In the book 1984 they introduce us to Winston Smith. A lonely man working for a party he secretly hates. Being constantly monitored and coping with the fear of being vanished he is unable to show his true feelings. His fear slowly disappears when he meets Julia, a rebellious party member, and begin their secret affair. This first act of disobedience then transforms itself into the search for the underground resistance he has heard so much of. With the hope of finding the leader of said resistance he approaches a colleague he suspects to be on his side. This then leads him to discover a dark secret and end the book on a fairly tragic note. With all this in mind, where should Winston go in the Inferno?
All throughout Dante’s comedy we see how the enemies of the Roman Empire are severely punished. If said party was Oceania he would travel all the way to the 9th circle, Antenora; where traitors to the homeland duel. Winston could also travel to the 2nd circle, the home of the lustful. He mentioned his wife was a dead fish, but now with Julia sex was a thrill. Those two circles seem the most appropriate to fulfill his punishment.
After making a quick reflection on 1984 its clear to me there is no poetic justice. Winston, who we could consider the “good guy” is not rewarded at the end. If Inferno were to serve poetic justice we would then have to see Big Brother and other party members lying around the Inferno. Big Brother would lay with the tyrants next to Alexander who inflicted so much death and sorrow. Winston and Julia would move to heaven. There, poetic justice would be served and the Inferno would become a utopia. A place where sinners pay for their crimes eternally and no innocent souls live amongst the damned. Then again the world would be in peace. It would be perfect.
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