Open Prompt

1970. Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.                 

                  The greatest hope of the prisoner is freedom.  Winston, the protagonist of George Orwell’s 1984, is a prisoner in the dystopian society of Oceania.  There, the state controls the thoughts of its populace through propaganda, absurd rhetoric, and paranoia.  Winston seeks to break his captivity by defying the power of the government.  Like the single prisoner who acts on his desire for freedom, Winston’s escape attempt is met with brutal resistance and behavioral correction.  Winston responds to the principles of his society by challenging the authorities briefly by attempting to rediscover the past, but his will is broken and he again willingly conforms to the standards of Oceania.

                  In the society of Oceania, fanaticism rules.  Oceania’s leaders have altered history to give their Party legitimacy, and put the youth through programs which encourage fanatical support of the government.  The people are kept chaste to an extreme.  Their suppressed sexual energy is channeled toward raucous rallies and events that encourage support of the government.  Spying on others in search of nonconformist behavior is encouraged.  Every room contains a camera, which monitors the behavior of its occupants.  The words “Big brother is watching” are everywhere, reminding people that they are being scrutinized.  The people accept the concept of Doublethink, or contradiction.  This is illustrated by the official slogan of the party: “War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength”.  Newspeak is a simplified language designed by the Party to narrow the scope of thought, making it more difficult to express nonconformist thoughts.  In Oceania, single-minded extremism and contradiction rule.

                  Winston defies the standards of his society by recovering the past, but his rebellion fails when caught by the Party and his will is broken.  Winston uses an old book to write an anti-Party discourse in which he repeatedly writes “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” without noticing.  When he is living with Julia in an old room above an antique shop, Winston is able remember his childhood.  He becomes obsessed with old things, most noticeably the old room he hides out in and a paperweight, which give him a kind of escape from his society.  When the thought police catch Winston, the paperweight is broken, representing the beginning of the failure of his rebellion.  After his capture, he quickly gives in to torture and is reeducated.  Winston’s inability to stay strong while being tortured shows the inevitable triumph of the establishment over the defiance of an individual.