1984 Chp.1-3

In chapters one through three, Winston Smith's biggest conflict is his feelings towards Big Brother and The Party. He abides by all the rules and seems like a good citizen, but on the inside he knows that how The Party works is not right and questions right from wrong. The first time we get a sense of his opposition is when Winston purchases a diary and writes "DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER" (19). Even though he didn't mean to write it, it shows how he really feels about them and how it's getting harder for him to hide it. One thing that Winston opposes about The Party is how they have the ability to control what people think of the past and present. While taking part in the the daily Physical Jerks, he realizes that if the party can stick its hands into the past and say an event never happened, it is "more terrifying than mere torture and death" (32). This demonstrates his distrust and fear he has in the party. Winston doesn't like Big Brother and his beliefs because he is being lied to and has to accept them as the truth just to stay alive. In his diary, Winston includes the type of world he wished he lived in. When he writes, "to a time when thought is free, when men are different from one another and do not live alone-to a time when truth exists and what is done cannot be undone"(27), it reveals that the world he wants to live in is the opposite of how he lives now. He wants to be able to express himself and feel love.In Oceania, thinking, doing, or saying anything against the beliefs of Big Brother is thought to be a crime. Winston is having trouble with doublethinking and is ultimately turning towards his feelings rather than following the norm. This is the main conflict that Winston is facing in the first three chapters.