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What does Winston consider the real betrayal in 1984?
Quick answer:
Winston considers the real betrayal in 1984 to be a change in one's feelings rather than confessions made under duress. He believes that verbal confessions are insignificant compared to altering genuine emotions, such as love. He tells Julia that if the Party could make him stop loving her, that would be true betrayal. Winston reflects on his mother's unwavering love for his sister, concluding that true feelings are "impregnable."
Winston tells Julia that the greatest betrayal is one that comes from the heart rather than the mouth.
As they lie together in their secret room in Part II, Chapter 7, Winston thinks about his mother and the unconquerable love that she possessed. Even when his little sister was so weak that her survival was impossible, his mother clutched the child to her and tried to protect her. What she felt for her child never ended.
When Julia points out that nearly everyone eventually confesses because people cannot stand the pain and torture that they are put through, Winston explains,
"I don’t mean confessing. Confession is not betrayal. What you say or do doesn’t matter: only feelings matter. If they could make me stop loving you—that would be the real betrayal."
Julia counters, declaring that no one can alter a person's deep feelings. Winston contemplates what she says, especially as he thinks back about his mother's undying love for his sister. Again, he returns to thoughts of his mother, whose feelings for her child were unalterable. Such feelings of the heart, Winston concludes, remain "impregnable."
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