Question: Evaluate the role that hope plays in directing the decisions of characters in 1984.
Good for: gathering essay evidence and formulating arguments.
Includes teacher feedback throughout.
Written by a band 6 student.
Evaluate the role that hope plays in directing
the decisions of characters in 1984
Hope is a fundamental aspect of the human condition it is vital in maintaining everything that
makes us human.
, containing the ability to shape our behaviour, decisions and ultimately, outlook on life Now
say why - what is its special ‘power’ to do this - in what ways does hope shape beh, dec +
outlook?]. George Orwell’s 1984 explores the role of hope [whose hope - which characters does
he use to show this?] against an oppressive totalitarian regime, influenced by his fears of
Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany. [what have such regimes taken from their populaces - what
do Orwell’s hopeful characters try to reclaim?] In 1984, Orwell ultimately shows that as hope
influences the decisions of characters such as Winston and Julia, it dooms their individual
humanity, but their actions allow it to persevere, upholding the humanity of the collective. Orwell
argues [does he rather illustrate this - examine a few of his methods of representing the
building/escalating hope and the more and more reckless decisions - his amplification of tension
as the stakes rise but so too does the feeling of freedom and excitement - until the bubble
bursts: the novels structure/contrasting scenes/ pivotal plot shifts/ symbolism related to hope
and risk/ nature of the dialogue when hopeful vs when despiring] that hope inspires us to take
agency over our lives, but simultaneously shows this hope to be futile, as seen with Winston
and Julia’s relationship. Julia is shown to be optimistic despite their bleak lives, believing she
can evade the Party “as a rabbit dodges a dog.”. Her hope allows her to live a more meaningful
life[expand] than other oppressed citizens [show a contrast with a character who is without
hope], as she is privy to the ‘Golden Country’ and her numerous affairs. She has had previous
success when she has hoped for pleasure and it makes her more reckless and bolder.
Furthermore, the couple’s belief that “they can’t make us betray each other” shows that despite
knowing that “[They] are the dead”, the shred of hope [in what?] they hold allows them to be
content with what they have and motivates them to continue rebelling by acting as individuals.
However, Orwell shows that hope cannot survive under the Party’s rule, suggesting that the
faith we, as humans, have in hope is naïve and unrealistic. Orwell foreshadowed the destruction
of Winston and Julia’s relationship through the symbolism of Julia as a rabbit – prey which is
inevitably caught – and the repetition of Winston’s pessimistic statement, “We are the dead.”
Orwell juxtaposes their earlier belief about betrayal with Julia saying “baldly” “I betrayed you” to
which Winston replied, “I betrayed you” and Julia giving him “another quick look of dislike”. The
utilitarian “baldly” and “quick” symbolise the lack of any emotional connection, whilst the direct
statements dehumanise the characters. This decline in their character symbolises the Party’s
dominance over the force of hope, as they forsake their love and promises to each other.
Therefore, Orwell shows hope to be powerful enough to inspire risking our lives and those that
we love, but is ultimately meaningless as it can be wielded to destroy us.
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