1984 Love

Introduction

The write up presents a book report essay on the novel 1984 Love authored by George Orwell.  The leadership offered by the Oceana Party in the society of 1984 makes the practice of real love impossible. According to Orwell, people in this society have no freedom to think for themselves while at the same time truth is treated as a secret. He adds that telescreens were always set to monitor the movements and actions of people (12). The party is so much preoccupied with power and takes over control over everything including the people’s thought which is monitored via the telescreen. It is therefore doubtable whether Winston and Julia really love each other because the possibility of real love in the world of 1984 is almost non-existence.

The Possibility of Love/Real Love in the Society of 1984

The very definition of love leaves no possibility of practicing love in the society of 1984. Love in its very definition is a sensation which must touch on the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual senses of the partners involved. Any real love should bond the parties and connect them as they develop the level of their trust, intimacy and interdependence.  This means that love is only possible where people are human. Real love requires an environment where people are able to express their emotions, opinions, dreams, aspirations, and sexuality.

These are the very virtues that have been taken away in Orwell’s 1984. According to Orwell, the 1984 society is dilapidated by its strict totalitarian regime whose effect on the society has been worsened by peoples’ lack of humanity. In this society, both relationships and sexuality are considered as adversities of the media. The distorted sexuality and relationship has adversely affects the societal emotional working making the establishment of a real love relationship almost impossible. This society is without emotions and does not allow its members to experience any true relationship. Gardner notes that “in Oceans, only the Proles are permitted to sexual freedom” (144) and that “among party members promiscuity is unforgivable” (144). The people in this society are never connected emotionally or spiritually to establish such a high level of trust needed for real love. The party has achieved this by ensuring that there is no possibility of development of emotion and intimacy thus making any love relationship impossible (Orwell, 69).

Love is not allowed in this society while the married are never allowed to practice intimacy. Orwell says that “But real a love affair was an almost thinkable event” (71). Marriages were taken as mere procedures needed for procreation to be considered pure. Any couple who want to marry has to get approval from the party and “permission is always refused if the if the couple concerned gives the impression of being physically attracted to one another” (68). The party insists that marriage is only meant to “beget children for the service of the party” (69). Marriage is thus never viewed as a sacred institution formed by two people who love one another. This makes the pursuit of love needless.

Gardner states that the party made people believe that “sexual intercourse was….a slightly disgusting operation, like having an enema” (144).  This means that the party tried to kill and distort the meaning of this important element of love relationship. Just like is the case with marriage, the party insisted that people were not to engage is sex for pleasure. This makes intimacy as a virtue of love and therefore real love impossible in this society (Orwell, 69).

Whether Winston and Julia Love One Another

With this background information, it is therefore hard to believe from the word go that it would be possible for Winston and Julia to love one another even if they would wish to. As has been defined, love requires those who are involved to experience and practice a strong physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual sensation.  Besides these sensations, the parties involved in a love relationship have to be bonded together with trust, interdependences and intimacy. These qualities automatically disqualify any possibility of the existence of a love relationship between Winston and Julia and with the rest of the society.

The author reveals that Winston has a strong hatred for Julia from the very first time he sees her. Orwell, describing the source of this hatred, notes that Winston’s hate towards Julia is because of “the atmosphere of hockey-fields and cold baths and community hikes and the general clean mindedness which she managed to carry about her” (68). Orwell reveals that besides this, Winston “dislikes nearly all women, an especially those young and pretty ones” (17). His hatred is even more towards the beautiful young women, of which Julia was one, because they are viewed as the most loyalists to the party. Besides his believe that Julia is dangerous, Winston hates her for her young age, unique strength and beauty, the qualities that Winston never had. Costello observes that this hatred is further revealed by the happenings during the two minutes hate. Orwell reveals that “Winston carried out an attempt to mortally wound Julia” (82).

The foundation of their relationship also seems to portray Julia as a mere opportunist who has no real love for Winston. The first time Julia is confessing her love for Winston is when Winston helps her after she had fallen in a hallway. Though the two manage to come together, Winston feels betrayed on realizing that Julia has been having love affairs with the other members of the Party against the party regulations. This limits the trust that Winston has for Julia. Though they go ahead with this relationship, the restrictions placed by the party on such affairs never allow them to enjoy all that should be entailed to lovers.

Another factor that seems to work against the possibility of a love relationship between the two is the differences they exhibited in their reasoning, motives and aspiration. Orwell reveals that Winston is always rebellious against the party and envisions a future generation that is free from the influence of the party. He foresee a time when people will be freely think and choose for themselves whatever they like based on the truth (Orwell, 12). Julia on the other hand just rebels against the party for the sake of it by engaging herself in various disobedience acts. Julia sees the party as a powerful entity whose acts cannot be stopped. Contrary to Winston, Julia is also not very concerned with differentiating between lies and truth and there accepted anything from the party. This believes makes Winston to view her as dangerous.

These differences in opinions and aspirations and the behavior the two exhibits towards one another coupled with the nature of the society in which they live makes it impossible for the two individuals to practice a perfect love. They may have done a number of things together but they never reached a point of developing any physical, emotional, mental and/or spiritual sensation towards one another. Their relationship could not grow to intimacy because this is against the regulation of the society. Moreover, it is not easy for Winston to trust Julia because he has known of her past affairs with the other party members and her reluctance to oppose the party lies and fight for the future generations (Orwell, 12).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the relationship between Winston and Julia can only be attributed to the need of companionship which is common for all human beings. Otherwise the practice of love/real love is never possible in the kind of society represented by the 1984 society.