1984 Winston Smith Hero

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English writer George Orwell once defined heroes as “ordinary people doing whatever they can to change social systems that do not respect human decency, even with the knowledge that they can’t possibly succeed”. He believed that true heroes were not incredibly strong, otherworldly beings who saved the world with supernatural powers or aid, but common individuals who sacrificed themselves for the good of humanity. In his dystopian novel, 1984, Orwell creates this type of hero in the character of Winston Smith, an ordinary man who rebels against a powerful totalitarian government that uses technology to abuse the rights of the people of Oceania. Although ultimately becoming brainwashed and being unable to overthrow the leaders of the Party, Winston …show more content…

In this dystopian society where the freedom of thought is prohibited, Winston makes his first move in acting against the government by secretly documenting his defiant thoughts in a diary in the alcove of his apartment, even though he knows that “if detected it was reasonably certain that it would be punished by death, or at least by twentyfive years in a forced-labour camp” (Orwell, 9). Rather than conforming to the tyrannical regulations of Oceania and living a thought-free and obedient life, Winston rebelliously defies the Party by recording his recalcitrant ideas and disobeying the rules. Despite knowing the foreseeable consequences of his actions, Winston heroically resists the leaders of society, even if it is only personally in his own home. Furthermore, Winston dedicates his diary to rebellion, as he writes “to a time when thought is free, when men are different from one another and do not live alone—to a time when truth exists and what is done cannot be undone” (Orwell, 35). By writing to a time where Oceania is no longer repressed by the government, Winston demonstrates his interest in a large revolution that would overthrow the Party. While the simple act of writing in a diary is rebellious in itself, Winston’s hope of a revolution further exemplifies his wish to change society, even if he will not live to see the day when it happens. An ordinary man, Winston challenges the government by engaging in acts of resistance against the oppressive

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