A Hero or Not: Winston Smith in 1984
A hero can be described as someone willing to take dangers and abide by the true morals as properly as portrays selflessness in his act and thought. Orwell brings out Winston as a protagonist and his characteristics do not embody the ordinary traits of a hero. The picture painted of him in the story is that of weakened and withered character as result of external reality. By the cease of the novel, all that the audience remembers is his flaw and failures. Therefore, Winston is not portrayed as a hero, both through his behaviors and thoughts. He is not anybody that people can emulate as he simply proven as the main character of the book.
Winston is perfectly represented as ordinary human being with a respectable job within the social order of Oceania. There are a vast number of failures that readers notices which clearly constructs him as representative of what it means to be a human instead of a hero. For example, when he is captured, he does not show any sign of brave resiliency most hero demonstrated, rather Winston show capitulation (Orwell 23). Therefore, he does not illustrate qualities of hero when he arrested and tortured as he succumbed to the fear of rats. Most heroes are individuals with courage and do show fear even in the presence of eminent danger. As such, at this point, Orwell brings him out as an ordinary main character in a story rather than a hero. For Winston to appear a true hero, he must have shown the ability to overcome the fear of rats.
The Unappealing and Ineffectual Man
Also, the book demonstrates him as an unappealing and ineffectual man, particularly, when it comes having relations with women which does not portray him as a hero. For instance, his relationship with him wife does not seem to have any redeeming features. As a matter of fact, later in the book, Winston admitted to having felt the urge to kill her but lacked the courage to execute it (Orwell 64). Further, his thoughts and actions towards Julia before he learned she loves him are not heroic because they are of violent loathing with unsettling sexual to desire. In particular, it is imperative to note that when their relationship finally begins, it is entire because of Julia_x0092_s efforts and not Winston_x0092_s. Therefore, at this point, it is worth indicating that Julian is more heroic than him because she is more proactive as compared to him.
No Heroism, Just Realism
From an emotional point of view, Orwell continued to show Winston as an ordinary human, someone who does not demonstrate qualities of a hero. For example, when his recollections move toward his meeting with Julia, there is not heroism the author shows about him. He makes a blunt statement that she shares how each betrayed one another which is far from heroic traits. The author uses this opportunity to demonstrated Winston as a common human being who is capable of betraying the people close to him and those that hold intimate meaning with him (Orwell 72). Therefore, at this point, the book brings out a sense of realism instead of heroism.
Also, Orwell holds that Winston stopped thinking about war, _x0093_he stopped thinking about the war. In these days he could never fix his mind on any one subject for more than a few moments at a time. He picked up his glass and drained it at a gulp_x0094_ (Orwell 78). Evidentially, there is no heroic trait demonstrated in this quote. Instead, the author shows him as a human who is struggling. He is portrayed as someone seeking to voice coherence and clarity in his actions and thoughts. As such, these are considerable qualities that do not reflect Winston_x0092_s heroic status.
Rebel or Hero?
Similarly, Winston is a rebel rather than a hero. Although at the start of the novel one may think Winston is a hero as he becomes a grown man thinking about the monstrosity of Big Brother, he is seen to try to fight the pressure of being different. It appears that he is distinct from others but deep down he always wanted to rebel. He only required the right opportunity and people to join the rebellion. More specifically, he understood that the living conditions of the post-war were morally and ethically unjust. For example, he knew electronic devices were constantly spying on him as well as other citizens waiting for them to express sign of rebellion. Further, he hated party with passion and wanted to take necessary action but feared being caught. Therefore, this is the first sign that Winston is a rebellious person although he feared being punished by law. The supposed heroic actions shown in the novel are embedded in personal rebellion. He does not take action he should have against to the government in hopes of bringing positive change in the society. The first encounter with this kind of rebellion is seen when he first wrote a journal entry secretly that contained the phrase _x0091_down with big brother._x0092_ After, Winston understood that he well condemned to be arrested by the police and knowing this he began engaging in breaking the laws and actions that would put him in greater danger (Orwell 64). His rebellion progress his own desires which are to undermine the government which is portrayed by his act of sleeping with Julia. He did this out of the desire to rebel against the authority and according to his opinion, and that of Julia doing something for you and only yourself is an act of rebellion. Therefore, his actions went against the sole goal of existence of the party, power, and control. In fact, he engages in a carnal relationship with a woman he does not even know whom he later betrays despite promising to love her at the start of the book.
An Ordinary Being Crushed by External Forces
Further, there is not heroic nature of Winston portrayed in the world Oceania, Big Brother, and Party. In particular, this is because human beings are meant to be controlled as part of a larger constituent by those in authority. Therefore, as a member of the party Winston is not a hero as he is only fulfilling his part in what the Oceania wants to communicate to the rest of the citizens. This is demonstrated at the end or final moments of the book where the portrays Winston as an ordinary person, a broken human being, one who has been crushed by the power as well as forces that surrounded him. In other words, at the end of the narrative, Orwell illustrates sad being, not one that shows assertiveness and confidence which are some of the heroic characteristics (Orwell 64). This section of the book reflects the modern conditions where external forces become too powerful over Winston_x0092_s will. He is shown to be a product of reality, where heroism is silenced and muted.
Lack of Perceptiveness
Moreover, although it is evident that Winston thinks a great deal about his persona situation and world, he is not a hero because he does not make necessarily perceptive. As a matter of fact, it appears that he is na\u00efve in most of his approaches and ways. For instance, he delights in learning that Julia slept with various other men because "anything that hinted at corruption always filled him with a wild hope" (Orwell 83). At the same time, he lacks perception of things as he agrees with all the claptrap O_x0092_Brien feeds him regarding the mysterious brotherhood as he wants it to be true. He accepts the outrageous demand from O_x0092_Brien without giving a moment of thinking about them. Afterward, when he is imprisoned, he places inordinate faith in the idea that he will be conveyed to a razor blade hoping that he could commit suicide.
Indeed, Orwell does not portray Winston as a hero. He does not demonstrate qualities of heroes. First, he fails in most of his actions and thinking which constructs him as representative of what it means to be a human instead of a hero. He is unappealing and ineffectual man especially when it comes to establishing relations with women. At the same time, he shows fear and lack of courage when faced arrested and tortured. As such, these are considerable qualities that do not reflect Winston_x0092_s heroic status. Moreover, he is rebelling which progresses in most of his actions, for example, his desires to sleep with Julia focused on undermining the government. Orwell shows him as just an ordinary person struggling with reality just like any other citizen. Also, he is not a hero because he does not take a moment to thinking about what others tell him and some point contemplates of committing suicide. From Orwell_x0092_s definition of a hero, Winston_x0092_s traits are qualities of a hero.
Works Cited
Orwell, George. "1984 Literary Essay: Winston Smith, Hero or Not?" Twentieth Century Literature 4.4 (1984): 154-161
