Tuesday, February 24, 2015

In what way does Winston and Julia's first sexual rendezvous embody the characteristics of Romantic literature?

Orwell relies heavily on the characteristics of Romantic literature to portray Winston and Julia's rendezvous in Part Two, Chapter Two.


There is a strong focus on the beauty and power of nature when the pair are about to make love for the first time. This is shown through the thrush, the songbird which Winston and Julia stop to admire:


In the afternoon hush the volume of sound was startling. Winston and Julia clung together, fascinated.


...

Orwell relies heavily on the characteristics of Romantic literature to portray Winston and Julia's rendezvous in Part Two, Chapter Two.


There is a strong focus on the beauty and power of nature when the pair are about to make love for the first time. This is shown through the thrush, the songbird which Winston and Julia stop to admire:



In the afternoon hush the volume of sound was startling. Winston and Julia clung together, fascinated.



Similarly, there is a "celebration of the individual" (see the first reference link), which is best shown through Julia's idealized and politicized body when she removes her clothes:



She had torn her clothes off, and when she flung them aside it was with that same magnificent gesture by which a whole civilization seemed to be annihilated. Her body gleamed white in the sun.



Finally, Orwell uses another key characteristic of Romantic literature by depicting Winston's "strong senses, emotions, and feelings." (See the first reference link.) He employs a gustatory image of chocolate melting on Winston's tongue, for example, and describes the feeling of Julia's waist as "soft" and "warm." By emphasizing these minor details, Orwell turns this chapter into a celebration of all things Romantic, which contrasts sharply with the rest of the novel.

No comments:

Post a Comment