Editor's Choice
In 1984, is Julia a spy? Provide specific examples from the book.
Quick answer:
Julia is not a spy in 1984. Although there are suspicious aspects about her, such as her knowledge of Party evasion techniques and her sudden interest in Winston, her lack of political knowledge and genuine self-interest suggest otherwise. Additionally, her visible suffering and scars from the Ministry of Love indicate she endured the same torture as Winston, which a spy would likely avoid.
There is some evidence to suggest that Julia was a spy throughout Orwell's classic novel 1984. Julia portrays herself as a loyal admirer of Big Brother and is a celebrated member of the Junior Anti-Sex League. In addition to her stellar pro-Big Brother background, Julia claims to have slept with numerous Party members on a regular basis and is a relatively outspoken political dissident. Julia's reckless behavior would have surely been detected before meeting Winston, and she would more than likely have been murdered or brainwashed in the Ministry of Love. The fact that Julia is still alive and actively challenging the Party suggests that she is a spy.
Julia's initial meeting with Winston is also odd. She has never met him before yet claims to be in love with him and knows his name. The fact that Winston is significantly older than Julia and is not an...
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attractive man suggests that her interest and feelings are fabricated. Julia also claims that she is "good at spotting people" and instinctively knew that Winston was an enemy of Big Brother. This comment is also suspicious and could be a veiled admission that she works for the Thought Police. Julia's knowledge of how to avoid government agents and consummate in the country is also unusual.
Julia's knowledge regarding the lives of Inner Party members is also suspicious as is her unique knowledge about the ongoing international conflict. Julia claims that the government is not even engaged in war and says that the entire conflict is simply a ruse to create hysteria. Julia also tells Winston, "I bet that picture’s got bugs behind it" (Orwell, 184).
As it turns out, the picture in Charrington's shop is a hidden telescreen. While Winston's arrest and torture in the Ministry of Love is depicted, Julia's fate is never revealed. Overall, there is enough evidence to suggest that Julia may have worked for Big Brother and could have been used as bait to arrest Winston Smith.
That's a lot of evidence. I never read the book as if she were a spy, but from that point of view I can give you some help.
1. Julia was outwardly an active member of the Party. She was in the Junior Anti Sex League, she spent countless hours in the Community Center.
2. In Part One when he sees her outside Charrington's shop, she might have followed him there as part of her spying.
3. She knew how to "travel" so they wouldn't get caught, for example coming two separate ways and going home two entirely different ways- not common knowledge to Party members and Winston is impressed by her knowledge and planning.
4. She already knew his name before she met him, even though they had never really crossed paths or spoken before.
5. At their first meeting she gave him a piece of authentic chocolate, not Victory chocolate, which she says she got on the "black market".
6. She gets several items from the "black market" for almost all of their meetings, coffee, chocolate, jam, sugar.
7. When she was young she was a Troop leader in the Spies.
8. She admits to total promiscuity with Party members, although no Inner Party members she does confess to having hundreds of sexual partners (possibly people she has turned in before if she's a spy).
9. He talks to her about his memories of changing records and she asks him questions, particularly if he was friends with Rutherford, Jones, and Aaronson.