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Grace Markel

Ms. Mann

AP English Literature Block 2

10 October 2017

Fighting for Freedom

After World War 2, the world was left in a total state of disorder, divided like never

before. Countries like Germany and the Soviet Union infamously turned to totalitarian

governance, leaving their societies with minimal freedoms, yet an abundance of starvation,

poverty, and death all around. George Orwell warns readers of this tragic notion in 1984, as

protagonist Winston Smith is suppressed by the merciless tyrant, Big Brother his struggle for

independence proves to be entirely futile, enhancing the works meaning that totalitarian rule

leaves citizens helpless in the pursuit of individual freedoms.

From the very beginning, Winston cowers under the constant watch of Big Brother, a

mysterious regime that holds absolute power over all of society. As Winston is first introduced in

the novel, Big Brothers dominance is apparent, as Winston is described to be a smallish, frail

figure, the meagerness of his body merely emphasized by the blue overalls which were the

uniform of the party (Orwell 4). This description truly exemplifies the bold contrast between the

citizenry and Big Brother: Winston is belittled as a crippling physical existence, with the

assigned clothing completely branding him under the omnipresent force of the government.

Furthermore, Winston is paranoid that that every sound [he] made was overheard, and, except

in complete darkness, every movement scrutinized (Orwell 5). Ultimately, Big Brother exerts

unimaginable power over the population, and Winston acknowledges this, but is too hesitant to

act. With all forms of expression punishable under the reign of Big Brother, the inescapable
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power controlling Winston is clear; any effort at individuality is rendered futile by the oppressive

government.

As the novel progresses, Winston realizes that the only way to gain back control over his

own life is to fight for power over personal freedoms he develops an extreme thirst for

rebellion against the almighty Big Brother. Most indicative of his revolting mindset is the

moment when Winston inscribes the phrase, DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER in a prohibited

journal. Considering the fact that expression of any kind is banned from society, and vocal

distaste for the government was punishable by death, Winstons bold written statement

demonstrates his first true attempt at gaining power of expression for himself. This is essential

toward the rest of Winstons mutinous fight against Big Brother, as his choices to dodge

government allegiance only gain momentum from this point forth. Most notably, Winston resorts

to sex as an outlet for defiance. By participating in countless sultry affairs with a woman named

Julia, Winston feels the most free he has ever been from the tight grasp of Big Brother; he prides

himself with the fact that the sexual act, successfully performed, was rebellion (Orwell 87).

Upon continuously meeting with Julia, it is evident that Winston is attracted to the rebellious

allure of Julia rather than much else. When discussing Julias daring sex life, Winston fully

admires the scores of times she had done it: he wished it had been hundreds thousands.

Anything that hinted at corruption always filled him with wild hope (Orwell 54). Winston very

clearly shows no emotional attachment to Julia, as he merely wants to push the limits of Big

Brother by having sex, a freedom confiscated by the government. Due to the lack of repercussion

for his scandalous actions, Winston feels quite invincible, leading him to join a Brotherhood of

citizens united in the goal of toppling of Big Brother. Winston notably agrees to commit murder
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and other extreme acts to defeat the government, displaying his full commitment to the cause of

escaping Big Brothers ruthless power grip and collecting back the rights to his individuality.

Thus far, Winston thrives in his battle for power against Big Brother, but his insurgency

is quickly shut down. In the end, Winston is caught and severely punished for his wrongdoings;

OBrien, a faux member of the Brotherhood that Winston once trusted, unleashes intense torture.

The undying power of Big Brother is exemplified through the use of a dial contraption that

inflicts immense pain upon Winston, and gradually weakens him completely. Any fight put up

against this machine is useless, as Winston deteriorates into a bowed, grey-coloured, skeleton-

like thing (Orwell 341). Similarly, any resistance toward Big Brother is void of any impact, and

instead breaks disobedient citizens like Winston, stripping them to the bones of all individuality.

To encompass the detrimental fate of citizens under a totalitarian reign, Winston eventually loses

all hope of freedom, and disturbingly grows to love Big Brother.

Through Winstons bitter struggle for power from Big Brother, it is evident just how

totalitarian governments can confiscate all personal freedoms, yet paint this as acceptable to

society. Winston first opposes the norms of life under Big Brother, hoping to obtain

independence, yet his efforts are vain. As Winston is subject to the harsh punishments for his

actions, any chance of freedom is lost; with this, he fades away mindlessly into the depths of the

conforming population. The concluding reversal of Winstons thoughts about Big Brother is

exemplary of the incredible power that Big Brother withholds, as a rebel of the government can

be brainwashed into loving the source of their misery. Ultimately, Winstons failure to gain

power demonstrates the helpless destiny of citizens under a harsh totalitarian governance.

Account of Revisions

Revisions I Made:
Introductory Paragraph
-I added an entire introduction to my essay, as
I did not have time to do so in the time given.
First Paragraph
-I focused on the state of Winston as a result
of Big Brothers power, opening my essay
with his struggles
-I added more direct textual evidence (a
smallish, frail figure, the meagerness of his
body merely emphasized by the blue overalls
which were the uniform of the party)
Second Paragraph
-I focused especially on the rebellious attitude
of Winston as the plot progresses
-I kept only the most important statements of
mine about sex as an outlet for Winston, and
included quotes about Winston and Julias
relationship
-I explained the invincible attitude of Winston
as his insurgence gained momentum
Third Paragraph
-I added a third paragraph entirely, and
designated this part of my essay to describe
the torture and ultimate fate that Winston had
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Rationale:
Introductory Paragraph
-Adding an introduction allowed me to
transition smoothly into my essay, and
underline the meaning of my writing.
First Paragraph
-I felt that narrowing my first paragraph focus
on Winstons struggles as a citizen allowed
me to introduce the idea of rebellion and
consequence more smoothly in later
paragraphs
-including another direct quote really gave
substance to my claims of Big Brothers tight
control over Winston and how this affected
him
Second Paragraph
-Organizing my essay to have this paragraph
be only about rebellion kept my writing more
focused and concise
-I deleted a few sentences about Winstons
sex life to allow room for the statements that
were most significant to the overall message;
quotes allowed me to support the claims about
Winstons emotionally unattached
relationship with Julia
-I elaborated on the invincible attitude of
Winston by explaining how there were at first
no repercussions for his actions, so he enlisted
in the Brotherhood to rebel even further
Third Paragraph
-This is where I really built to the significance
of Winstons failure in toppling Big Brother
allowing myself to explore the meaning of his
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in 1984 torture and eventual conformity was a great

lead-in to my conclusion

Conclusion Conclusion

-I added an entire conclusion, as I did not -With a concluding paragraph, I felt that I
have time to do so in the class-writing time could tie up all of my main points and
reinforce the theme of 1984, as well as the
significance of the power struggle in general

Explanation of Writers Workshop Groups Effect on the Final Draft

I found my writers workshop group to be very constructive and helpful with my essay.

They gave me very open suggestions of steps that I could take to improve my work, which

guided me significantly during my final draft. They mainly suggested that I needed to focus my

essay more on power and the struggle present in 1984. I originally implied the meaning of power

in my rough draft, but did not explain the power struggle enough. So, I followed their advice,

and I do believe I improved my essay by sharpening my statements about power! Lance and

Trisha pointed out that my essay could benefit from including a paragraph purely about torture

and Winstons falling apart, so this led me to include an additional body paragraph. I really

found that this gave my essay a lot more material and fullness in general. As for my other essays,

the group gave me more solid feedback on how to improve, while also complimenting me on

what I did right. I chose to do this passage for my final draft with my writing workshop teams

guidance, as this was the essay I felt I could make the strongest.