Julia is a 26 year old free-spirited and selfish citizen of Oceania. She also works in the Ministry of Truth, as a machine operator within the Fiction Department. Julia is not inter- ested in politics, but can see right through the hypocritical Party doctrine and thus dreams of rebellion. However, unlike Winston, Julia simply wants to rebel for her own pleasure, not for the greater good of society. In a nutshell, the Party just gets in the way of her living her own indulgent lifestyle, which is why she doesn’t like it. This is why she is pragmatic in her approach to avoiding Party prosecution. Julia passes Winston a note that says, “I love you,” and from there they begin their tentative but exciting love affair. She is a symbol of youth and sex within the novel; the fact that she is significantly younger than Winston, yet boldly declares her love and lust for him (despite his deteriorating health and physical im- age), may be a slight nod to Orwell indulging in his own fantasies vicariously. However, in the end, when she is arrested and tortured in the Ministry of Love, Julia’s youthful free spirit is corrupted. She is physically broken to the point where she actually harbours a vague dislike for Winston.
