Is Love Really All We Need?: How Does Society Shape Our Relationships?

At the heart of Orwell’s novel 1984, is the love story between Winston and Julia. Their love is one of protest and escape. Yet, in the end, their love crumbles under the oppression of Big Brother. While 1984 is not often discussed as a love story, Orwell does challenge the reader to consider how personal relationships and expressions of love are impacted, supported, or destroyed by our larger society.