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donta
donta
Student
High School - 11th Grade

In "1984", how does Julia's position on party doctrine contrast with Winston's views?

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Posted by donta on Saturday May 30, 2009 at 8:15 AM and tagged with 1984, julia, party doctrine, views, winston.

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  1. slshcolnik
    slshcolnik Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    Looking at Julia's actions in the book, she seldom takes actions strictly to go against the Party's wishes. She does them simply because she wants to, as enote states: "Winston discovers that Julia is smart and funny and loves sex, and she doesn’t care at all about Big Brother. As for her membership in the Anti-Sex League, she is simply doing what is expected of her in society. A pretty woman with dark hair and freckles, she is basically a simple woman who doesn’t worry about the revolutionary implications of her actions; she does what she does because it feels good and right. She cares little about revolution and even falls asleep when Winston is reading from Emmanuel Goldstein’s revolutionary tract."

    Winston, though, wants to actively rebel against the Party because he does not believe in the system and would like to bring it down (though he has a hard time coming to this realization because he can hardly think for himself). As enotes states, "A thirty-nine-year-old man who works in the Ministry of Truth, Winston Smith is fairly ordinary. His heroism is heartfelt, not out of false notions of rebellion for the sake of power and glory."

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/1984/characters

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    Posted by slshcolnik on Saturday May 30, 2009 at 3:54 PM

  2. titsmcgee33
    titsmcgee33 Student
    Vocational

    Julia was born and grew up in the life created by the Party so her rebellious nature is caused by her adolescent desire to cause trouble for authority. She does what she wants and gets a thrill from getting away with it.

    Winston still vaguely remembers life before the Party and recognises that their mind-controlling actions are wrong. Therefore he rebels with a purpose; opposing the system that was forced upon him.

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    Posted by titsmcgee33 on Thursday July 23, 2009 at 10:07 PM

  3. mrpoirier
    mrpoirier Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    Whereas Winston has faint memories of the past, Julia has been born and raised during the reign of Big Brother.  Therefore, Julia doesn't know anything better or different that the life she has always led.  Winston, although it is foggy, lived during a time when people had freedoms that can only be dreamed of in modern day Oceania.

    As a result, Julia is resigned to living the best she can under the heavy restraints of the party.  She lives for the here and the now and immediate gratification.  Hence her appetites for black market food and sex.  Although Winston enjoys these things as well, he as an eye on the future generations of human beings.  Since Winston has seen life differently, he can imagine changing the future.  He realizes that this will not happen in his lifetime, but he has hope.  Julia is simply concerned with living under the rules that are already in place and getting away with as much as she can before she is, inevitably, vaporized.

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    Posted by mrpoirier on Tuesday August 25, 2009 at 1:27 PM