đź“š

Key Characters and Themes in '1984'

Mar 25, 2025

Lecture Notes: Key Characters in "1984"

Main Characters

Winston Smith

  • Protagonist
    • 39-year-old member of the Outer Party
    • Works for the Ministry of Truth
    • Remembers life in London before the Revolution
    • Longs for truth and decency; hates the Party
    • Secretly rebels by writing a diary
    • Has a sexual relationship with Julia
    • Attempts to join the Brotherhood (counter-revolutionary movement)
    • Believes his rebellion will be uncovered and he will be vaporized

Big Brother

  • Figurehead of the Party
    • Supreme leader of Oceania
    • People expected to love him, not just follow
    • His image is omnipresent (posters, coins, telescreens)
    • Possibly a symbol rather than a real person
    • Will never "die" as long as the Party is in control

O'Brien

  • Inner Party Member
    • Admired by Winston for intelligence and cunning
    • Winston believes O'Brien secretly hates the Party

Julia

  • Winston’s Love Interest
    • Initially known as "the dark-haired girl"
    • Works in the Fiction Department of the Ministry of Truth
    • Age 26, no memories before the 1960s
    • Former member of the Youth League and Junior Anti-Sex League
    • Disguises contempt for the Party
    • Enjoys pleasures cautiously to avoid being caught
    • Opportunistic, proactive, uninterested in politics
    • Lives in the present, not worried about the future

Emmanuel Goldstein

  • Revolutionary Figure
    • Early leader of Big Brother’s revolution
    • Broke off due to disillusionment with the Party
    • Used by Party as a figurehead for opposing the regime
    • Possibly fictitious, may never have existed

Mr. Charrington

  • Antique Shop Owner
    • Frail, about sixty years old, prole
    • Friendly, soft-spoken, unassuming
    • Interested in simple, beautiful items from pre-Revolution
    • Keeps a room looking like it did before the Revolution
    • Simple clothes, white hair, spectacles, cockney accent
    • More educated than average working-class members
    • Revealed to be a member of the Thought Police

Themes and Concepts

  • Rebellion: Winston's secret actions against the Party
  • Control and Symbolism: Big Brother as possibly symbolic
  • Deception: Role of characters like Mr. Charrington and O’Brien
  • Existential Doubt: Questions surrounding Goldstein’s existence

These notes cover key characters and themes in George Orwell's "1984" as discussed in the lecture.

Full transcript