Articletitle:TheImpactofSpaceonthePsycheoftheProtagonistinnGoergeOrwells

NineteenEightyFour

FatihaKadBerrahal

IbtissamTouhamiAdi

AmarTelidjiuniversity,Laghouat,Algeria

Authorsnotes

ProfessorFatihaKadBerrahalteachesmodernandcontemporaryBritishliteratureat
theuniversityofLaghouatinAlgeria.Sheisauthorofseveralacademicarticleabouttheissue
ofhybrididentitiesinU.KandU.S.Awhileconductingtwonationalresearchprojectsinthe
field. Her current concern with space and spatiality in litearture serves as a foundation to
furtherstudiesinidentityformation.

Ms.IbtissamTouhamiAdiisadoctorateresearcherinliterarystudies,includingthe
teachingofliteraturetoforeignlearners.Herinterestinspatialstudiesisactuallyaffectingher
researchprojectintermsofcognition,leraningandidentityformation.
 Articletitle:TheImpactofSpaceonthePsycheoftheProtagonistinnGoergeOrwells

NineteenEightyFour

Abstract

Inliteraturetheconceptofspaceisregardedasthephysicalelementoftheeventsoccurringin

thenovelorastory,thatistosaythatanyartisticcreationisaccompaniedbyitsownspace

beingrealorfictional,whichservesasacontainerfortheplotandtheeventsofanynarrative.

Thepurposeofthepresentpaperistoillustratetheinfluenceofthephysicalspaceonthe

psychologicalspaceoftheprotagonistinGeorgeOrwellsNineteenEightyFour.Itisalsoan

attempttodifferentiatebetweenthePanopticonSpaceandtheHeretopicPlaceinthe

novel.

InGeorgeOrwellsnoveltheroomabovetheantiqueshopstoodoutasaspecialplacethat

contrastedtheotherspacesinthenovelandithadanoticeableimpactonWinston.Fromhis

experiencewiththeroomitbecameevidentthatachangeinthephysicalenvironmentcould

bringaboutradicalchangesinonesphysicalaswellasmentalhealth.Whichopensthedoor

toaquery,sinceaspacecouldhaveapositiveimpactonanindividualphysicallyand

mentallythenwoulditbepossibletointentionallyreversetheeffect?.Inotherwordswould

itbepossibletoimmerseandindividualinaphysicalsettingthatwouldnegativelyaffecthis

physicalandmentalhealth.Andcouldthesesurroundingbemanipulatedandcontrolledto

achievethedesiredchangeinonesbehavior?.

Keywords:Space,PanopticonSpace,HeretopicPlace,Transsgerssivity

1.Introduction

Inrecentyearsspaceandspatialityhascometotheforefrontandithasgainedmore

importancewithinthedisciplinesofsocialscience.Variousscholarsandgeographersfocused

theirinterestonthesubstanceswithinthespace.Thecentralideaoftheirstudybecame
spatialityaconceptwhichrelatestothedistributionofobjectsandbodiesinspaceandtheir

relationshipstowardseachother.MichelFoucaultforinstancearguedinhislectureOfOther

Spaces(1967)thatspaceoutpacedtimeandhasadvancedtotheforefrontinthecontemporary

era,andhecalledforthestudyoftheinterrelationbetweensitesandthedistributionofbodies

inspace.AccordingtoHenryLefebvretheproductionofspaceisrelatedtotheMarxist

theory,asitisaconsciousprocesswhichreflectsthesocialstrata.TiFuTuanalso

emphasizedtheideaofconsciousproductionofspaceandhearguedthatMandividesand

arrangesspaceconsciouslytosuitehisbody,whichincludesaparticularattentiontothe

socialhierarchyofspacewhichremindsmanofwherehestandsinsociety.Thusfromthese

definitionsofspaceitappearsthatspaceisamultidimensionalentity,andeachdimensionhas

itsownstructure,rulesandnormswhichdictatetherelationshipbetweenthebodiesand

objectsspreadintothatspecificspace.InotherwordthebroadtermofSpaceenglobesthe

urbanspaceswhicharetheoutcomesofhumanarchitecturaldesigns,italsoenglobesthe

socialspaceinwhichweliveandinteractwitheachotheraswellasthepersonalspaceofan

individual.

2.SpaceconceptioninNineteenEightyFour(Hencefoth1984)

InGeorgeOrwellsnovelNineteenEightyFourtheprotagonistWinstonisinhisown

questformeaning.Asearchduringwhichheundergoesastreamofthoughtsandenquiries

concerninglifestyleinLondonunderBigbrother'swatch.Thespacewhichcontainsthe

narrativeinthenovel,iscrucialtorenderfullytheexperienceoftheprotagonist.Theliving

spacesinthenovelsuchashisapartment,thehallways,hisworkspace,thecanteen,allhave

beendesignedbythegovernmentofINGSOCtomaintainasolidgripandafirmcontrolover

theindividuals,thiscontrolbeginswiththefirstdimensionofspacewhichistheconcrete

physicalspaces,andultimatelyspreadtothethirddimensionwhichisthepsychological

space.IntheOrwellianLondonthesocialandtheculturaldimensionsofspacehavebeen
carefullydesignedanduniformlyconceived,leavingnoroomforindividuality,oranyother

formoffreedom.Thelivingspaceshavebeenhomogenouslymanipulatedtoenableatotal

hegemonywhichultimatelyfacilitatethemanipulationofthethirddimensionofspacewhich

isthepsychologicalone.

