Characters

Characters in

Nineteen Eighty-Four

The name "Winston Smith" was carefully chosen. It indicates both the universality and the uniqueness of the character. "Smith" is the most common English surnamein the world, while "Winston", a most rarer common name, suggests Winston Churchill, England's great leader during World War II.

The action of this novel is built around the main person, Winston Smith, and therefore the understanding of his personality and his character is important for the understanding of the whole book.

Winston was born before the Second World War, and at that time there was lack of food and Winston took nearly all of the food that was allocated to the family. In 1984 Winston regrets his egoistic behaviour and links it to the behaviour of the children educated by the Party, who prosecute their own family (Parsons).

Winston is a sort of hero, because he is aware of the danger that he has encountered, and in spite of that, he decides to write in his diary, although he knows that it is going to be found. He also knew that his illegal love affair, that was an act of revolution, would be disclosed by the Thought Police. But nevertheless he is some kind of naive. He opened his mind to O'Brien before he was sure that he is also against the party.

Julia

The name Julia was also carefuly chosen. It inmediately sugests Juliet, the Shakespearean character whose name has become connected with romantic love. Julia represents Woman, just as Winston Smith represents the intelligent Man.

- page 33 - "Winston woke up with word 'Shakespeare' on his lips"

Julia is a woman around 25, and she works in a special department of the Minitrue, producing cheap Pornography for the proles. She had already a couple of illegal love affairs. Unlike Winston, she is basically a simple woman who loves her man and uses sex for fun as well as for rebellion. She does not really trouble about the changes in Oceania's history, if Big Brother says black is white, fine; if he says two and two make five, no problem. She falls asleep over Winston's reading of the treasured book by Goldstein.

Julia seems to be a reflection of the author's somewhat limited view of the opposite sex.

WINSTON SMITH...	JULIA...
Winston Smith was born the second World War, which makes him 39 years old.	Julia is about 26 years old. She is a good looking girl with thick dark hair and a freckeled face.
Works in the Record Department of the Ministry of Truth (Minitrue).	Works in a special department of the Ministry of Truth (Minitrue) which produces cheap pornography for the Proles.
Was married to Katherine for fifteen months. It has been nearly 11 years since they parted. The reason for their separation was mainly due to the Party. He nicknamed her "the human soundtrack" because she had not a thought in her head that was not a slogan. Winston could have endured living with her if it had not been for sex, which caused them to separate. He dreaded the act which she called "our duty to the Party" because of her rigidness.	Has had already scores of illegal love affairs opposed to Winston only having one. She is basically a simple woman who loves her man and uses sex for fun as well as for rebellion.
Develops critic thoughts against the ruling dictatorship of the Party. There were many things he did not agree with. Individual expression is forbidden, this was the biggest rule that affected Winston. He broke two of these rules, one was the diary and the second was his affair with Julia.	Willing to accept the overnight change in Oceania's history. She does not trouble herself aver things that she has not interest in. if Big Brother says 2+2=5, she has no problem in accepting it. For example when she is listening to Winston reading the book, that Goldstein wrote, she is bored and falls asleep.
The rebellion against the Party is emotional and intellectual.	The rebellion against the Party is primarily physical.

O'Brien

Probably the most interesting thing about O'Brien is that we have only Winston's opinion of him. He is the leader of the Inner Party and is suposed to be head of the secret Brotherhod dedicated to the overthro of Big Brother. Another very interesting thing about O'Brien is that the reader does not precisely know if he is a friend or an enemy of Winston, even Winston himself does not know it precisely.

The relation between O'Brien and Winston has all attributes of a typical relation between a father and a child: the father is allknowing, he teaches, punishes and educates his child, and he is protecting him from anything that could harm the child. But O'Brien seems to be only playig his role.

Big Brother

Big Brother is not a real person. Although his pictures glares out from huge posters that shout, BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, nobody sees Big Brother in person.

Orwell had several thigs in mind when he created Big Brother, he was thinking of Russisn leader Joseph Stalin, the picture of Big Brother even looks like him. He was also thinking of nazi leader Adolph Hitler and Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. Big Brother stands for all dictators everywhere.Orwell may have been also thinking in certain religious faiths when he draw Big Brother, the mysterious, powerful, God-like figure who knows everything, but never appears in person.

For Inner party members, Big Brother is a leader, a bogeyman who they can use to scare the people, and their authorisation for doing what they want. If anybody asks, they can say that they are under the orders of Big Brother. For the unthinking proles, he is a distant authoritative figure. For Winston, Big Brother is an inspiration, he excites and energises Winston, who hates him. he is also fascinated by Big Brother and drawn to him in some of the ways that he is drawn to O'Brien, developing a Love-hate response to both of them that leads to his downfall.

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