Happy ending
In the end all Winston ended up doing was wasting everyone's time. He ends up roughly where he was at the start of the book, but no longer has any doubts about big brother. He used to live in constant fear of big brother, but now when he sees big brother he feels happy and safe.
I think that this ending is actually a happy ending. Winston defeats his fear of big brother by learning to love big brother. He ends the book with a better living situation than he had at the beginning. As a member of the party he is living a better life than pretty much everyone else in the country. I don't think that Orwell intends this ending as a happy ending, but speaking objectively, Winston has moved up in the world from the start to the end of the book. Orwell suggests that because Winston has lost his free will, his life has lost value and therefore he is worse off by the end of the book. I don't think that this is the case. Would you rather live as Winston on the first page or on the last page?
I mean you are objectively right that Winston is simply in a better place as before. He even fits into the world more so yay happy ending for him. It's not, however, a happy ending for me as the reader. 1) Winston didn't die, 2) Julia's still Julia and she didn't get any kind of character arc, 3) I don't love Big Brother so why do I care that Winston loves Big Brother?
ReplyDeleteI agree that the "happy ending" for Winston is not the same "happy ending" that the reader hopes for.
DeleteHonestly I couldn't help but to feel a little happy for Winston at the end when he was blissfully ignorant. His "job" is also much more relaxed at the end of the novel
ReplyDeletebut I think it's impossible to say he's objectively better now than he was at the start of the novel. Personal well-being varies so much from individual to individual, so while he might fit your objectives for happiness, i don't think he fits his own
DeleteThe last line of this book is one of the most quoted last-lines-of-books in the English language, and it is meant to be kind of devastating. I'd never considered it a happy ending -- Winston is barely a shell of a human being -- but you present an interesting viewpoint. In an odd way, the book ends in a world that is the drabber, less fun version of BNW, where people spout brainless aphorisms and love Big Brother or Ford.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting arguement, for sure. I think similarly to how we spoke about BNW, it could be simply better to be blissfully ignorant rather than miserably knowledgable.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's not the typical happy ending, but now that you make these points, maybe I would rather live as Winston on the last page.....
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting interpretation of the ending, because I didn't see it this way at all. You're right that Orwell heavily pushes the idea that, since Winston no longer has free will, his life no longer has value. There are some other downsides to Winston's state at the end of the book like his alcoholism, though. I honestly would rather live as Winston at the beginning, mostly just because he doesn't have the trauma of extreme torture. Also the idea of free will being the ultimate freedom is so deeply ingrained in our society that I value my ability to make choices for myself.
ReplyDeleteGood point about the torture. Winston isn't happy so much as broken.
DeleteIt's definitely easier to live under Big Brother as a willing subject than a dissenter, so it's certainly more appealing to be Winston on the last page than the first page. They're going to shoot him someday soon, which isn't pleasant, but I suppose now that Winston loves Big Brother he'll be okay with it.
ReplyDeleteI think I would much rather be Winston on the first page. Although Winston on the last page is free, or as free as he can be, and has a good life, Winston in the beginning had his own beliefs and he had hope. Winston at the end has none of that, just the information and beliefs foisted upon him by the party.
ReplyDeleteTrue -- he was an individual at the beginning. He's a gin-swilling robot at the end.
DeleteI agree, except the happiness of it is kind of ironic as well. However, there is a lot of room to extrapolate, given all of the ambiguity in certain parts of the ending.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's interesting right I mean he poses an interesting dilemma for the reader-- would you rather stick to your morals and be unhappy or be mindless and happy? Personally, in 1984 specifically? I would definitely want to be ending Winston and not beginning Winston.
ReplyDeleteThe blissful ignorance of Winston at the end, plus his new standing is technically better than before. He no longer lives out of fear. I guess it is a happy ending for Winston. All of his fears are gone, but there's a big tradeoff with the lack of individuality. I feel like it's easier to say that I'd like to be first-page Winston with free thought, than to actually live it.
ReplyDeleteI'd much rather be like Winston at the end of the book. This society seems too far gone to ever recover, so I don't have any hope that a rebellion would be successful. I would much rather assimilate into the world than try to rebel like Winston and face the consequences.
ReplyDeleteInitially I thought it was kind of sad for Winston, but after reading your points, maybe it is pretty blissful.
ReplyDeleteInteresting point. In reality, I simply don't want to be Winston. But if I had to choose, probably the Winston at the beginning. He is so innocent, and doesn't understand what's around him.
ReplyDelete