1984 and Resistance

Orwell's novel presents a protagonist consumed with the desire to understand the present's relationship with the past. He places himself in danger, in harms way, by walking among the proles, speaking to them about the past and purchasing items that carry historical weight. Winston's desire to understand the historical takes the novel out of the present life of the Party member. In today's reading assignment, Winston not only writes about thoughts that fall outside of Ingsoc, he spends most of the time wandering in areas, physically and emotionally outside of Ingsoc. He speaks with an elderly man in the pub, probing for questions about a past of which the interrogated seems ignorant. He returns to the shop where he first wet his thirst for historical by buying the notebook. During this second visit he not only purchases a second object, a purposeless englassed piece of corral, he also transgresses with plans to return as he explores the second story. It is when he leaves the second-hand shop that he notes the suspicious woman in the area, incoincidentally close to his very much out her world shopping. 

The novel soon makes evident that the foreshadowing presented in regards to the woman has not been about investing in her as a betrayer of Winston. Rather, the foreshadowing (highlighting her involvement in Winton's life yet waiting to explain why) with regards to the woman with the scarlet sash was constructed to add weight to the revelation that she has feelings for him, as is revealed when she makes herself fall in his presence that he might help her to arise, allowing her the opportunity to slip him a note of affection. That the fulfillment of their emotions takes a few weeks to reach allows another representation of the forces of control at play in the world of the novel, especially under the control of the Party system. The exploration of their feelings for each other only really finds expression once the two have left the urban center, and this only after elaborate maneuvers to hide their directions and intentions from Party surveillance. In the first part of the text, the question explored was: how does party control affect verbal activities (talking, reading, thinking). In this next section, the novel explores how one might physically navigate through party controls, whether by walking in crowds, making oneself trip, not speaking one on one in view of the surveillance systems or fellow party members--only if your mouth appears not to be moving, ducking into crowds, and, importantly as Julia propounds, yelling loudly with them.

In the beginning of today's reading, Winston discusses how he, at times in his professional work, comes across information that undermines the Party's official record, noting a particular instance when three Party members who were supposedly off conspiring with another state were shown photographed in New York. Winston, then, represents the possibility and power of verbal resistance, whether in the information he finds, in his own writing, or in his own thinking and memory. In a complementary way, Julia represents the capacity and possibility of physical resistance: the best way to remain undetected is be very busy at work, in Party service, and in doing all of the little things. In doing all of the little things, no one suspects you for having trespassed bigger things. Julia's sexual exploits with multiple Party members attests to her ability to physical navigate through the Party's controls. Her exploits represent--for Winston, at least--a paramount of corruption and resistance. Winston celebrates any form of corruption that weakens the Party's  hold, whether verbal or physical.