Comment on the following: "For whom, it suddenly occurred to him to wonder, was he writing this diary? For the future, for the unborn. His mind...

In this quote from George Orwell's 1984, the main character, Winston, contemplates why he's risking the "treasonous" act of writing his thoughts down in a diary. The quote wrestles with the idea that, though Winston is writing, he's not really writing to communicate with anyone; after all, either no one in the future will be able to understand him (as the world will be too different by that point), or no one in the...

In this quote from George Orwell's 1984, the main character, Winston, contemplates why he's risking the "treasonous" act of writing his thoughts down in a diary. The quote wrestles with the idea that, though Winston is writing, he's not really writing to communicate with anyone; after all, either no one in the future will be able to understand him (as the world will be too different by that point), or no one in the future will be willing to understand him (as the world will be exactly the same).

If Winston isn't really writing for anyone, then we can assume that he is writing for himself. In the dystopian world of 1984, free thought and personal expression is outlawed, especially if the free thought runs counter to the governing Party's dogma. Winston's act of writing in a diary can be seen as an act of rebellion, as a political statement asserting his mental independence from an oppressive government. In that case, it doesn't really matter whether or not Winston is communicating "for" anyone; all that matters is that he is able to prove to himself that he is still capable of independent expression and thought.