Chapters 2-6

Theme: Rebellion Through Sexual Desires

Chapter 3 Quote: "With its grace and carelessness it seemed to annihilate a whole culture, a whole system of thought, as though Big Brother and the Party and the Thought Police could all be swept into nothingness by a single splendid movement of the arm." (pg. 33)

Big Brother played by Bob Flag in the film adaptation of 1984.

This quote, taken from chapter 3, page 33, is about how people feel about Big Brother. The Big Brother is a so called leader, in their region, Oceania. I feel a if this quote can explain how most people in Oceania feel about Big Brother. Although he is supposed to be a leader, which are typically admired, not everyone feels they should be monitored the way he is making them be. In this particular quote, Winston is talking about how he would like to have sex with Julia, who is his long-term lover, and how by doing that small act, it could potentially be a form of rebellion against Big Brother, the Party or any other oppressive organization in Oceania. He is saying that all it would take to over throw them would be just coming together and rebelling.
Chapter 6 Quote: "When he had gone with that woman it had been his first lapse in two years or thereabouts. Consorting with prostitutes was forbidden, of course, but it was one of those rules that you could occasionally nerve yourself to break. It was dangerous, but it was not a life-and-death matter. To be caught with a prostitute might mean five years in a forced-labor camp: not more, if you had committed no other offence." (pg 56)

According to Winston, it would have seemed that the Party's main goal to take away an pleasure from sexual contact. It was considered to be nasty, or even looked down upon if one had sex or preformed sexual acts. I think that Winston's actions are rather harsh, that he shouldn't have to entreat such comfort from someone other than his wife. Winston was no stranger to being in the company of prostitutes; it was two years since his last encounter with one. I think that Winston's want, to be with prostitutes can be driven by the fact that he wants to rebel in anyway possible, from Big Brother, The Party and the Though Police. Also considering how the Though Police monitors people, Winston might have just wanted to realized some repressed anger from constantly being watched. I find it interesting how when he talks about the punishment for being caught with a prostitute, he does not seem worried. Instead, he acts like he does not care, that it would not be the worst punishment to receive.


Chapter 6 Quote: "And what he wanted, more even than to be loved, was to break down that wall of virtue, even if it were only once in his whole life. The sexual act, successfully performed, was rebellion. Desire was thought crime."(pg 59)

This other quote taken from chapter 6 can be used to help rationalize the fact that Winston uses his sexual acts as a form of rebellion. When we think about rebellion, we think about standing up for ourselves and fighting back, but Winston's methods are different. All-throughout these 4 chapters, we have learned that Winston releases his frustration though his sexuality. He knows that what he is thinking is bad, because if he is caught, he will get in trouble with the Thought Police. "Desire is a though crime," can lead us to believe that Winston had planned and executed his rebellion through his sexual motifs.