Winston and Julia's Worldviews

 Winston and Julia’s Differing viewpoints

In these chapters we learn more about Julia, as we see her and Winston’s relationship progress. Ignoring all the other weird, uncomfortable, sketchy parts of their relationship, I find it interesting that Winston acknowledges how they view life differently. He seems to believe that because he’s lived longer, his viewpoint is based on experience and therefore more realistic, while Julia’s more optimistic method of enjoying life under the rule of The Party, is wrong. It is also interesting that Winston and Julia both have a good amount of optimism about their lives, but in different ways. Winston has accepted that his life under The Party will be miserable, but believes that the brotherhood exists and puts his hope in somehow overthrowing the government, while Julia has accepted that there is no way of overthrowing The Party, and instead puts her hope in her ability to live her life in the most enjoyable way possible by rebelling against The Party in small ways. Julia and Winston’s different ways of coping with the world they live in are due somewhat to their different ages, because Winston can remember a time before The Party, but I think they also point to different personalities that produce different outlooks on the world. 


If you lived in the world of 1984, do you think you would agree with Julia or Winston? This can relate to how you view our current world: are you someone who believes in finding happiness through fixing the world, or through enjoying what you can, despite our society being messed up?


Comments

  1. L. MoffittFebruary 23, 2021 at 7:49 AM

    Great questions, and in truth I've been asking myself these in real life. Part of me is just tired and would like to quietly enjoy my life. But then another part of me scolds me for being selfish and says come on, at least try to help to fix the world. It won't get fixed by itself.

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  2. Anna ParkFebruary 23, 2021 at 7:49 AM

    Is it possible to be both? I think that in our world it's nearly impossible to ignore our messed up society (because of social media/internet) and for me personally, I don't know if I could just party and not feel that burden to help. I also don't think that putting all of your happiness in trying to fix the world will be good either because our world will never be perfect to anyone's standards. Would I just be hunting for a happiness that never comes?

    ReplyDelete
  3. IsabelaFebruary 23, 2021 at 7:54 AM

    I think I would probably have more of a "Julia" mindset, as in I would believe to some degree that there's nothing huge I could do. So I would settle with little victories like her.

    ReplyDelete
  4. DinaFebruary 23, 2021 at 7:54 AM

    Personally I think I would just accept the situation that I'm in. I'm more of the type to just go with the flow and I wouldn't try to start a revolution or anything because it would be too much work.

    ReplyDelete
  5. HaleyFebruary 23, 2021 at 8:00 AM

    I think I would be a bit of both. I would probably just focus on making my everyday life better, but I would also probably hope for the Brotherhood to exist, though I don't think I would want to join it.

    ReplyDelete

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