Thematic comparison of female characters in `1984` and `Death and the Maiden`

        A relationship is firstly initiated either due to love or lust between the two people. Love is easily seen in the figures of Paulina and Roberto who both become in love due to their mutual feelings of affection for one another. Both of these figures are both anti-communist, supporting their modern democratic state. This expresses their personal ties between the two, decimating the single strong desire for one another. In context, love is demonstrated further during the pre-democratic state, whereby the two characters are split apart. During this time, Paulina went through a series of torture; in spite of this she does not give Roberto’s name to the authority. By doing this, she kept Roberto’s name protected, which further institutes the ideals of love since even in the most harsh conditions, they both were able to survive, letting their relationship prosper. This relationship expressed in the play Death and the Maiden is now reversed, when looking at the relationship between Winston and Julia in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Winston and Julia first set their eyes on one another because they believed that they were able to fulfill one another’s physical desires. In order to share this single desire, they would also have to share the same ideals which were to go against their current totalitarian states. This was the only commonality demonstrated between the two characters which are not based on love; it is more of a necessity in order to carry out any sort of relationship in this regime. This lustful relationship is made clear after Winston and Julia were separated. During this incident the two characters were put through a variety of tortures in order to cleanse them of their mind from their rebellion-selves. During their interrogation both Winston and Julia gave in to the torture showing that they do not care for one another expressing a lack of love. Unlike Paulina and Roberto, Winston and Julia never came across each other again. This further proves that Winston and Julia never actually loved each other since they easily left their past behind, expressing a lustful relationship. Thus, the two relationships expressed contradict one another emphasizing the difference between love and lust.

         By examining the relationship between Paulina and Roberto, and Winston and Julia, the difference between love and lust is made clear. Paulina and Roberto were able to survive even through the harshest times, allowing their relationship to continue. On the other hand, Winston and Julia’s relationship fell apart quickly suggesting that the only reason they carried out a relationship was because of a single desire. Hence, the two relationships witnessed in Nineteen Eighty-Four and Death and the Maiden are placed on opposite ends of the spectrum.