Truth And Untruth In George Orwell's '1984'

Orwell explored the perils of “truth and untruth” in his classic novel, 1984. It is through Julia and Winston’s forbidden affair that they discover that “Love is a lie”. Do you agree? Discuss.
George Orwell, identified as being destructive to the welfare of a free and open society with his novel 1984, reveals the relationship amongst the meticulous Winston and Julia in a manner that alters people’s perspectives. It is through their condemned affair that the pair evinces that love is admittedly a fraudulent lie. Powerlessly living in a restricted and manipulated world, Winston and Julia have their lives subjugated through a convoluted system of cultural conditioning. Betrayal is fortified by the government, in an attempt to ultimately diminish
trust and its meaning completely by affirming that any act of treachery towards Big Brother will be dealt with. It is merely the idea of love that attracts both Winston and Julia to each other. Their relationship was portrayed solitarily as a voluptuous act, irrefutably fuelled with the thirst to be unconstrained of ascendancy. The deriving urgency and proclivity to rebel against Big Brother in any conceivable way transpired the betrayal amongst the pair, thus suggesting that the reputed love was a pretentious mendacity from the beginning.
What is true love? One of the most intricate interrogations of humanity, it becomes too fundamentally perplex to interpret. What is true hate? Do we hate because we’re afraid, or are we afraid because we hate? Is it true that those who hate most vigorously must have once loved profoundly? Of the many contradictions that exist in our world, the comparison between love and hate is perhaps the starkest. In 1984, there is no true love. Essentially, the absence of love is what resembles the dystopic nature of Oceania’s society. Psychological mind tactics compel the citizens of Oceania to helplessly and solitarily love their leader, Big Brother.
Although, of the love adduced by the citizens, none is genuine. From the moment Winston looked in the eyes of Julia’s, he gathered an immediate emotion of antagonism towards her. He believed it was because of the “atmosphere of hockey-fields and cold baths and community hikes and general clean-mindedness which she managed to carry about her. He disliked nearly all women, and especially the young and pretty ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies and nosers-out of unorthodoxy.” (Pg. 11) Winston had instantaneously become suspicious of the bold-looking girl. She somewhat presented an obscurity upon herself. He believed she was an ardent member of the party, working surreptitiously to procure all those against Big Brother; those committing the deplorable act of thoughtcrime. Malignant and abrasive visions infiltrated Winston’s mind, where he would callously rape and murder Julia. Quite instantly, Winston’s assumption of Julia deviates from wanting to entirely slaughter her, to developing an unfathomable
and enigmatic yearn for her existence, all because of three enthralling words; “I love you.” (2.1) in reading this, Winston irreversibly felt that he was no longer isolated. Vulnerability emerged his desire to be with Julia. It is a human necessity for companionship although in the party’s society, this is forbidden. By being with Julia, Winston felt as though he could disclose his actual sentiments and opinions about the party to her; appealing greatly to him that he was not alone. “Not merely the love of one person, but the animal instinct, the simple undifferentiated desire: that was the force that would tear the Party to pieces.” (Pg. 126) This quote explains that love itself will not desolate the party; however the identical longing by people to do so, shall do so. Likewise, by Winston having Julia as his partner proves that he is not delirious for disagreeing with the party. He feels that as long as they are together, he can prove to himself that he is in fact judicious. The stimulating impulse for the end of their confinement; the predisposition that they were no longer desolate, triggered the pair of insignificant and infatuated “lovers” to their decisive mutiny against the party. Consequently, such insurgence, led both Winston and Julia have their utmost betrayal exposed.
