Winston Smith: Rebel and Tragic Hero

Who is the first character who comes to your mind when you hear the word “hero”? Perhaps you think of Davy Crockett or Huckleberry Finn; but the truth is, there are different types of heroes in literature and fiction. Heroes do not necessarily have to be perfect, what makes them worthy of that distinction is their common sense and the choices they make. 1984, George Orwell’s magnum opus, has an unlikely hero in the form of Winston Smith, the main protagonist of the story. Winston’s strengths and heroic qualities rely on his nonconformism, individuality, and bravery. But can Winston be considered a true hero, or is he more an anti-hero/tragic hero? Winston’s positive qualities demonstrate he exhibits the attributes of a traditional hero, while his negative qualities demonstrate that heroes make mistakes and are not perfect; but looking beyond those faults is what truly makes a hero.

Winston is first described in detail during the opening chapters of the novel. The first page describes him entering his workplace in the middle of a “bright cold day in April,” “his chin nuzzled into his breast in an attempt to escape the vile wind.” He enters, but “not quickly enough to prevent a swirl of gritty dust from entering along with him.” (Orwell 1.) But this does not seem to deter him; so, from the very first description of his character, Winston is characterized as implacable and indomitable, as someone difficult to deter. This is a quality any good literary hero should possess.

At the time the novel takes place, Oceania is a totalitarian state where no one has freedom of mind or character; citizens are constantly surveilled, and their thoughts monitored, through cameras and TV sets, and the Thought Police. There are a series of rules that every Oceanian must follow, and those who fail to do so are quickly vaporized and disposed of. And this is where another key feature of Winston’s character comes into play: His rebellion. From the start, Winston is characterized as a nonconformist, a freethinker who is dissatisfied with the regime, as well as a visionary who holds revolutionary goals. He wastes no time in openly showing his discomfort; throughout the novel he associates himself with the Brotherhood, a resistance group which shares his revolutionary vision; and, in a recurring image throughout the novel, he keeps a personal journal, with a vital page in which he repeatedly writes “in large, neat capitals DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER.” (Orwell 18).

Winston is about to enter his forties when the novel starts and is an everyman, but he has a rebellious spirit akin to the troubled youth, and never fails to show his rebellious spirit, nonconformism, and individuality. And not only that, but he also possesses bravery, another vital feature to any literary hero. In a world where it seems everyone has lost hope or expectation for change, Winston is the only one who has the nerve to rebel against the regime, in an open, frank, ardent way. Winston seems to be the only one in the novel who is still able to function and reason like a human being, and that makes him the perfect lens towards the dangers of totalitarianism. “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two is four. If that is granted, all else follows.” He is inferring that if freedom is suppressed, everything else falls alongside it; but if freedom is respected, everything else flourishes alongside it. Winston hates totalitarian control, forced coercion, and repression, and represents the values of democracy, peace, and hope. He is a rebel, and his actions present a beacon of hope in the middle of such an undesirable world, which furthers his reputation as a hero.

Another key point of Winston’s character is his fascination for the past. His work demands knowledge of the past; he revises ancient documents and moral guides and manipulates them to keep up with the Party’s current vision. However, Winston seems to be more concerned with the original and unhindered version of the documents, which shows another truth about totalitarian governments: The hinderance and manipulation of facts to keep people in check and make them more suitable for dominion. “Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every street and building has been renamed, every date has been altered. History has stopped.” By showing a rapport for the past and understanding of multiple perspectives, Winston makes himself stand out from the rest of the citizens of Oceania. A true hero is supposed to stand out, so that is yet another heroic quality of Winston’s character.

At this point, Winston has demonstrated that he is brave, informed, individualistic, and a rebel for the good reasons. He possesses many of the qualities of a true literary hero; because of that, he is a figure which arouses sympathy in the audience, and readers can put themselves in his place. However, Winston is not free of mistakes or poor judgement.

Winston could be described as a “rebel without a cause”, defined by the dictionary as “a person who is dissatisfied with society, but does not have a specific aim to fight for.” Winston is highly idealistic, but said idealism makes him more a dreamer than a doer. He dreams of revolution but is unable to make a concise layout of what would happen after that. He is a born mutineer and insubordinate, but his rebellion ultimately amounts to nothing as he has no true power over the Party he seeks to overthrow.

Coupled with Winston’s assortment of good values are intense feelings of fatalism and paranoia. These feelings are portrayed very drastically, but they are justified, considering that the Party monitors the thoughts and actions of everyone. Winston has the necessary courage and rebellious spirit to assert his beliefs but is ultimately fatalistic; and that fatalism is what fuels his risk-taking nature, convinced that, either way, he is bound for perdition. “They’ll shoot me, I don’t care they’ll shoot me on the neck.” Winston is different from most literary heroes in that his heroic qualities are more driven by fatalism than a desire to succeed, and said fatalism is what causes him to not succeed in the end. However, Winston also has a lot of common sense, accepting his fate with honor.

Winston could be best described as a “tragic hero”: A literary figure who possesses many heroic attributes and arouses the sympathy of readers, but also has fatal flaws and makes careless mistakes which ultimately causes his downfall. Winston’s heroic qualities are his rebellious spirit, his bravery, and his unmatched individualism, in the middle of a world where everyone else seemed to lose these qualities. Winston may not be the first character that comes to your mind when you hear the word “hero”, but he is a hero in his own right. He is different from other heroes because of his idealism and fatalism which cause him to betray everything he once believed in. The last scene of the book is Winston in the room, playing chess and drinking gin, saying “I love Big Brother”, no longer being a threat to the system or a representative of true democratic values.

1984 is a political reflection and a tragic hero tale, which warns out about the dangers of totalitarian oppression, mind control, and fact manipulation. The protagonist of the novel, Winston Smith, possesses many heroic qualities, but is ultimately clouded by his carelessness and abandons his cause proving that he is not a flawless human being. He is still a very heroic figure because, despite his failure, he did give it his best to succeed, and his stronger qualities are emphasized more heavily than his weaker ones. It is ultimately up to the reader to judge by himself whether or not he considers Winston a true hero; but he is a good demonstration that people deserve the recognition of being heroes because of the qualities they possess and the choices they make, not because of the misfortunes they suffer.