Anti-heroism in Nineteen Eighty-Four

Abstract

George Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece, Nineteen Eighty-Four is one of the most pervasively influential books of the twentieth century. Many previous researchers have explored its profound themes and cultural implications. Starting from a different perspective, this thesis approaches the story in the light of anti-heroism. By analyzing the image of Big Brother and the protagonist, the anti-heroic spirit shown in the transformations of the protagonist presents the glory of humanity under the pressure of totalitarianism. The suffering of the protagonist especially when he is under arrest shows readers how humanity will be tortured by totalitarianism in a world which is dominated by traditional heroism. Orwell expresses his comprehending of the freedom and concern for the future of mankind and gives his answer about hero and freedom after a close reading. A true hero is not the one who maintains the leadership of the party, but a man with independent thought, identifying the beauty and ugliness. And the right of freedom is the freedom of ideology on the basis of history.