Nineteen Eighty-Four is a literary political fiction by George Orwell. The protagonist in the story is Winston Smith. Politically, he is a member of the Outer party in the state of Oceania. He is also a member of Ministry of Truth. Ironically, the party is responsible for spreading propaganda and leading people back to their black histories. His main duty involves writing newspapers which represents the current happenings using the available historical records “Revisionism”. This is meant to mitigate the party’s doctrine in order to continue ruling. The party is owned by the Big Brother who is also the leader (Orwell, 71). He is a dictator. He perpetuates crimes against the people of Oceania. No one is supposed to defy his authority. He bears the highest mandate and power.
Despite the fact that Winston Smith is working for the party in spreading propaganda, he loathes the party deep within his heart. This is because; the party and its leader have affected his life negatively. For example, he was traumatized in his childhood and the fact that his parents and sister mysteriously disappeared. Therefore, Winston secretly hates the party and plans for a revenge.
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Winston was imprisoned for planning rebellion against the party. The author writes “Winston sat in his usual corner: gazing into an empty glass. Now and again he glanced up at a vast face eyed him from the opposite wall. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption said.” From this statement, we see that Winston had been imprisoned under tight security due to his intentions to rebel against the Outer party. His life was under the hand of the Big Brother. He had a negative attitude towards the party and the Big Brother. In deed, he had written a journal where he expressed his views and opinions about the party. This was risky because, if it was discovered, this could just warrant his death. There was an established arm of the police who were referred to as the “Thought Police” and who interrogated him due to his rebellious actions. Moreover,”Thought Police” had the responsibility of ensuring that no one endangered the party’s regime. Certain doctrines were given to children so that they can act as spies and informers of the government. Thus, a child could spy his parents without their knowledge, something that could lead to their arrest and the consecutively imprisonment (Orwell, 120). There were tele-screens in every public area where the party had greater dominance, microphones that were hidden as well as several informers who worked for the Outer party.
Winston decides to rebel against the party. This was the beginning for his troubles. Upon the discovery by the “Thought Police”, he was tortured and imprisoned. It was very hard for him to succeed. This is simply because, everyone was for the party. People dreaded to rebel against the Big Brother as they knew the consequences of such actions.
Winston falls in love with Julia. Later they meet O’Brien who approaches him with evil intentions. He pretends to support him in his intentions to rebel against the government. Little did Winston know that he was a member of the “Thought Police”. He presents to him the plan they will use to overthrow the government. He explains how slogans such as “WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY and IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH will help in leading people to rebel. They resolved to create social and political awareness to People who would play critical role in overthrowing the tyranny rule of the Big Brother.
In deed, O’Brien is the leader of the “Thought Police” who are involved in the operation and arresting those suspected to rebel against the Party. This led to the capture of Winston as they were in their bedroom with Julia. He is handed to the “Ministry of Love” for further interrogation. Winston is subjected to torture. For example, he is tortured with an electroshock in order to extract information from him. The Outer and Inner party were key rivals. Thus, O’Brien expresses a mockery of the inner party’s intentions to overthrow the government in order to acquire the authority. O’Brien explains to him that his imprisonment at the ministry of Love will serve three stages; learning, understanding and acceptance.
Winston is subjected to torture to an extent that he ends up betraying Julia, his love. His imprisonment was meant to re-educate him on the essence to obey the party in order to fit in the society. He confesses to crimes that he had committed and those he did not. In addition, he implicates everyone close to him including Julia (Orwell, 56). For example, in a dream, he sees himself being sent to room 101, in the Ministry of Love prison. Hungry rats are about to devour him, he screams “Do it to Julia!”. This depicts a sense of betrayal. At a point, he stops loving Julia although his feelings towards her remain the same.
Winston is tortured during his re-education in prison. After the end of his torture, he is re-integrated back to the society. He is also made to abide to the Outer Party’s doctrine. Moreover, he develops love for the Big Brother. He is also able to reunite with his lover, Julia whom he had betrayed while in prison. Therefore, by the end of Nineteen Eighty Four, Winston does not escape with victory. Rather, he goes to the society under the same rule of the Big Brother whom he was rebelling against.