Winston Smith
In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, the reader is presented with a conundrum in the form of the character, Winston Smith. The reader is faced with characterizing Winston as hero or not. Readers have to decide if Winston is a hero worthy of admiration or not. There are many ways to interpret this character, one of them being that he is indeed a hero. Although some may define his actions against big brother as cowardly or self-serving, the fact that he moved against big brother at all shows he is worthy of admiration.
Winston Smith is an ordinary citizen in a controlled society. He makes his rebellion quiet and discrete. Purchasing a diary and writing in it is his first act of rebellion. Keeping a diary is forbidden as it is used to expression emotions such as love and intimacy. It is also used to write what is on one’s mind. In Oceania, thinking on ones’ own is not allowed. These are called “thoughtcrimes”. The penalty for thoughtcrimes is torture and death. Knowing full well what the consequences would be, Winston buys and keeps the diary. Another rebellious is the purchase of the paperweight. He has no need for such an object and buys it because it is beautiful. Beauty is a pleasure and all things that bring pleasure are forbidden. Another instance in which he experiences pleasure is when he hears the woman singing. He stops to appreciate the beauty in her song. These acts show bravery and rebellion in the face of oppression which is are admirable traits in heroes.
There are other instances in which Winston commits thoughtcrimes. One of these is extremely significant as the thoughtcrime revolves around the government and its lies. Winston’s job is reading and editing articles so that they always support the Party. While reading one of these articles, he comes across proof that the government is lying. If he were a loyal Party member, he would strive to forget this article. Winston holds onto the memory of the article and reflects on it on...