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Mariana Martinez Favela

Mrs. Brown
English 4 Block 4
16 May 2014
With Loyalty Comes Betrayal
Albert Camus wrote in his book The Fall, I used to advertise my loyalty and I don't
believe there is a single person I loved that I didn't eventually betray. George Orwells
novel 1984 tells the story of a dystopian society under the rule of Big Brother, the authority
figure that survives off the loyalty and betrayal of the people. Loyalty and betrayal can be
seen in the relationships among the people, the level of devotion to the Party, and in the
portrayal of the characters beliefs.
The relationships of the people are hindered by the constant battle of loyalty versus
betrayal. Winston reflects about the Proles and the past and he realizes that in the past there
was loyalty, They were not loyal to a party or a country or an idea, they were loyal to one
another (Orwell 165). In the past, people were loyal to each other not to their country or
some belief. Relationships are not based on shared trust because the Party demands all
loyalty, and with that comes the need to betray. Hence, loyalty and betrayal go hand in hand
because families need to be betrayed while the Party shall always have the loyalty of the
people. While in the Proles, Winstons neighbor Parson, describes how his own family
denounces him for thoughtcrime, It was my little girl, said Parsons with a sort of doleful
pride. She listened at the keyhole. Heard what I was saying, and nipped off to the patrols the
very next day (57). Parsons daughter hears him committing thought crime through the
keyhole. Within the family there should always be loyalty no matter what. However, in the
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world of Oceania, betrayal must be present before anything else, including love and loyalty.
There is no trust within relationships of the citizens. It gets to the point in which families are
willing to turn over their blood in order to not betray the Party. When pledging to the
Brotherhood, Julia and Winston are asked if they are prepared to give up certain things in
order to give full loyalty to it. They are asked, You are prepared, the two of you, to separate
and never see one another again? No!" broke in Julia (172). They are asked if they are
prepared to be separate and never be together and Julia responds with a no. In the case of
Julia and Winston, Winston is so obsessed with his cause that he is willing to give up Julia,
while Julia is so smitten by Winston that she is willing to give the Party up. This due shows
how in the world of 1984, either relationships or the Party received all the loyalty for the
people. The people are not given a choice to be loyal to both sides, so one side always has to
be betrayed. Aside from relationships, the level of commitment to the party shows betrayal
and loyalty.
Some are loyal to the beliefs of the Party, while others betray every part of the Partys
beliefs. During Hate week the people get rowdy and denounce the enemy of the Party,
"Before the Hate had proceeded for thirty seconds, uncontrollable exclamations of rage were
breaking out from half the people in the room (Orwell 13). Before Hate week started to gain
momentum, people were already excited for it. Those who are excited for Hate week are the
most devoted to the Party. Many are loyal to the Party and go through great lengths to serve
it and Big Brother. Not all are a loyal, as it is seen in Winstons case. When in a meeting in
the Brotherhood, Winston and the rest of the group have a toast for the enemy of the Party,
To our Leader: To Emmanuel Goldstein (171). The leader of the Brotherhood is
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Emmanuel Goldstein. Those in the Brotherhood are against Big Brother and the Party. They
betray the ideals of the Party by celebrating Goldstein and his life. OBrien shows his loyalty
to the Party and his betrayal to Winston when he tortures him, This is what you accepted
when you set yourself up against the Party (273). By betraying the Party Winston got
himself put in a position of torture. OBrien is so loyal to the Party that he betrays his once
formed friendship with Winston to not let the Party down. OBrien is more committed to the
expectations and rules of the Party than anything else. His whole being is immersed into
following the Party, which is reflected in his decision to go against Winston and not the
Party. The theme of betrayal and loyalty even extend to the portrayal of the characters
personal beliefs.
Since in 1984 loyalty and betrayal go together, the personal ideas of the characters are
defined by those two themes. All the characters undergo conflicted ideals, but it is in
Winston in which we see the biggest form of loyalty and betrayal. When writing in his
journal, Winston thinks of an axiom to write, Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus
two equals four. If that is granted, all else follows (Orwell 81). When the freedom to say
two plus two equals four is given, everything else is possible. Winston defies the original
teaching of the Party which declared that the real sum was 5. His writing of the axiom shows
his disbelief in the Party and his desire to rebel. Like everything else in the novel, along with
his loyalty to his belief comes ultimate betrayal. After being mercilessly tortured and
brainwashed, Winston ends up accepting Big Brother, He had won the victory over himself.
He loved Big Brother (310). He has overcome himself, he now loves Big Brother. By
accepting Big Brother, Winston betrays his previous belief in the sum being 4. When he
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believes the sum is four he reflects his hatred towards Big Brother. When he declares his
love for Big Brother, he switches his loyalty from his personal belief to the belief of the
Party. In the end, he betrays himself and all his sacrifices against the Party by loving Big
Brother. Personal belief, like the rest of the areas, are a mix of loyalty and betrayal.
The novel 1984, has a mix of both themes which can be seen in every area of the
story. Loyalty and betrayal can be perceived in the level of devotion to the Party, in the
portrayal of the characters beliefs, and in the relationships among the people. One should be
aware that trust is hard to find, but betrayal can be seen everywhere.