Last Chapters of 1984

          I was truly disappointed in the ending of 1984. I didn't think the rats scare was enough. It was anti-climactic. Although I would truly be terrified of rats eating me, I did not expect Winston to be. I thought he had more of a fight left in him. I know he had been tortured down to such a feeble state, but earlier he told himself that the party was still wrong. It seemed that through some of his awful torture, he still knew the party was wrong. Also, I think it would have been a feat for Winston if he had died with the rats. It seemed that what he wanted was to die still hating the party and he missed that opportunity.
         It was sad when he had to face his emaciated body in front of the mirror. It was also interesting how Winston had just been thinking that O'brien looked old, and then he had to face his own looks. All of the torture that went on at the end of the book certainly made the party a more menacing figure. Throughout the whole novel they always seemed to pose a threat, but book three proved that. Even scarier, is their philosophy that obedience is not enough, Winston must also love the party. I was not surprised with his betrayal of Julia specifically because I do not believe that there was ever any love there. However, he and  Julia together did represent more. They, to me, represented the anti-party cause all together and when Winston betrayed her, he betrayed that cause also.  I wish the book could have ended how I had hoped, but it was still somewhat interesting. I thought it was clever that it ended kind of how it had started. Winston looks to the poster of Big Brother for comfort at both the beginning and end of the book. I enjoyed the story throughout, but wish the ending had been more climactic.