Do you smell foreshadowing? Because I detect a distinct foreshadowy odor.
I usually scoff at the idea of prophetic dreams. Most of my dreams are a confusing and terrifying blend impossible occurrences that I generally forget almost immediately. I sure wish that I would have a dream about a test that I'll have to take in the immediate future in which I am able to divine all of the answers. Dreams do not tell the future; however, they do often act as effective literary devices. So where is the place where there is no darkness? Winston states that it refers to the imagined future (p. 103), which Winston will never actually know, as we never reach the future, but one can share in. Winston ultimately uses this as reasoning for why he can trust O'Brien, because they both share the same imagined future, the same place with no darkness.
I, however, disagree. What's happening here, I think, is another of those classic trust reversals. O'Brien initially appears trustworthy while Julia is not trusted at all. Now, however, we realize that Julia actually shares in Winston's hatred for the party and thus deserves trust. Therefore, if the pattern of trust reversal holds true, then it will soon become apparent that O'Brien is not actually trustworthy at all, and the place where there is no darkness is not place of hope but an ominous prediction of Winston's fate. *Dramatic Chord*
Is Julia the dark-haired girl that's following him around? Because I thought the same thing about her. I hadn't quite decided not to trust O'Brien yet, especially because of that dream, but I feel like with the one girl, she has to be a Party antagonist, or he's dead, and that wouldn't be a good way to end the story at all.
ReplyDeleteYesssssssssss that is Julia, although if you're not paying attention ya might just skip right over her name. They mention it, like, once, and then she's just She for the rest of her life.
ReplyDeleteaww, that's depressing.
ReplyDelete