Skip to main content

How would you evaluate Winston's tryst with Julia in regard to his dream of the golden country in 1984 by George Orwell?

In some ways, Winston's dream of the golden country mirrors his tryst with Julia. In the dream, just as in reality, Winston finds himself in a rabbit-bitten pasture with molehills here and there, and a dark haired girl comes toward him. As he dreams, she rips off her clothes in what Winston calls a gesture that seems to "annihilate" the whole Party system of Big Brother. In the real tryst, although they have moved to...

In some ways, Winston's dream of the golden country mirrors his tryst with Julia. In the dream, just as in reality, Winston finds himself in a rabbit-bitten pasture with molehills here and there, and a dark haired girl comes toward him. As he dreams, she rips off her clothes in what Winston calls a gesture that seems to "annihilate" the whole Party system of Big Brother. In the real tryst, although they have moved to a more secluded spot than in the dream, Julia still rips off her clothes in what Winston sees as a "magnificent" gesture that again annihilates a whole culture. 


While dreaming, Winston feels no sexual desire for the dark-haired girl, but in the real encounter, he does desire her, all the more so because Julia has had affairs with "scores of" men, a symbol of her rejection of the Party's values. In the dream, Winston wakes up with the word "Shakespeare" on his lips, but in the real encounter, he feels arising in him a feeling of tenderness and protectiveness towards Julia that he doesn't experience in the dream.


Since Winston had seen Julia before their tryst, it seems likely she is the dark-haired girl of his dream, whether he knows it or not. It is a bit uncanny that his real first encounter with her follows the dream so closely, but the significant difference is that the real encounter awakens human feelings in him that the Party has worked to eradicate. Winston's dream is just a dream, but his real encounter begins to change him.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you analyze the poem "Absolution" by Siegfried Sassoon?

Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and... Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and the v...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more