Julia

 Julia is used in the book as a sexual object. Her entire story revolves around hooking up with Winston and other Party members. Before she was with Winston he commented about wanting to rape and murder her multiple times and after being with Winston this was just brushed off. 

She plays no role in the story other than to further Winston’s storyline. She had moments where it almost seemed like she was going to have some deeper character traits or storylines but it never ended up happening. All we know about her is that she rebelled from the Party in her own small ways but how it was talked about made her rebellion seem selfish compared to what Winston was trying to do, which I don’t think is fair to Julia, but maybe that’s just how I was interpreting it. Personally I think it would have been much more interesting/enjoyable if Julia had been a part of the Brotherhood. It would have added an interesting layer to her story. 

Julia is confusing to me because at times she seems very smart and interested in a resistance like on page 153 when she states that the war probably isn't real, but then on the next page it mentions how she didn’t realize that the Party constantly changed who they were supposedly fighting. These two instances just don’t seem like they would be from the same person. 

In the end she doesn’t really play any part in the story other than to further Winston’s plot and have sex with a bunch of Party members. She doesn’t have any interest in the Brotherhood or changing society in any way, on page 172 she doesn’t even speak for herself; it's just acknowledged that Winston will speak for her which removes any autonomy that she had. I feel like these instances made her character less likeable and made her almost entirely irrelevant. 

Overall I’m disappointed with how Julia was treated as a plot device instead of a character. She didn’t really seem to have any definable character traits and I thought her storyline was ignored when it could have been an interesting addition instead.

What do you guys think of Julia?

Do you think Julia was portrayed as being more selfish than Winston?

If you could change Julia’s storyline how would you adjust it or her character in general?

Do you think Julia’s storyline made sense/added to the story in a significant way?

Any other comments?


Comments

  1. L. MoffittMarch 12, 2021 at 9:48 AM

    I found Julia very unlikeable. I wanted desperately to have a female character in this book that I could root for, but she's so selfish and two-dimensional. I agree, I think she was a plot device. Not good, Orwell; do better.

    ReplyDelete
  2. rakeMarch 12, 2021 at 9:48 AM

    I was so excited when I read through the passages where Julia was basically acting like a genius undercover agent, taking tons of precautions and knowing maps and secret routes like the back of her hand. But then she became nothing more than Winston's lover and a plot device for Winston to begin engaging in consistent, serious thoughtcrime. Disappointed. Her character seems inconsistent, and maybe that's because we're seeing her through Winston's perspective, but I think a lot of aspect of Julia might have been missed opportunities.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anna ParkMarch 12, 2021 at 9:51 AM

    I agree that Julia is a confusing character because she seems smart at sometimes yet also very oblivious to some of the things the party does. She is definitely portrayed as a more selfish, only wanting sex, type character which makes her seem kind of shallow and just there as a prop like you said.

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