Physical attraction is a desire for sexual intimacy. It’s the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state. Sometimes, this attraction is beyond our will. This longing and attraction is one of the characteristics the party is trying to eliminate from their society. If any type of physical attraction is exposed to the party, it could quite possibly result in death. When we are first introduced to both Julia and Winston, we most instantly come to the realisation of the staggering disparity amongst the pair. Besides the fact that they share related hatred towards the party and sexual desire; they are two genuinely different people, even so opposing. Winston’s fragility and deficiency shows his overall state of decrepitude. However Julia is a younger woman with a resilient and cunning spirit, fulfilling her life with that of sexual acts. “She had had her first love-affair when she was sixteen.” (2.3) this quote suggests that Julia has had many men in her life before Winston. Is he just another sexual object in which she uses to rebel against the Party with? It makes us believe that once she is done with him, she will find another man to replace her sexual crave with. Although Julia has sex as a form of rebellion against the party, this rebellion is entirely related to her own desires; not to destroy the party. Winston is a shrewd character. However, after reading the letter given to him by Julia, it seems as though all his intelligence grew lost in his desire. “He thought of her naked, youthful body, as he had seen it in his dream.” (2.1) this quote suggests Winston’s love is not genuine. His “love” lays rather his eyes then his heart. It also proposes that she could only rouse the deceased being inside of him through the illegal act of sex. The pining for sexual activity from Winston and Julia initiated insurgence to an extent in which it could no longer be controlled.
Furthermore, there is a magnetism about the forbidden that makes it indescribably beguiling.
We always long for the forbidden things, and desire what is denied us. Desire is the essence of the human soul; the secret of our existence. Dispel this desire from our world, and you get a world of tedious beings that have no reason to live, and no reason to die. 1984 is all about dispelling such desire. The people of Oceania are induced to believe they have no reason to live other than for the legacy of their leader. It is a world where no independent thought can exist and individual pleasure is ludicrous. Winston is lost and embedded in this world. He can no longer stand such perpetual confinement; he is tired of being an anonymous object. In Winston’s journey, he tried to find ways of defining himself. With the arrival of Julia, there was more impudence for Winston to find his identity. Even if the person he found, in this case Julia, was nothing more than his quintessence of his hatred for the Party, he had still found a position for which he could discharge his gap of nonexistence. “And what he wanted, more even than to be loved, was to break down that wall of virtue, even if it were only once in his whole life. The sexual act, successfully performed, was rebellion. Desire was thoughtcrime.” (1.6.16) Sex was seen simply as a politically rebellious act by Winston. Such rebellion elucidated him. He could finally exist with a purpose other than that of Big Brother. A perceptible
drive for rebellion was unmistakably demonstrated through Winston’s actions; otherwise he would not have pursued meeting with Julia under such portentous conditions, if he did not feel transposed to risk his life. The worst pain in the world goes beyond the physical. Even further beyond any other emotional pain one can feel. It is the betrayal of another. Winston eventually discovers that in the city of Oceania, he can never be a true individual. Likewise, Winston comes to the realisation that love cannot and does not exist in such life. “She betrayed you, Winston. Immediately-unreservedly.” (Pg. 271) Julia is the first to betray. Winston was told that she had done it instantaneously; no reluctance, no doubt. He then finds himself in Room 101, subjected to his worst nightmare, his greatest fear. At this point Winston reaches his breaking point, with all destined betrayal to be exposed. “Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don't care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia! Not me!" (Pg. 289) With this being said, we discover that neither Julia nor Winston loved each other truly to stay loyal in Room 101. The only love to exist in Oceania is that of Big Brother.
To conclude, in 1984 betrayal is a fundamental aspect of society. Julia and Winston no longer want to feel as if they are alone. Knowing that they share same hatred towards the party comforts them. They continuously live with the intention to rebel against the party through sexual activity with one another. Finally, they are captured by the party and exposed to their biggest fear, everyone’s biggest fear; Room 101. I believe to truly love someone; you would risk it all for them. No matter what life faces you with. However when the pair are faced with their greatest fear, they ultimately deceive each other, without reluctance. The distinction between truth and untruth in their usual meaning, no longer exists. This is the great mental triumph of totalitarianism; it cannot be denounced of lying any longer since it has succeeded in nullifying the very idea of truth. There is no true love in Oceania. Except of course, for their leader; Big Brother.