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Winston Smith

Winston Smith (born 1944/45) is the main character and outer party member of Oceania in Eric Arthur Blair (George Orwell)'s novel 1984.

Personality[]

Winston appears as a quiet man who has great relations with his work colleagues. However, he has a perverted mindset, frequently having thoughts of other women in the outer party and what he would do with them if he managed to get them alone, with no one watching. His greatest fear is also confirmed to be rats, possibly as they are a reminder to his backstory.

History[]

30 years before the events of 1984, Winston was running with his father and mother during an air raid to a tube station, where he saw an old man crying. Later Winston's father would disappear. At the age of 10 or 12 in a dingy room, he had snatched a piece of chocolate from his sister's hands and fled, he came back hours later to find that his mother and sister have both disappeared.

Story[]

Part 1[]

Winston is shown at the beginning writing in a diary, whilst also reminiscing about his wife, mother, and life before Big Brother took over. He is also seen talking to his friend Syme, and also his neighbors.

Part 2[]

During Part 2, this is where he meets his love affair partner, Julia. They are implied to have sex amongst other things. At the end of Part 2, they are both caught by the thought police.

Part 3[]

Winston wakes up in his cell, and then is subsequently tortured by O’Brien. He is shown to have quite a great will, but until they threatened to have rats his face, he breaks down and exclaims that he wants his fate to be placed on Julia. In the end, he is shown at the chestnut cafe, talking to Julia for the final time. In the film, he is shown to say ‘I love you’ to a telescreen, however this may have been towards Julia. In the book, it ends with ‘He loved Big Brother’.

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