George Orwell’s ‘1984’ is hailed as a ‘classic’ – from adolescent classrooms to book clubs, most have followed Winston Smith’s rebellion against the Big Brother, a not-so-subtle commentary on the world’s post-WW2 political climate. However, there seems a gaping hole amidst Orwell’s novel: his characterisation of Julia, Winston’s long-suffering partner. Passive, sexualised and described by Newman herself as ‘a projection of male fantasy’, Julia seems a disappointment to what is otherwise an exceptional book.
Sandra Newman’s ‘Julia’, published in late 2023, retells the story of ‘1984’ from the perspective of Julia. Newman completely honours the world that Orwell built in ‘1984‘, walking the reader through the monotonous Ministry of Truth and the grimy streets of the prole district. However, she adds a new layer of understanding for what it was like to live as a woman in this brutal world.
Julia inhabits a claustrophobic all-female hostel room, where there is a looming fear of not only persecution by Big Brother, but also of coercion from men of power in the Brotherhood. Women are punished for being promiscuous, enrolling in the ‘artsem’ programme to cover up their pregnancies. Julia herself is presented as intelligent, witty, and cynical. Whilst sex for Winston is an act of political rebellion (and, as he claims, for ‘love’), for Julia it is both a moment of pleasure and an act of deception against Winston, who is seen through her eyes as foolish and naïve – an object of her curiosity.
Though the retelling of a known story is often received with great criticism, I could not recommend Julia any more highly. Newman builds on ‘1984′, portraying a world where women lack agency, yet seek moments of relief through comradery and rebellion.
“#TBT NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR ©1949 George Orwell #readingthebook #Oldspeak (before it becomes a #ťhoughtcrime) #1984 #pictureofapage #doubleplusgood #newspeak #readnineteeneightyfour #talkaboutnineteeneightyfour #blackandwhite #nofilters” by pir8ess is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0