Character Analysis
Love is All You Need
Julia is Winston Smith’s Juliet. Is the name a coincidence? Probably not. A duplicitous and whimsical creature, her sexual allure inspires Winston to start the rebellious writings (because he fantasizes about her). She then acts as Winston’s ally in active rebellion, although her idea of revolt is more in-your-arms than up-in-arms. Julia is a dark-haired, twenty-six-year-old employed as a machine operator in the Fiction Department at the Ministry of Truth. Looking like a zealous Party member, she wears an (ironic) Anti-Sex sash around her waist, and always participates passionately during the Two Minutes Hate.
(Click the character infographic to download.)
Not So Happily Ever After
When Julia and Winston fall in love, they commit the biggest possible offense against the Party because of the newly constructed, shared, private loyalty to one another. Supposedly, if you love a person, you have less love left to give to the Party. We’re thinking the Beatles would come in handy about now, but the Thought Police would have our heads for that.
The moment Winston and Julia are captured signifies the importance of their bond. So what does it mean that the two betray each other? Perhaps that love is weak and feeble in the face of, um, rats. Or that, ultimately, people value themselves and their own safety more highly than their loved one. Or…you come up with one.
Julia's Timeline