he can finally act on his hatred of the Party. Winston finds the audacity to confide in more people, and to even begin reading Goldstein’s handbook. Although Julia is by his side throughout this whole time, she does not invoke any actions from Winston. Unlike Montag, all of Winston’s actions are rooted in his own thoughts, not the thoughts of others. Julia is that spark that Winston needs.Because Winston’s hatred of the Party has been instilled in him for years, his thoughts, unlike those of Montag’s, are carefully planned out. For years, he has sat “in an alcove in his dingy apartment, just out of view of the telescreen … and [written] of his hatred for Big Brother” (Stanley, 1999). Winston is extremely pensive and curious, desperate to understand how and why the Party exercises such absolute power in Oceania. Through Winston’s reflections, Orwell has a “chance to explore the novel’s important themes” (Smith, 1985). Even while committing such rash acts as confiding in O’Brien, Winston has already analyzed his every move. Smith states this in his 1985 essay:Deep down, he knows that these risks will increase his chances of being caught by the Party; he even admits this to O'Brien while in prison. But because he believes that he will be caught no matter what he does, he convinces himself that he must continue to rebel. Winston lives in a world in which legitimate optimism is an impossibility; lacking any real hope, he gives himself false hope, fully aware that he is doing so. (p. 313)Although Winston’s thoughtfulness leads him to many more discoveries than Montag, it also leads to his demise. Because he has thought over his plans so many times, he realizes that there is no hope for his survival, and thus gives up on becoming a true individual. On the other hand, Montag’s spur-of-the-moment attitude gives him hope: hope that he will one day live ...
