Ahmadian1

HosseinAhmadian

ENG3U

Ms.Sadeghi

April 1, 2014

Symbolic significance of Winston’s dreams

Dreams in literature are often used as a literary device in order to reveal or foreshadow significant events and themes. When characters’ dreams are described, they often help the reader better understand their emotional and psychological development. In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, Winston Smith has multiple dreams throughout the novel which reveal his horrifying past and foreshadow his future. Winston’s dreams of Julia and O’Brien are symbolic of his hope for freedom because both dreams show a bright future for him. On the other hand, his dreams of his mother and sister bring guilt and regret, confining him to his dark past. These dreams portray how Winston is trapped within himself since he cannot decide whether he wants to think positive or negatively. He has a dream of Julia right after having a horrifying dream of his mother sinking below him in a ship. It is evident how Winston’s brain is not thinking straight as he is having a positive dream right after a negative one. Overall, Winston’s dreams represent the dichotomy of his existence; on the one hand they are symbolic of his hope for freedom while on the other, they represent the darkness by which he is chained.

Winston’s dreams of O’Brien and Julia represent his hope for freedom. Winston’s dream of O’Brien proves that he knows that he will be encountering O’Brien later in the novel however he is not aware that the reason is for commitment of crime and not what he initially thinks in the dreams. In his dream, Winston envisions meeting O’Brien and being told that he will meet him “in a place where there is no darkness”(Orwell, 27) which shows that Winston has hope in meeting O’Brien in a place where there are no secrets held and that the government will not be present. It gives Winston a great deal of hope in that there will be freedom through the elimination of the Party with the help of O’Brien. In addition, Winston has a desire to be rebellious. Winston does not have a desire in women’s beauty but rather how rebellious they are towards the government. Winston dreams of meeting a girl, Julia, in which he mentions that he is overwhelmed “in that instant admiration for the gesture with which she had thrown her clothes aside. With its grace and carelessness, it seemed to annihilate a whole culture” (33). It’s effectively demonstrated by George Orwell that Winston has no passion in Julia’s beauty, however he greatly admires her sense of rebellious attitude towards the government by the way she takes off her clothes. Winston believes that being rebellious towards the government will ultimately overthrow the party in which everyone in Oceania will gain freedom.

Furthermore, Winston’s dreams reveal his dark and gloomy past with his mother and sister in which he is guilty about. Winston has a dream about his mother and sister in which he imagines that they are on a sinking ship and Winston is watching them sink below him. Winston mentions that “They were being sucked to death, and they were down there because he was up here.” (32). It is evident that Winston , as a child, had been a nuisance towards his mother and further believes that the cause of his mother’s death had been caused by his actions as a child. Furthermore, Winston has a dream of his mother which shows his regret for his actions as a child. Winston wakes up “with his eyes full of tears” (167) , and proceeds to tell Julia that he “didn’t murder her. Not physically” (167) referring to his mother. He goes onto tell his story about him as a child and how he is a pest towards his mother since “he would cry out with rage when she stopped ladling” (169). He believes that all of his actions led to his mother’s death and greatly regrets what he had done.

Through Winston’s dreams of O’Brien, Julia, and his mother, 1984 represent Winston’s hope for freedom as well as representing the dark past which he is chained. Winston’s dream of O’Brien and Julia effectively represent how he is hopeful in overthrowing the government and gaining freedom. Alternatively, Winston has reappearing dreams of his mother and sister in which reveal the hidden guilt and regret he has from his previous actions as a child. 1984 is an excellent work of literature because it effectively displays the dichotomy of Winston’s existence through his dreams.

Work Cited Page

Orwell, George.Nineteen Eighty-four. New York: Penguin Group, 2008. Print.