Winston And Julia In Love Research Paper

WWinston and Julia in Love: The Theme of 1984 by George Orwell
It is apparent that there are many themes present in the book 1984 and there have been many arguments as to which one is the most significant, but it seems obvious that the most prevalent one is that love is the best aspect in life. While the world of 1984 is one where love is nearly impossible to exist, a pair of souls, Winston and Julia, beat the devastating odds and loved each other despite the certain doom they faced. There has been some argument as to whether Julia and Winston really loved each other, but after closely analyzing the book it is clear that they do. If love can have such a significant effect on one in the present world, just imagine how it could change life for the better for one in the world of 1984. This is why the only good thing in Winston Smith’s life is his relationship with Julia.
Firstly, because of Julia’s influence Winston grew dramatically healthier and happier.
Before Winston and Julia got together, Winston was often very sick, very depressed, thin, continuously drinking, and had a varicose ulcer on his ankle that caused him pain and misery. After the pair met, however, Winston’s whole life turned around. “Winston had dropped his habit of drinking gin at all hours. He seemed to have lost the need for it. He had grown fatter, his varicose ulcer had subsided… the process of life had ceased to be intolerable (Orwell, 124).” Not only did he grow healthier physically, but mentally too. Julia was someone Winston could talk to about his thoughts and beliefs, and she was someone he could confide in. She also showed Winston that it was possible to go behind the Party’s back and do things that were forbidden, things that could show him life and make him happy. Winston had the weight of a world of mixed feelings on his shoulders before he found Julia, who shares many of his thoughts; in that sense, Julia was a great companion for Winston to relate
with. 

Secondly, Julia is the one and only reason Winston has to fight for when against O’Brien’s tortures. When Winston is in the Ministry of Love in Part III, his body and mind are being broken down and ultimately destroyed, but he has visions of Julia and the memories of how much he loves, cherishes, and cares for her is the strength he needs to fight the Party. In one part, Winston actually feels Julia’s presence, and he thus knows that he must hold on for her sake. “Julia! Julia! Julia, my love! Julia!” For a moment he had had an overwhelming hallucination of her presence. She had seemed to be not merely with him, but inside him. It was as though she had got into the texture of his skin. In that moment he had loved her far more than he had ever done when they were together and free. Also, he knew that somewhere of other she was still alive and needed his help (Orwell, 230).” Winston, it is clear, would not have been able to hold onto his mind or his beliefs for as long as he did when against the Party if he was not able to recall Julia, her love for him, and his love for her. Without Julia, Winston would not have had anything to dream of or live for, and he likely would have caved much quicker under O’Brien than he actually did in the novel. 

Most importantly, Julia is the one who helps Winston to experience love and passion, as he never had before. She contacts Winston and risks being turned into the Thought Police by him because of her love for him. She also opens his eyes to the powerful emotions and feelings in the world that their bodies can experience, the ones that the Party is trying to get rid of. Their passion for each other is not expressed anywhere in the novel better than when they first meet. “The next moment, it was hard to say by whose act, she was in his arms. At the beginning he had no feelings except sheer incredulity. The youthful body was strained against his own, the mass of dark hair was against his face, and yes! actually she had turned her face up and he was kissing the wide red mouth. She had clasped her arms about his neck, she was calling him darling, precious one, loved one (Orwell, 100).”
It is obvious that the two feel very strongly and passionately for each other, and they brighten one another’s life by risking being together. Some have argued that their relationship is merely shallow and physical, however it is clear throughout the novel that Winston and Julia show much love and commitment towards each other, and to accuse them of being in the relationship solely for the act of sex is a terrible misconception of the bond they share. They lie together, yes, but they also yearn to just stand side by side, to gaze into each other’s eyes, to touch one another’s fingertips, and to hold each other’s hand; most importantly, they converse. Several times throughout the novel the pair is found discussing life, the past, and the Party. If they were together only for sex and the physical aspects of a relationship, then they obviously would not bother with this couple-like act of compassion and love. Winston and Julia share a strong and important bond that is the only aspect in Winston’s life that keeps him fighting against the Party and living life day-to-day.
If Winston had never met and had a relationship with Julia, his life would have been terribly miserable and he would have been far worse off. Julia made Winston happy, healthy and strong, and she showed him love that he would never have otherwise experienced. As lovers from the past had also done, the two sacrificed for each other, and their love made them stronger. Love, whether arguable or not, is blatantly the strongest and longest lasting force in the universe. It brings people together, brightens lives, and gives the people of the world something to fight for. Love is the most powerful emotion one can experience, and relationships are the best aspect in our lives.