It is often said that dreams reflect character traits and feelings of the unconscious. In the book 1984, by George Orwell, the character of Winston Smith is revealed through his dreams in parts one and two. The dreams not only help to characterize Winston, but they also serve as flashbacks and foreshadowing of important events. Dreams dealing with Winston's mother and sister show Winston's unresolved emotions within his unconscious mind and also show the Party's control (or lack thereof) Winston's mind. His dreams pertaining to Julia and O'Brien show Winston's loneliness within society and his desire to have a companion in his rebellious thoughts towards the Party. Winston also has dreams about rats that symbolize his greatest fear and also provide foreshadowing to events in Room 101.
             Winston is often troubled by dreams about his mother and sister which show unresolved emotions and consequently signify that his mind is not completely controlled by the Party. In part one Winston dreams that his mother and sister are below him and sinking to their death in sacrifice for his life. "He was out in the light and air while they were being sucked down to death, and they knew they were down there because he was up here" (28). Winston's unconscious guilt and feelings towards his family are expressed through his dream and are most likely the reason the memories have survived so long. When Winston awakes he realizes that there was a sense of loss that would not be possible in the world he now lives in. "...his mother's death, nearly thirty years ago, had been tragic and sorrowful in a way that was no longer possible."(28) These feelings of love and emotion only present long ago show Winston's strength in retaining them throughout his years under the Party's rule. Later in Part two of the novel, Winston has a dream in which he recalls a time from his childhood in which he was ...