1984 Sexuality and the Search for Truth

A detailed Summary of 1984 Sexuality and the Search for Truth

Sexuality and the Search For Truth in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four

The question of the existence of human nature has been a popular topic in modern literary works. Authors such as Shelly and Freud seem to agree that there is such a thing, however, they disagree on its attributes. Orwell also believes that human nature does exist but he takes it a step further than simply acknowledging its existence. Rather, in 1984 he uses such themes as truth and sexuality to enhance the attributes of human nature. There characteristics, Orwell believes, are insuppressible. Orwell believes that it is innate for humankind to be sexual beings, and to be in pursuit of truth. In the course of 1984, these themes continually appear. It is Orwell's intention, I believe, to show that in a "utopian" society such as depicted in 1984, it is the undeniable existence of human nature that will cause the downfall of the state.

The reoccurring theme of the search for truth is best depicted as Winston's unwillingness to accept the Ingsoc tenet of doublethink. Doublethink is the acknowledgment that two contradictory prepositions can both be true simultaneously. Quite obviously the color black can not be both black and white, however, in Oceania under the

Philip Rahv acknowledges in his criticism, "The Unfuture of Utopia," that O'Brien is the revealer of the Party's quest for total power. He states that O'Brien does, in fact, embody the Party's objective truth, but his psychological truth is not revealed. Rahv claims that the "motivation in the psychological economy of the novel remains unclear" (p 315). I, however, believe that Orwell did this intentionally to show that in 1984, there is no such thing as an individual. Only the Party exists. When Winston asks O'Brien in the Ministry of Love if Big Brother exists in the way that he exists, O'Brien replies "You do not exist" (p 172), thus showing that in the utopian society of this novel, there is no individual, entailing no individual psychology. O'Brien is very much stripped of his humanness and completely assimilated into the Party. He has no psychology. He only knows to be true what the party tells him.

Perhaps it seems as if I've overlooked the ending of 1984 when Winston professes his love for Big Brother. Although our hero succumbs to the Party, all is not lost. The themes that Orwell touches on in his novel acknowledge the absolute existence of the qualities of human nature. These qualities cannot be overcome successfully in the long run. When Winston completely assimilates into the Party, Orwell is not suggesting that we are hopeless against totalitarianism. Rather, the fact that Winston loses his individuality creates hope in all of Orwell's readers. We, as members of humankind, can relate to Winston and Julia because we share their innate desires. This novel was written to convince reader to become more politically aware so that the events in 1984 do not occur. Orwell's work is not a prediction, rather, it is a warning. He suggests that the disciplines of history and philosophy should be preserved. Ethics and literature also play an important role on society and should not be subjected to general relativism. Orwell believes that people are inherently good, whether they are in search of truth or fulfilling their natural sexual desires. This normative ethic would exist even if there were no minds to comprehend it, which is what makes it independent. This natural goodness cannot be suppressed because it is innate in all of us. Even when Winston gives

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Approximate Word count = 1533
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels