Characters

The conclusion of 1984 brought the tone from hopeful to hopeless.

Now that I know the full stories of each character, I thought it would be a perfect time to review how this ending affected each one. The characters generally have remained unchanged or have regressed because of the harsh totalitarian government.

Winston Smith:
Winston Smith is the main character in 1984. Early in the novel, Winston is rebellious to the Party, but does not believe that they will ever be stopped. Then, he meets people thinking similarly, such as O'Brien and Julia. At this point, Winston is happier and more hopeful for the future of Oceania. Winston's final development is made when he is betrayed by Mr. Charrington and O'Brien. These betrayals cause Winston to lose his optimism and rebellious nature, and concede to the Party. Winston's regression as a character shows the power of totalitarian governments.

Big Brother:
It is never revealed if Big Brother is a real person, however the idea is still significant. Big Brother is the supposed leader of the Party. His power seems impossible at first, but after reading this section, it has become clearer. Winston realizes that the Big Brother only desires power: "not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness: only power, pure power." (332). This is the distinction between other totalitarian governments that makes Big Brother's complete control seem more realistic. The actual phrase "Big Brother" also has a deeper meaning. By naming the ruler of the party after a family member, Orwell suggests that the government replaces family members. The elimination of family by government is heavily suggested in the novel: "Children will be taken from their mothers at birth, as one takes eggs from a hen... There will be no love, except the love of Big Brother." (337).

Julia:
Like Winston, Julia is rebellious, which is why they form a secret relationship. As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, Julia was not as optimistic as Winston. JShe did not believe in the Brotherhood at first, and did not have any hope for the society as a whole. Rather, Julia worried about herself and Winston. We learn at the end of the novel that Julia's pessimistic view was more accurate when discover that O'Brien and Mr. Charrington were both loyal party members.

Although the 1984 ended on a depressing note, it was the most fitting conclusion. Throughout the novel Orwell made it clear that Big Brother is all powerful, so a rebellion at the end would not be suitable.