Characterization in 1984

Characterization In “1984”: Mr. Charrington The dystopian novel “1984” by George Orwell follows Winston Smith in an overtaken totalitarian society ruled by what people call The Party, and the figure of The Party is Big Brother. Winston is a part of the Outer Party and, although he seems to comply with the general rules, behind the scenes, he breaks them with another Outer Party member named Julia, mainly in a rented room above a shop owned by a character named Mr. Charrington. Mr. Charrington is a supporting character throughout the novel, and because of the support for the plot he brings, there is plenty of characterization about him. Direct and indirect characterization are ways to categorize certain types of characterization in novels, films, and more. Direct characterization is when the author directly describes the personality and traits of a character. They specifically tell the audience how the character acts and thinks. Indirect characterization is the opposite. For indirect characterization, the author alternatively shows the audience the traits through speech, thoughts, effect on others, actions, and looks. Since Mr. Charrington contains a series of different twists, several characterization aspects go on for him, and because of everything his character has, he fits into the dystopian genre well. Besides his hidden identity, Mr. Charrington also gains the trust of the protagonist (Winston) and rents him a room, bugged with a hidden telescreen, where he carries out his love affair and rebellious side. Mr. Charrington knows this and therefore uses that hidden telescreen to betray Winston and Julia once they get the book that Goldstein wrote and read it aloud. Mr. Charrington has an involvement in the oppressive government and their beliefs as a member of the Thought Police, which is an essential factor in dystopian stories. Mr. Charrington seems like a safe space, primarily because of his shop, which has a welcoming aura and how he gained the trust of Winston for his rebellious actions, but in the end, his whole facade is fake, and he betrays Winston as he reveals his true character, a member of the Thought Police and helping the horrible government to keep control of the society and citizens. Mr. Charrington, essentially, is like two different people because of the two personas he has. His introduction to the audience is of having a sort of innocence and traditional way to him and how, “he had always vaguely the air of being a collector rather than a tradesman” (Orwell 161). The author told the audience directly that he is more of a collector instead of a tradesman, which gives us insight into his personality on how he acts with the shop and different trinkets possessed by him, saying that he cherishes things instead of wanting profit. The portrayal of his interactions with Winston infers he has a somewhat insecure aura to him, and the audience witnesses that through his speech, “‘it just occurred to me you might be interested,’ he would say with a deprecating little laugh whenever he produced a new fragment” (Orwell 162). That quote is another example of indirect characterization. Shown by his speech/actions, there is an implication that he might be insecure or nervous about being bothersome to others. More actions show that he might be lonely since he, “seemed seldom or never to go out of doors, and on the other hand to have almost no customers” (Orwell 161). After the real Mr. Charrington gets revealed, his demeanour changes heavily, and the author clearly states how, “Winston that for the first time in his life he was looking, with knowledge, at a member of the Thought Police” (Orwell 238). This quote is an example of direct characterization because of the statement that he is a member of the Thought Police. As an audience, the Thought Police have certain beliefs and traits, and that is why this quote is direct and not indirect. The author tells the reader that Mr. Charrington is a part of this group with specific traits and beliefs about The Party. Therefore, it is directly saying how Mr. Charrington acts and thinks. There is also an effect on others that Mr. Charrington has since when, “Mr Charrington came into the room. The demeanour of the black- uniformed men suddenly became more subdued” (Orwell 237). The people around him become reclused and, in a way, spiritless, which implies that he might have more power over them or other members/people around him feel impotent around him. He might be stricter, assertive, or even higher up than other people. Mr. Charrington in “1984” by George Orwell is an important character and, with the use of direct and indirect characterization, is portrayed and able to be envisioned by the audience. He is critical in supporting the story and has a very intriguing character arc in this dystopian novel. Works Cited: Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four. London, William Collins, 2021.