts citizens if they think about rebellious actions, known as thoughtcrime. The harsh standards of INGSOC deeply affect the mental state of Winston Smith through oppression and constant frustration, causing him to respond in a manner that will inevitably lead to the cleansing of his character. From the start of the novel, Winston Smith expresses an intensely mundane mentality towards life as he is affected by the strict regulations of the Party. Winston’s thoughts and actions are completely supervised by his superiors, destroying his morale. After writing in the diary he was not allowed to own, Winston knew it was useless “whether he wrote DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER, or whether he refrained from writing it, [it] made no difference,” because in the end, Winston would be caught by the Thought Police and killed. (Orwell 19). With such strict confinement, Winston can no longer keep his rebellious thoughts in his head, but feels the need to write them down, an act that only leads towards a dark ending. The Party’s rules make an enormously negative impact on Winston’s life that he knowingly commits an act that could get him killed and does so without regret or ignominy. The Party’s standards also affect Winston on a more personal level, disallowing him to have the sexual relationship he desires with a woman. Citizens under the control of INGSOC are only permitted to have sex if they are going to produce offspring. Winston’s wife Katharine followed these rules, abhorring the idea of sex for pleasure; however, Winston feels otherwise, believing that “he could have endur[ed] living with her if it had not been for just one thing – sex. As soon as he touched her she seemed to wince and stiffen” (Orwell 66). Because of the standards in effect, Winston’s urge for sex and pleasure is kept in check by the rest of society, leading to his ultimate rebellion. Nevertheless, Winston will not stop at any means to fulfill his craving for a sexual relationship. He no longer fears being caught by the Thought Police but will do what pleases him most. The Party’s standards affect Winston Smith’s mental state to the point of collapse where his only choice is to take action and rebel. Due to INGSOC’s affects, Winston Smith has a damaged mentality toward life and living, leaving him no choice but to respond by taking action against the Party. Although Winston knows that disobeying the rules means he will be vaporized, he continues on searching for a way to escape the wrath of Big Brother. When speaking to Julia alone for the first time, Winston tells her, “I hate purity, I hate goodness. I don’t want any virtue to exist anywhere. I want everyone to be corrupt to the bones” (Orwell 125). The idea of corruption comforts Winston as he desires for many Party members to share similar hatred of Big Brother. Throughout the novel, he desires to rebel against the Party like he did with Julia and develops an obsession with doing so. Winston Smith adores the idea of tearing the Party to pieces. After constant sexual encounters with Julia, Winston and his rebellious lover decide to extend their action to a different level. They share their rebellious thoughts with O’Brien, an Inner Party Member whom they believe endures similar abhorrence for the Party as they do. Once O’Brien turns off the telescreen at his house, Winston informs him that both he and Julia “are enemies of the Party. We disbelieve in the principles of INGSOC. We are thought-criminals. We are also adulterers” (Orwell 170.) Winston and Julia completely indict themselves of all their crimes against the Party to an Inner-Party member whom they only assume is rebellious. The couple is so affected by the harsh terms of the Party that they are willing to give up their love and their life to discover if there are others like them. In response to their life’s restrictions, Winston and Julia prove that they would rather live free or die hard than continue under the oppression of Big Brother. As Winston Smith’s mental state worsens with each day, he becomes more involved in rebellious acts leading to his capture by the Thought Police. In the end, his reaction to his dictatorial and disheartened life under INGSOC leads to a near-death experience; O’Brien, a true and loyal Party member, spares Winston’s life after cleansing his mind of thoughtcrime. Winston must learn and accept the ways of Party, forcing a love of Big Brother. In 1984, Winston Smith is condemned for responding to the affects of INGSOC’s standards and is forced to welcome the Party’s rules like all the other captive citizens of Oceania. Although Winston once believed in the idea of live free or die hard, he is able to achieve neither as society drags him back into his old and confined life. Bibliography Orwell, George. 1984. New York, New York: Signet Classics, 1950.