Introduction
Even seven decades after it was written, 1984 remains one of the most impactful novels in literary history. Published in 1949, it was George Orwell's most important work. A major figure in both anti-Stalinist and anticommunist circles, the English writer and journalist had seen both sides—who had fought for republican Spain and publicized the Soviet Union—and he knew where the wind was blowing. He lived in a post-Second World War era when it seemed that only two totalitarian regimes, those of Stalin and Hitler, had the will and capacity to reshape reality. The novel's theme is universal, its moral lesson is eternal, and it has become a genuine political and cultural myth. Regarded as an indictment of a state of mind and a regime that seems to have survived the era that gave birth to it, many consider it a prophecy of the moral destiny awaiting political and technological civilization.
Orwell's novel is a predictable degeneration. We are able to precisely infer the sequence of themes and characters that will appear throughout the essay. Heavy on surveillance, mind control, freedom, and the clash between the individual and his oppressors, the essay is full of reflections on the nature of revolution, democracy, patriotism, moral consciousness, and the alternative that awaits, which the reader feels will also close the circle in an iron grip. Orwell's style is simple, polished, and very readable. It is no wonder that it has sparked so much controversy over the years, carrying the distinction of being banned in several countries. In order to show readers what to expect from this characteristically prophetic and philosophical dystopian novel, the main elements of the book are as follows.
Save your time!
We can take care of your essay
- Proper editing and formatting
- Free revision, title page, and bibliography
- Flexible prices and money-back guarantee
Overview of the Key Themes
Arguably, Chapter 4 serves as a mechanism to dissect the government's subjugation over the reality and truth constructs in addition to the physical control it exercises over the people in Oceania. In examining these concepts further, it is thought to be possible to deduce some unit of association between the general themes investigated and the motivations that guide the characters in the succeeding chapters, as well as the direction of the plot. Preceding chapters had presented the physical limitations imposed by the regime and its interventions in the individual's social networks and multifarious relationships. This is a development of that strain. The analysis in Chapter 4 has substantial bearing on contemporary society. While inhabitants of a modern liberal democracy do not generally experience reality in such a way, paradigmatic consequences are presented to demonstrate convictions about the lack of quality of knowledge in society—though in a different form.
In sum, it can be stated that Chapter 4 presents a potent and contiguous execration on the intimate expression of governmental control sought by the governmental class—though, on account of the extent to which governmental control extends in the novel, it is considered a central failing. Throughout, the most prominent theme is the psychological overextension of the government. Control is exercised over an individual's intellectual manifestations, notably speech and memory. This pursuit of sublimation derives from fears by the government, superextended in the novel through the Party and administered by the Inner Circle, of the deviancy of the populace. Although independent motives are provided for deviancy, notably through the individual, it is additionally proposed that isolation and the depravity of the individual by the government contribute considerably to deviant behavior.
Plot Summary and Character Development
In Chapter 4, Orwell maintains his interlocutory style, addressing Julia frequently to tell the story of Winston Smith's everyday experiences, following a familiar pattern. His mornings and evenings serve as indicators of how sordid and basic his existence is, but Orwell looks more closely at the everyday obstacles Winston faces: pests at work, bad food, and a broken elevator. The description of such trivial and inevitable irritations makes Winston's rebellion against the rigid and oppressive system seem irrational and futile—the reader wants to believe his life is so awful that any improvement seems recommendable. For the first time, readers are told explicitly that Winston has had affairs with prostitutes. These sprees are treated with a clinical tone of disgust—but in fact, they are the only warm and spontaneous moments Winston knows. But this progression still dramatizes the Party's success in the battle against sexuality—Winston cannot have a prostitute without feeling hatred for her. Indeed, O'Brien declares later that the Party will abolish the orgasm altogether. Sex, the only desire within the Party's power to exploit, can be distorted and repressed at the Party's will.
The reader begins to understand more of Winston's history and motivation in this chapter. The affair with Julia is not his first—the conventional pattern of rebellion is constitutional for Winston, who, as far as the reader knows, has only spent money and kept a forbidden diary until now. He reacts violently against Julia at first—the one thing he loves in life is his private existence, and she seems about to betray it. This discussion of Wagner's music is the climax of a development in the novel's style that has led from plot and generalization to narrative and character. In this chapter, far more than ever before, the plot is a vehicle for character, principal among whom is Winston. It is with Winston and his intellectual struggle that 1984 is primarily concerned.
Chapter 4 in the Context of the Novel
Chapter 4 of 1984 effectively summarizes the novel’s underlying themes and serves as an emotional climax for Winston’s journey toward consciousness and resistance. The significance of this chapter begins with its position in the book. Chapter 4 is a pivotal moment in the development of the novel, which functions as a case study in storytelling. The final crisis of the book begins at Part 2, Chapter 4, which is essentially the middle part of the novel. This chapter, therefore, becomes a summary of the book’s themes and reveals the greater significance of the story, so far, in terms of its relation to the world.
Chapter 4 represents the full awakening of Winston. Up to this point, he has desired selfish acts that go against what society has chosen for him with the governments. But once he realizes that there are other conscious people like him—Julia, O’Brien, and Mr. Charrington—Winston starts a swift and irreversible path towards his final opinions of society. He wakes up in one room, enters another room feeling different than he ever has before, and leaves that room a new man. The world he leaves is not the same as the world into which he enters, though we may not see directly the consequences of his journey until much later in the novel. Part 2, Chapter 4 thus becomes a turning point, linking the protagonist’s rise to a climaxing event directly within the book.
Another way to see its significance is how well the story itself represents the Party’s manipulation of reality as a whole. The events and themes of Part 2, Chapter 4 are a microcosm of the book’s message. Winston and Julia struggle for individuality, truth, and personal contact between the parties that oppress them, paralleling society’s struggle for autonomy regarding those same issues. The salient points of Chapter 4 strongly suggest the book’s warnings about other societies that may one day become too authoritarian. Chapter 4 puts a spotlight on what imprisonments a society might carry out too avidly and suggests a consideration of what might be detrimental about full control over its members and how history can repeat itself. This sheds a mirror from the book onto the world, and it is quite shocking to see the particular society being reflected in that looking glass. It is thus worthwhile to pay attention to Chapter 4 here today, even almost fifty years after 1984.
Stuck on your essay?
