Literary Criticism Paper

An archetype Is a reoccurring pattern of Images, symbols, or a situation. The hero archetype Is one who tries to fulfill a necessary task and tries to restore Justice to a society. The hero will commonly go through the hero’s journey in search for truth and information on restoring Justice to a society. All archetypal heroes share certain characteristics. In 1984, by George Orwell, Winston follows the hero’s cycle because there is nothing told of his childhood, he looses favor with the Party, and Winston is not burled after all.

Throughout the book ‘We are told nothing of his holding” (Garry 1 1 ) besides the few memories or dreams he shares with Julia or himself. After waking up crying one morning, Winston shares a memory of his childhood Tijuana; he recalls the time him and his sister and mother spent most of their days in underground shelters, hiding from air raids. Many times, Winston and his family went without food. From starving one day, Winston stole chocolate from his mother and sister and ran away, never seeing them again.

Winston constantly dreams about his mother and Is convinced he murdered her because he stole her chocolate and left her there to starve. However, his subconscious Is his only road to the truth. Although the reader is given small memories on his childhood “nothing remained of his childhood except a series of bright-lit tableaux occurring against no background and mostly unintelligible” (Orwell, 3). Implying, the reader is not really told anything of his childhood besides the subconscious memories and few unclear images In 1984, the God Is represented through Big Brother.

This Is true because Big Brother Is perceived as the ruler of Oceania and he Is a very high figure to the people. Big Brother’s face is constantly being broadcasted and he is even stamped on he coins. Thus, Winston “Later loses favor with the gods and/or his subjects” (11) by wanting to do many rebellious acts and hateful thoughts. For example, Winston begins to have sex with Julia, which was only, “a blow struck against the Party” (126).

Implying there was no true emotion towards Julia and Winston and Julia only had sex to rebel against the Party because having sex Is a major crime In Oceania. Also, Winston looses his support towards the Party shown when he wrote “Down with Big Brother” in his diary. Again, signifying his hatred towards the society and writes to mind people of the better times in Oceania and writes about what it used to be and what it can still become. Towards the end of the book Winston and Julia are surrounded by troops of the Thought Police.

From there Winston is taken to the horrid Room 101 where he Is tortured. Room 101 holds the person’s greatest fear and for Winston It Is rats. As the rats come closer to his face he yells, “Do It to Julia! Do It to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don’t care what you do to her. Tear her face off strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia! Not me! ” (286). It is here Winston betrayals Julia and fully egging to believe and love Big Brother and the Party. Winston did not only betrayal Julia, but he also abandons himself.

Winston follows the hero cycle because “His body is not buried, but nevertheless” (1 1 Meaning the Ministry of Love broke and tortured his mind and will and mentally killed him but Winston Is still physically living. Hang out with Julia. However, he is essentially a slave because he cannot express any of his own feelings of rebellion, including to himself in the privacy of his mind. Winston was a very mentally strong character who understood the corrupt world he ivies in while nobody else does.

During the beginning of the book he does not find any pleasure in Big Brother and as the story progresses he starts to love Big Brother. His goal is to change society’s means and gain the freedom of thought back. However, he is a bizarre hero because he is middle-aged, has an average intelligence, and is very weak. He is a hero, although, with different heroic characteristics. Finally he is a hero because, Winston childhood is a mystery, his support for the Party is lost, and he becomes a walking slave for the Party and Big Brother.