Winston and Julia’s Sexual Activity….A Political Act?

By: Monica Castro

To consider whether Winston’s and Julia’s sexual activity is a political act, it is necessary to define what is such an act. A political act is an act that is to have an effect on the established social order.

Winston’s and Julia’s sexual activity may not be considered a political act because they are silently evading the Party’s rules, just like breaking the law in secret. Their sexual interactions won’t have an effect on anyone else as long as no one else knows. Therefore, Winston and Julia are not affecting the social order in any way.

It may seem to Winston that his sexual activity with Julia is a political act, because he feels that he is defying the Party by proving the nonsense of it’s doctrines. Besides, he really enjoys his activity with Julia. He felt that if others experienced what he did with  Julia, they would also know that the Party is wrong and then a real change will come. But from Winston’s and Julia’s sexual activity itself, other people won’t learn anything.

Julia wouldn’t probably consider her sexual activity with Winston as a political act. To her it seems natural that the Party wanted to keep you from having a good time as much as you wanted to avoid being caught. Therefore for Julia, what the Party does or says is of no importance as long as it doesn’t interfere with her life. She isn’t doing anything in order to change what she considers unchangeable, but simply doing as she pleases whenever she can, and that involves her sexual activity with Winston.