Winston Smith as Hero in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four
This essay argues that Winston Smith, the protagonist of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, is a genuine hero rather than an anti-hero. By situating Winston within the totalitarian world of Oceania — where independent thought is policed and dissent is nearly impossible — the paper demonstrates that his rebellion, however small, is extraordinary. The essay addresses the counterargument that Winston's ultimate capitulation to Big Brother makes him an anti-hero, reframing his failure as evidence of society's overwhelming power rather than his personal weakness. It also draws on Orwell's authorial intent, noting that Winston was designed to represent the heroic common man and that the novel functions as a warning about the dangers of absolute state control.
- Introduction: Winston Smith and the Question of Heroism: Winston's failure as symbol of societal power
- The Totalitarian Society of 1984: Oceania's total control makes Winston extraordinary
- Winston's Heroic Rebellion: Writing diary as courageous act of defiance
- The Anti-Hero Counterargument: Failure reframed as proof of Big Brother's strength
- Orwell's Intent and the Meaning of Winston's Failure: Orwell designed Winston as warning and admiration
- Conclusion: Winston's defeat signals society's extreme power
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- The essay grounds its argument in the specific social context of the novel, correctly insisting that Winston must be judged against the standards of his fictional world rather than the real world — a sophisticated interpretive move that strengthens every claim that follows.
- It directly engages the strongest counterargument (Winston as anti-hero) and dismantles it by reframing his failure as a measure of Big Brother's power rather than his own weakness.
- The paper uses well-chosen textual evidence, including close reading of key passages, to support each argumentative stage, giving the analysis a concrete foundation.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper models refutation through reframing: rather than dismissing the anti-hero argument, it concedes the surface fact (Winston does fail) and then recontextualizes that fact to support the opposite conclusion. This technique — acknowledging the opposition's evidence while challenging its interpretation — is a hallmark of effective persuasive writing.
Structure breakdown
The essay follows a clear three-part persuasive structure: it opens by establishing Winston's heroic credentials within his environment, then refutes the anti-hero counterargument, and finally appeals to authorial intent as supporting evidence. Each section is explicitly organized around a named persuasive technique (personal observation, refutation, cause and effect), making the argumentative scaffolding transparent and easy to follow.
Introduction: Winston Smith and the Question of Heroism
Winston Smith is the protagonist of Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) by George Orwell. Winston's ultimate failing is not the failing of a human being; rather, it is a symbol of the ultimate power of the society in which he lives.
The Totalitarian Society of 1984
In literary terms, a hero can be broadly defined as the main character of a work. Beyond this, however, the character needs to be superior, of good character, or extraordinary in some way (Baldick 98). Winston Smith is the main character in 1984, and he is extraordinary. What is most important in understanding this is recognizing that we must not compare Winston with modern man in our own society, but with modern man in the society of 1984. Understanding the world Winston inhabits is one of the key prerequisites for understanding Winston himself.
This is a society in which people are completely controlled, with no freedom from that control. This is established in the opening chapter of the novel, where we are introduced to Big Brother and the Thought Police. The fact that Winston cannot escape Big Brother is hinted at through the posters and the ever-present voice of the regime. We first see that the eyes of Big Brother are always watching: "On each landing, opposite the lift shaft, the poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall. It was one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you move. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran" (Orwell 3). We then see how Winston is equally unable to escape Big Brother's voice: "The instrument (the telescreen, it was called) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely" (Orwell 4).
The Thought Police are also always watching. Even the name "Thought Police" indicates that there is no escape. This is made explicit in the line: "Winston kept his back turned to the telescreen. It was safer; though, as he well knew, even a back can be revealing" (Orwell 5). In analyzing Winston, then, we need to view his actions in relation to his environment. Winston goes against the society and tries to rebel — and this rebellion is far more than a simple brave act when we consider the world he inhabits.
Consider the reality of Big Brother's control over human freedom. Winston is not able to speak of his problems, write them down, or seek out alternative opinions, because the media is entirely controlled. Added to this, he is subjected to the constant voice of Big Brother convincing him of the goodness of the society. Not only is Winston unable to speak out or take action against the regime — it is even a struggle to form an independent opinion about it. Viewed in this light, Winston is truly extraordinary in finding the ability to go against the society and to act against it. This is what makes him a heroic character and separates him from the rest of society.
Winston's Heroic Rebellion
Unlike the majority of the population, Winston manages to hold and sustain personal opinions that differ from those of Big Brother. His act of heroism begins when he finds the courage to write: "The thing that he was about to do was to open a diary. This was not illegal (nothing was illegal, since there were no longer any laws), but if detected it was reasonably certain that it would be punished by death, or at least a forced-labor camp... He dipped the pen into the ink and then faltered for just a second. A tremor had gone through his bowels. To mark the paper was the decisive act. In small clumsy letters he wrote: April 4th, 1984" (Orwell 8). While viewed in relation to our own society this does not seem like a heroic act, within the world Winston inhabits, it unquestionably is.
Conclusion
In the novel, Winston Smith is a hero with an extraordinary character that allows him to reject and question the society around him. In the end, Winston fails and is ultimately conquered by that society. This is not a sign of his weakness; rather, it is a sign of the extreme strength of the regime. The message Orwell conveys is clear: if Winston Smith — brave, independent, and determined — cannot rise above this society, then nobody can.
Bibliography
Baldick, C. Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.
Gardner, A. George Orwell. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1987.
Orwell, G. Nineteen Eighty-Four. London: Penguin Books, 1989.
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.