Search For Identity In George Orwell's 1984
The search for one’s identity and one’s reason for existence is almost inevitable in the course of a human life. In George Orwell’s 1984, however, this is not the status quo. Under a dystopian totalitarian government referred to by the name of its figurehead, “Big Brother”, the citizens of Oceania are oppressed, stripped of their individuality, and exist solely to serve the state even, or rather especially, if it requires betraying one’s family, friends, or neighbors. Winston Smith, the story’s protagonist, rebels against this, first subconsciously, and then consciously. His journey to obtain his own freedom, his own purpose, and to understand the world around him and how this journey impacts him is the novel’s focus. Winston’s journey