George Orwell's 1984

1036 Words3 Pages

1984 is a powerful work of George Orwell, but one of the key components to the book is the dream of Winston and how that dream relates to the book overall. Winston dreams of the deaths of his mother and sister. They were sinking in water, sacrificing their lives in some tragic, loving way to keep Winston alive. The dream then changes to the "Golden Country," an idyllic setting. A girl runs towards him, carelessly tearing off her clothes in defiance of the Party. Winston wakens with "Shakespeare" upon his lips. Apart from numerous abstract details, Orwell uses concrete details. First, the appearance of Winston's parents is described. Winston's mother was a "tall, statuesque, rather silent woman" and Winston's father was "dark and thin, dressed always in neat dark clothes." By describing the parents, the reader can better make a mental picture of the parents as they were "swallowed up in one of the great purges of the Fifties." The next paragraph describes the deaths of Winston's mother and sister. Winston's sister is described as a "tiny, feeble baby, always silent, with large, watchful eyes." I believe that Orwell uses the description of the baby as a depiction of the corrupt power of the Party. Furthermore, the young sister was "in her [the mother's] arms." The embracing of a child was a forgotten act in 1984, but when the mother and child died, the embrace was a common sign of family love. This type of family love that was connected to the past brings Winston closer to his love of the better past. Although reading into faces could approach the abstract nature of ideas, Winston could see "knowledge" in the faces of his mother and sister. The mother and sister knew that they were dying in order for Winston to live. Furtherm... ... middle of paper ... ...o do such an act. Little does Winston know that his dream is a foreshadowing of the true future. One day, Winston will meet Julia in that "rabbit-bitten pasture," the very same pasture of the dream. One day, Julia will tear her clothes off in defiance of the Party. One day, Winston will be at peace in a place away from the Party, and Winston will not have to constantly dodge the Party and its tactics. Much of the dream is about Winston's longing for the past and how he desires to be connected to the past as much as possible while remaining in the confined present. As Winston awakes from his dream, the word "Shakespeare" is on his lips. Shakespeare is deeply rooted in the past. The Ministry of Truth has undoubtedly erased or reformed much of Shakespeare's writings, and Winston's thought of Shakespeare represents his subconscious desire and love for the better past.

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