Orwell's Satirical View of Romantic Love in the Terrorized World of Nineteen Eighty-Four

TLDR: In this article, the authors investigate the romantic life of the central character in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four in a satirical manner with respect to Northrop Frye's theme of romance which includes the three phases of agon, pathos and anagnorisis.

Abstract: The beginning of twentieth century was accompanied with the prevailing current of technology in different aspects of human life. At first, it incited a positive stimulus which could build a utopian world on the advancement of technology. However, the bloody World Wars averted this view and the technological utopia was replaced by Orwellian dystopia. Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four is a satirical work which moves against Wells' utopian toward the reflection of a distorted technological society. Undoubtedly, satire is the best literary mode for dystopic depiction of the world specifically the one portrayed in Nineteen Eighty-Four . Winston Smith, the central character of this novel, is lower from his society in terms of intelligence and power of action. Therefore, he is put under rigid controls and brainwashing. And at last, he awfully rejects his love in favor the principles of the Party. Thus, in this study, we try to investigate Winston's romantic life in a satiric manner with respect to Northrop Frye's theme of romance which includes the three phase of agon, pathos and anagnorisis.