Student Question
What is Winston's perspective on the individual's relation to the state in 1984? Does this perspective stay consistent throughout the novel?
Quick answer:
Winston's perspective in 1984 highlights the individual's powerlessness against the state's overwhelming control. Throughout the novel, Winston feels trapped by the Party's constant surveillance and the threat of thoughtcrime. While he briefly experiences moments of perceived freedom, such as with Julia and at O'Brien's apartment, his sense of powerlessness persists. Ultimately, Winston's imprisonment and torture in the Ministry of Love reinforce that the state's power is insurmountable.
What really stands out in this quote from Part Two, Chapter Seven is a sense of powerlessness. For the individual in Oceania, there is no escape from the Party's intrusive surveillance. The telescreen hears and sees everything, and the Party is constantly listening for any instances of thoughtcrime.
This sense of powerlessness remains constant throughout much of the novel. Only in a few instances is Winston able to overcome this feeling. When he meets with Julia in the woods, for instance, and when he visits O'Brien's apartment, Winston is able to escape the Party's pervasive influence. He can shut off the telescreen, for example, and "outwit" the hidden microphones, as Winston mentions in this quote.
Ultimately, however, Winston is never able to completely overcome this sense of powerlessness and loneliness. His imprisonment in the Ministry of Love and his experience in Room 101 demonstrates that the power of the individual will never be stronger than the power of the state.
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