No Heroes

There Are No Heroes

            1984 by George Orwell is a famous literary work written in 1944 to show how Orwell imagined 1984 would be. This novel introduces multiple themes such as the dangers of totalitarianism, physical control, control of history and information, mind control languages, and psychological manipulation. 1984 is also filled with many quotes that have underlying meanings. For example, taken from the last paragraph of part three chapter one, it states, “In the face of pain there are no heroes, no heroes…” What specifically is a hero, and how does that definition relate to the book and society? What, exactly, does this excerpt indicate? Both of these questions will be answered in the latter paragraphs.

            As asked in the previous paragraph, what is a hero? As said by dictionary.com, a hero is a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. It also brings out that a hero is someone that has performed a heroic act, such as saving a drowning child. The Merriam-Webster dictionary states also that a hero is an illustrious warrior, one that shows great courage and has noble qualities. A hero in modern times could be anyone from doctor, an upstanding citizen, a foster parent, or even Superman. Hence, how does this understanding of a hero apply to the text?

             Including the meaning of a hero, what does the quote from the text imply? After reading the surrounding text, it shows that Winston had had his elbow smashed by a guard with a truncheon in his hand. After being struck with such pain, Winston then said that pain has no hero. Winston says this because after being hit with such a great increase of pain, no great hero like Superman, Batman, a mere doctor, policeman, or an upstanding citizen can instantly take away this pain, or erase the memory of this pain. Therefore, pain is one thing that no one can be saved from, no matter how great the person’s power is.

            In conclusion, the novel 1984 holds many themes and quotes. Each theme and quote holds true for the American society that has been created today, and teaches valuable lessons. For example, the quote that was brought out in the preceding paragraphs explained that when faced with pain, no one and nothing can save you. This quote also explains that even heroes that seem to be perfect aren’t, because they cannot deliver a human from great pangs and distress.