1984

The Themes of Hope and Betray in the Novel Nineteen Eighty-four
Betrayal is a concept of one losing hope and trust in another. Unknowingly, one can be misled by individuals closest to them, allowing them to lose hope. For example, one can be a victim of deception by the disloyalty of a close friend they trust. Similarly, George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-four demonstrates one losing hope in the individuals they meet. The interwoven themes of hope and betrayal are evident through O’Brien, Julia, and Mr.Charrington as they betray Winston, and Oceania’s society since they are misled by Big Brother.
In the novel Nineteen Eighty-four, O’Brien successfully demonstrates the themes of hope and betrayal. As O’Brien’s character is introduced to the reader, one can note he is idealized by Winston. To Winston, O’Brien is an individual that is against Big Brother’s propaganda. The main character feels a sense of satisfaction when O’Brien is present. Winston tells the audience, he has, “a secretly-held belief- or perhaps not even a belief, merely a hope—that O’Brien’s political orthodoxy was not perfect” (Orwell, 13). Winston always hopes that O’Brien will side with him and help him find out history. Thinking O’Brien had the same thoughts as him, allowed Winston to be more confident and comfortable with himself. Winston believes O’Brien can help him achieve the freedom he wants. O’Brien’s character also portrays the theme of betrayal; all the hope Winston had in O’Brien quickly changes into deceit as he realizes, O’Brien is the individual who tortures him to love Big Brother. First, O’Brien pretends to be a part of the Brotherhood. He inducts Winston into the group, but does it to frame him for the ultimate crime. While in the jail cell Winston hears, “the same voice that had said to him, ‘we shall meet in the place where there is no darkness,’ in a dream seven years ago” (256). Throughout the book, the reader is told O’Brien says this in Winston’s dream earlier. To Winston the, “place with no darkness” referred to freedom, but in reality it was a jail cell where the lights are never turned off. Therefore, O’Brien demonstrated the themes of hope and betrayal.
Furthermore, Julia also signifies both themes of hopefulness and dishonesty towards Winston. Though in the beginning Winston hates the “dark-haired girl”, he soon realizes he loves her. Winston says, “It was merely one symptom of her revolt against the party and all its ways, and somehow it seemed natural and healthy” (129). Winston seems to trust Julia; he adores the fact she is rebellious towards Big Brother’s party. Winston hopes Julia would do something against the dictators as he is comforted by the fact, he is not the only one against the inner party’s propaganda. Winston also demonstrates hope as he believes his love for Julia is unconditional and will always be present. There are moments when he wished to marry her and stay close to her; he regrets the fact the party did not allow relationships between man and women. As the novel progresses, Winston’s hope for Julia is turned into betrayal. Both Winston and Julia promised they would not be disloyal to each other when caught. Much later, when Winston asks O’Brien about Julia, O’Brien tells him, “She betrayed you Winston/ . . . you would hardly recognize her if you saw her” (271). Both Julia and Winston could no longer take the pain of the torture and broke the promise they had made earlier. The love they had for each other was now gone, and neither of them wanted to continue being together. Therefore, Julia portrays the theme of hope and disloyalty.
While reading the novel one can justify Winston has optimism in Mr.Charrington. Mr.Charrington is the owner of a junk shop in the prole district. Winston, being an individual who contemplates political issues has hope in the old shop owner. Winston continuously writes in his diary, “If there is hope, it lies in the proles” (72). Mr.Charrington being a prole has the freedom Winston longs for; he believes proles are free individuals since they are not forced to have telescreens, that spy on them at all times. Winston believes because of the freedom, the proles have, and their large numbers, they can easily conspire against Big Brother. Subsequently, Mr.Charrington depicts the theme of betrayal as he breaks Winston’s trust. Winston had trusted Mr.Charrington when he had bought the diary, asked him questions about history and rented the room. Winston was told the room had no telescreens and would be well suited for his affair. While in the room, Winston and Julia are exposed to the fact that Mr.Charrington lied; there, in fact, was a telescreens in the room, it had been hiding behind a picture frame. At this point in the novel, both Winston and Julia realize they have been caught and betrayed and it was Mr.Charrington himself, who had been the voice in the telescreen. The narrator says, “It occurred to Winston that for the first time in his life he was looking, with knowledge, at a member of the thought police [Mr. Charrington]” (234). Therefore, Mr.Charrington demonstrates the interwoven themes of hope and betrayal.
In the novel Nineteen Eighty-four, the society of Oceania exemplifies hope in Big Brother. The people in Airstrip One carelessly follow what the telescreens tell them. The Two Minute Hate, news about food rations and war allow the society to believe, Big Brother is truly making a difference to make Ocean a better place. For example, Parsons, being proud of what the society has accomplished says, “The Ministry of Plenty’s certainly done a good job this year” (63). Parsons says this to Winston, after hearing the telescreens make the announcement about food rations. Being an individual who follows Big Brothers propaganda, Parson truly trust the party to help Oceania and its people in the best way possible. However, after contemplating about the situation, one is sensible to believe the people of Oceania are being betrayed by Big Brother. When Winston is being tortured in the jail cell, O’Brien tells him, “The party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power” (273). The society fails to realize they are being betrayed by Big Brother; they are forced to doublethink and cannot speak against the party. The people face pure dictatorship, but are told to believe its democracy. When any individual says anything against the party, they are brutally tortured, until they learn to love Big Brother, similar to what happens to Winston. Therefore, the community of Airstrip one demonstrates hope and then betrayal through what they believe.
In conclusion, themes of hope and betrayal are demonstrated through O’Brien, Julia, and Mr.Charrington as they deceive Winston, and Oceania’s society since they are misled by Big Brother. George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-four, educates one, as they are introduced to individuals that are untrustworthy. For instance, one may be betrayed by an individual they would not think, would misled. All hope is lost when one is betrayed by someone they trust.

Works Cited
Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-four. London: Penguin, 2008. Print

Cited: Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-four. London: Penguin, 2008. Print