1984

Julia, still known only as the dark-haired girl at the beginning of Part 2, quickly goes from potential spy to love interest. She is the focal point of these chapters, and her presence introduces new aspects of the novel’s world.

In this society, love equals danger: Winston’s worry that “the message probably meant death” (136) foreshadows his downfall as a result of his love affair with Julia. In Part 1, Winston is introduced alongside his first hesitant acts against Party rules; in Part 2, he becomes riskier with his actions as he begins his affair with Julia. This contributes to the suspenseful rising action of the plot as it builds to the climax of Winston and Julia’s arrest at the end of Part 2.

Winston and Julia’s first attempt at making love is mechanical and cold and ends in disappointment, but they later fall into a more natural embrace. The sex is “neither love nor lust but a rebellious political act” (159), highlighting The Lack of Bodily Autonomy Under Totalitarianism. The setting where they meet for their first sexual encounter is more natural than in previous chapters, reflecting Winston and Julia’s temporary break from the Party, and allowing them to communicate with more freedom in their natural setting. In the countryside, they are no longer surrounded by Big Brother and Party members or confined to the watchful eye of a telescreen. The sight of bluebells and thrushes is a strong contrast to the decay and oppression of London.

In this section, the exploration of gender underscores the Party's control over personal relationships and individual identity. The regime seeks to suppress natural human instincts, including sexual desire, to channel loyalty solely toward Big Brother. The Party's manipulation of gender roles is evident in its promotion of celibacy and the subjugation of women, exemplified by the Anti-Sex League and the negative characterization of female roles within society. Julia's rebellion through her sexual relationship with Winston highlights the human need for intimacy and personal connection, challenging the Party's authoritarian control.

Julia’s character blossoms with sexual experience, and she becomes much more complex as her background and motivations are revealed. After they have sex, Julia’s demeanor is more relaxed and Winston learns more about her as an individual: She lives in a hostel with about 30 other women; she enjoys sex both for physical pleasure and for political revolt; and the majority of her knowledge of pre-Party times comes from stories her grandfather told her before he disappeared. Her experience with secret lovers is evident in the way she teaches Winston how to talk “in installments” (162), and she’s “better at finding things out” than he is (152) despite Winston being over a decade older than her. The red sash of the Anti-Sex League becomes ironic for Winston as Julia’s promiscuous background is revealed. Despite Julia’s experience navigating sexual affairs with fellow Party members, there is heavy foreshadowing of both her and Winston’s arrests. Winston knows that making their affair more frequent and regular is risky, and the smell of real Inner Party coffee that fills their apartment is symbolic of the Inner Party seeping into their affair.