One of the themes in the novel Nineteen Eighty Four is
Loyalty and Betrayal. In order to remain all-powerful, the Party destroys
loyalty between people: co-workers, friends, even family members. Children are
encouraged to betray their parents to the state if they suspect them of Thought-crimes,
as seen by the suspicious and ill-mannered brats of children who betrayed their
own father, Mr. Parsons, and turned him in.
The Party has outlawed sex for pleasure and reduced marriage
to an arrangement between a man and woman that exists only for reproduction
purposes. Sexual urges must be repressed for fear they will lead to love, human
connection, and personal loyalty, all of which threaten the Party. Winston
believes that love like the love he and Julia share will eventually destroy the
Party, but he underestimates the Party’s ability to destroy that love and
loyalty. Winston and Julia both give in to torture and betray each other. When
they are released, their love and loyalty to each other has been destroyed.
Because the Party can easily detect Thought-crimes, people
always act as if they are completely loyal to the Party. No one trusts anyone
else completely. Winston makes fatal mistakes when he trusts O’Brien and
Charrington, both of whom betray him. His misjudgment is almost understandable,
given the subtle cues both give him to indicate that they are fellow rebels.
But as it turns out, they are deliberately setting a trap for him and Julia. In
the end, no one can be trusted.
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