Importance of Participation in Government

It seems as if Winston has acquired a lady friend in which he shares his anti-Big Brother sentiments. Although they share this attitude, their particular approaches to their roles in living a midst this hated government differ. This provides evidence for the two as being foils of each other.

Winston believes in the Brotherhood and that a rebellion could be led against the tyrannical force in hopes of restoring the past life. Julia "had never heard of the Brotherhood...and any kind of organized revolt against the Party, struck her as stupid" (109).

Her rebellious nature but passive actions develop into a central focus of this section, and also illuminates more of the book's whole meaning. Julia just cares about the things that Big Brother suppresses like sex, sugar, and real coffee, but does not care about being totally free. She "knew that it was all rubbish, so why trouble oneself about it" (129) but Winston discovers that this is the type of people that Big Brother "imposed itself most successfully on people incapable of understanding it" (129).

We can see this today that when people don't understand what's being enacted or simply don't care, and nothing changes and certain issues will not be solved.  And this ladies and gentlemen is why he have to take a civics class. We are encouraged to participate to keep government small, a government for the people and by the people. We see that with Julia, even though she has rebellious sentiments, which is predicted that most of populace secretly do, it does not change anything because they are not involved.

Through the character of Julia, we are able to see an aspect of what Orwell attempts to show. That although she rebels in a way "where it touched upon her own life" (109), she still represents a person that does not care about the freedom of the populace as a whole. This reoccurring theme of the dangers of totalitarianism is shown through Julia.

Speaking of themes and symbols, Orwell reveals a significant symbols within this reading.  The glass paper weight serves as a connection to the past. Being a historical revisionist, Winston becomes obsessed with the paperweight because it symbolizes "a little chuck of history that they've forgotten to alter" (129). The repetition of this symbol exposes Winston's desire to rent Mr. Charrington's room for a safe haven for his love affair. Surrounded by old items, the room and the paper weight help him kindle the idea of having relationship in which

"it had been normal to lie in bed like this, in the cool of a summer evening, a man and a woman with no clothes on, making love when they chose, talking of what they chose, not feeling any compulsion to to get up, simply lying there and listening to the peaceful sounds outside." (119)

 The paperweight and the room which kindle these experiences gives Winston a sense of freedom. Whether this freedom will last or not, I think the thought of perpetrating an organized revolt is no probable anymore due to the introduction of Julia.