jaylar
The sexual connection between Julia and Winston begins in this chapter.
It is not romantic, it is more a quest or rebellion. For them, to form this alliance outside of The Party is an act of revolution. Physical connection and sensation, emotions are just confetti. .
In Nineteen Eighty Four, engaging in sex, is a revolutionary act,
Winston and Julia seem aware of how pathetic their abilities to confront the regime under which they live. Escaping to the forest to engage in sex is as significant as tearing a tag off a mattress.
Julia is far less constrained the Winston, and speaks strongly against the Party.
She had engaged in meaningless sex with men many times. As a member of the Junior Anti-Sex League, with a red sash wrapped around her waist, she appears fully indoctrinated.
Where Winston stays to the sidelines so as not to gain attention, to slip in as a blur, Julia makes herself seem a die hard Party Supporter.
It is interesting to compare the Big Brother attitude to sex with that of the prevailing ethos in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. In the latter, Aldous envisages a future in which sex has become so prevalent and casual that it has lost any significance – it is what one does, just like eating or breathing. I have a feeling that the latter vision is the one that is looking to have been the better prophesy!
In Jamaica, Huxley’s view is current. Forming real long lasting relationships, (unless one doesn’t care about faithfulness) is not common.
I’ve read both books, more than once