Secrets Have Consequences
In George Orwell’s 1984, the main characters Winston Smith and Julia learn that one lie or secret can accumulate into many lies or secrets and affects not only themselves, but everyone around them. In the beginning Winston and Julia question the Party’s activity, but fear to even think or say aloud how they feel about the Party’s actions. They begin to constantly lie and accumulate secrets which inevitably backs Winston and Julia into a corner, and leaves them with no other choice to betray the Party. Not only do the people in that society betray the Party, but the Party betrays its own people. By lying to them for many years and threating them with the things they most fear the Party has everyone brainwashed. In other words, characters’ lives, personalities, and so much more can change due to lies and secrets, just how Winston and Julia keep secrets and lie to the Party that affects their lives forever.
Initially, Winston began to question the Party’s actions, and keep secrets because he disagreed with the way they handled many situations. Also he worked for them, and had heard of some rumors dealing with their actions. Over the years Winston had found a diary and began to write about his memories and his day to day activity which was considered going against the Party and Big Brother. The Party dislikes free thinking and brainwashes its people to believe anything they say is true. The purpose of the diary is to try to remember things in the future since he cannot remember his past. Winston may disagree with the Party but is still in fear of the Party, and allows them to think that that they are in control of him. Winston talks about in his diary about desire to have physical interactions with a women who he is attracted to and loves. The Party does not allow people to marry or have physical interactions with people they love or find attractive because they do not want them to favor others over the Party. Winston meets a woman named Julia and is mesmerized by her beauty and is determined to have her. She gave him a note “[In] large uniformed handwriting: I love you.” (108). Later he finds out that they are both secretively on the same page about the Party and sees sex as a way of rebellion. They decided to meet in to woods where no one could find them. They decide they like the feeling and are doing it more for rebellion than anything. Still scared of being caught they meet in the church tower, but still nervous, they decide to rent a room from Mr. Carrington as a place of secrecy. It turns out no place is safe for them. The Party catches on to their activity and tortures them until they believe in big brother again, and fear The Party. In other words, Winston and Julia’s life was changed greatly due to their lies and secrets to the Party, just like what the Party does to its own people.
Furthermore, the Party kept secrets and lied to it people for centuries, but also expects its people to be honest with them. As evidence by when the Party has a Ministry of Plenty that lies and changes the statistics and history due to their political views. “Day and night the telescreens bruised your ears with statistics proving that people today had more food, more clothes, better houses, better recreations—that they lived longer, worked shorter hours, were bigger, healthier, stronger, happier, more intelligent, better educated, than people of fifty years ago. Not