1984 Chapter 6 - Book 2, Chapter 2
Winston continues to write in his journal. He writes about an encounter he had with a prostitute, one who had aged rather poorly. The Party doesn’t quite believe in punishing the Outer Party members for having sex with prostitutes, but it doesn’t allow the practice openly. The Party has a very staunch viewpoint that sex is merely for reproduction and that it should be thoroughly without joy. All marriages in Oceania are approved by the Party, and women are taught from a young age that sex is an abhorrent activity that must only be practiced after marriage and even then just for reproduction. The Party is especially thorough in ensuring there is no sliver of attraction between a married couple, and the young men and women of the Anti-Sex league ensure that their peers aren’t swayed by the passions of love ahead of marriage. The Party uses these means to discourage the people from experiencing love for one another.
He recalls his marriage with Katharine, who had been reasonably attractive, and he had married her with a semblance of happiness. The marriage had turned to ash in his mouth as Katharine had soon proved to be an unlovable partner despite all of his efforts to try and connect with her. Their relationship troubles were only exacerbated in the bedroom. At first, Winston was excited at the prospect of making love to his newlywed wife, but the experience proved to be quite horrifying. Katharine submitted to Winston’s touch yet she did it with such repugnance and disgust that Winston was horrified. His desire for sex quickly faded and he assumed that he would be able to live with her as a platonic partner, but Katharine was insistent. She had been wholly brainwashed to not only believe that sex was a disgusting activity but also central to the progress of the Party through its reproductive benefits. Eventually, Winston could no longer stand to remain in the marriage, and he requested that they be separated. The Party had outlawed divorce so Winston was technically still married to Katharine, who was alive and well somewhere else.
This experience with the prostitute had further altered Winston’s perception of sex, since the woman’s willingness for it had been just as repulsive as Katharine’s reluctance. Now, Winston fantasized about having sex with women who claimed to be ‘virtuous’ in their approach to sex, eventually causing them to enjoy the act with him.
Winston sets down his pen and examines a children’s history book that he had borrowed from Mrs. Parsons. The book paints a horrifyingly inaccurate picture of Capitalism during the mid and later 20th century as it explains why the Party rose to power. Winston struggles with the contents of the book as he tries to recall whether things had truly been as devastating as the book describes, however, he is unable to recollect any memories from the time before the revolution no matter how hard he tries. His thoughts then turn towards his job, which is essentially a means for the Party to control the past and thus memory. He wonders whether he is the only individual who realizes that the Party’s version of the past is not real.
The most damning piece of evidence about this fact came to him at work, and probably due to an error. He had received an old picture from a magazine that showed Jones, Aaronson, and Rutherford at an event on the date they had confessed to being in enemy territory. Jones, Aaronson, and Rutherford were important political figures from the rebellion, and they held key leadership roles in the government of Big Brother. Their time in power had come to an abrupt end when they disappeared and later reappeared as enemies of the state. They had confessed to consorting with the enemy against Big Brother, and been ostracised for their betrayal. Winston had found the picture that proved their innocence, but he had incinerated the document along with his other work without ever showing it to anyone. The knowledge of this lie had forever changed his understanding of the past and forced him to consider whether knowing the truth made him insane. The recollection of these memories leads Winston to conclude that true freedom had to be with the liberty of thought and that it was freedom to think two plus two makes four, contrary to the Party slogan.
He heads into the city and wanders through the markets of the proles, where he is nearly killed by one of the many small rockets that are directed at the city by the enemies of Oceania. He wanders into a bar and meets a truly old man, who might have memories from before the revolution. Winston fails to gather any significant information from the nearly senile drunk old man. He then makes his way to the shop where he had bought his dairy and browses the store with the assistance of the sophisticated yet somewhat desperate shop owner, Mr. Charrington. He purchases a beautiful paperweight that has a coral in its center and is shown a room without a Telescreen above the shop filled with old relics. The room piques his interest, but as Winston is leaving the shop he notices Julia nearby and he begins to worry that she is a member of the thought police who is following him.
The next day, he encounters a visibly nervous Julia at work, and she covertly hands him a note with “I Love You” written on it. He is extremely taken aback but also very excited by the letter. Winston finds an opportunity to speak to her during their lunch break and in the canteen. They rendezvous in public, and Julia gives him directions to a place in the country where they can meet away from spying eyes on a Sunday. He makes his way to a secret meadow with Julia’s instructions, and they begin to discuss the taboo of sexual intercourse. Julia confides in him as she tells him that she has done this with several other men in the past and that breaking this law excites her. It excites Winston as well, and they have sex in the meadow. Winston understands that discovery of their actions would mean certain death, and so they leave separately without making plans for their next rendezvous.
Analysis
The author focuses on Winston in this section of the book, as Winston uses the diary as a means of organizing his thoughts. Winston recounts a difficult life led according to the principles of the Party that have yielded him little to no happiness. The author demonstrates how unfulfilling the world would be without love, an emotion that the Party has tried to wipe clean out of society. The Party believes that love is a powerful emotion that can interfere with the order of things, and so the Party tries to ensure that it never develops among its citizens. The Anti-Sex league is one such powerful tool that the Party uses to create a feeling of hostility among the young and unmarried members of its society. Winston recounts his marriage with a woman who had been thoroughly indoctrinated by the Party’s ideology, and the dysfunctional relationship they had shared. Winston also realizes that the Party’s oppression is not just limited to the physical world but also his cognitive world. He realizes that the Party is trying to limit the very consciousness of human beings, as it strives to make them believe the things that hold.
On the other hand, the readers also realize that dissension against the Party exists despite the extensive measures that the Party has taken to realize its goals. This becomes evident as the relationship between Julia and Winston begins to develop. The author indicates the presence of rebellion and freedom through their characters, as they break several laws to be with one another. The two characters are not motivated by love, however, it is also obvious that their act is not simply one of lust either. Winston’s thoughts tell us that he views the action as a means of political rebellion, much like Julia, who claims to have had several sexual partners from the Party. These characters indicate that no matter the severity of oppression, expressions of freedom will always take place.