Thequestformeaningoftheprotagonistinthenovelculminatesinonespaceinparticulara

countersiteincontrastwiththedystopiansocietyconceivedbythegovernmentanditisthe

roomabovetheantiqueshop.Thisnewspacewhichcontrastedwiththeotherspacesinthe

novelandwhichsupposedlydodgedBigBrotherswatch,becomeshisspaceofcrisis,where

hisknowableandunimaginablearemerged.Inthisnewspaceheexperiencedthefeelingof

privacy,individualityandknowledge.Towardstheendofthenovelhelandsintheministry

oflove,morepreciselyinroom101anothertypeofspacesusedbythegovernmentof

INGSOCtoerasetheeffectthatthiscountersitehadonhimandtotakeawaytheknowledge

discoveredandimposedalogicviolation.

Inthisvein,whatcanbehypothesizedatthislevelisthatthespaceandplaceinthe

OrwellianLondonofNineteenEightyFourisconceivedanddesignedtomaintaincontrol

overtheindividual.Theexternalsurroundingsoftheprotagonistsuchasthearchitecture,the

buildingsandlivingenvironmentareallcarefullydesignedtoindoctrinatetheindividual's

thoughts,andaffecthimfromtheoutsidetowardstheinside.Themainhypothesisisthatthe

cityisarchitecturallyconceivedasaPanopticon.TheconceptofthePanopticondesignisto

permittoasingleguardtoobserveseveralresidentsofaninstitutionconstantlywithoutthem

beingabletoknowwhethertheyarewatchedornot,andthislackofknowledgewillimpact

theirpsychethustheywillbeconditionedtoliveinfearwhichwillultimatelyresultina

tangiblechangeoftheirbehavior.InthisgiganticPanopticonthatGeorgeOrwellhascreated

inNineteenEightyFour,therestillremainonspacesupposedlyuncontrolledbythe

governmentofINGSOC,theroomabovetheantiqueshopwheretheProtagonistis
presumablyabletoevadeBigbrotherswatch,thusthiscountersitebecomeshisheretopic

placeinthehomogenousspace.AndthisHeretopicplacehasadifferenteffectfromthe

Panopticonspaceonthepsycheoftheprotagonist.TheHeretopicplacewhichwerehis

conceivedandperceivedaremergedtoformanewspaceofconsciousnesswherehisliving

acquiresameaning.

3.TheHeretopicPlaceincontrastwiththePanopticonSpace

InspiteoftheconnectionandcodpendenceofthetwoconceptsofSpaceandPlace,Yi

FuTuansspaceandPlace:ThePerspectiveofExperience(2001)hascontributedinto

makingacleardistinctionbetweenthesetwoconcepts.AccordingtoTuanstheorySpace

inthebroadsensebecomesaPlaceasitacquiresdefinitionandmeaningandstartshavingits

ownspecificcharacteristicsandanauraofitsown,andthisprocessthatmarkstheshiftfrom

SpacetoPlacethroughconferringanatmosphereonaplaceisinterlinkedwiththehuman

sensesandmodesofperception,thusaplacecanonlybedefinedthroughtheinteractionthat

occursviathedirectandindirectmodesofperception:

Itisimpossibletodiscussexperientialspacewithoutintroducingtheobjectandplaces

thatdefinespace().Spaceistransformedintoplaceasitacquiresdefinitionand

meaning.(Tuan136)

FromTuanstheorywemayconcludethatthehumanbeingasanentityexistinspace

butasacomplexindividualmantrulyliveinaplacewhichheconstructsthroughhis

personalmodesofperception.InGeocriticism,Westpahalalsotackledthedistinctionbetween

spaceandplacefromadifferentperspective.Hereferredtotwodifferentsortsofspaces,The

HomogeneousSpacewhichexcludestheparticularityofminorityperceptionandThe

HeterogeneousSpace,whichispresentedastheoutcomeofthetransgressiononthe

homogenousspace.AccordingtoWestphaltransgressionrelatestothecrossingofboundaries

outsidewhichexistsamarginalspaceoffreedom(Westphal),andwhenthistransgression
occursrepeatedlyitbecomesacustomaryhabititturnsintowhatWestphaltermedas

Trangressivity.Westphalfurtherclarifiesthatthisrepeatedtransgressionoccursrepeatedly

itbecomesacustomaryhabititturnsintowhatWestphaltermedasTrangressivity.

Westphalfurtherclarifiesthatthisrepeatedtransgressionwouldresultinthecreationofanew

spacefarfrombeinghomogenous,anintimatespaceoutsideoftheboundariesofthe

enclosure.Itcreatesfortheindividualazoneofintimacy,guardedagainstexternalintrusions

andallowsthesynthesisofalldifferences:

Thisisasecretspace,spaceofhyperbatononewheretheindividualdeploysa

supplementalpersonaltruth,protectedfromtheeyesoftheworldandfromthe

prescriptionsofthecode.Thistensionbetweenanormativelysanctionedunityandthe

needforfreedomemergingatthemarginsofthelaw.(Westphal,44).

Withinthesamethemeoftheintersectionbetweenthehomogenousspaceandthe

heterogeneousspace,andthedistinctionbetweenspaceandplace,wemayrefertoMichel

Foucaultwhoalsofocusedon,thecrossingbetweenthemacroscopicspaceandtheindividual

space,throughhisintroductionofHeretopia.UnlikethePanopticonspaceofsurveillance,

thisspaceisdescribedasacountersite,whichhavethepropertytocontradictthe

homogenousspaces.HereferredtothesecountersiteasaHeterotopicsitewhichhealso

describedasaplaceoutsideofallplaces.AccordingtoMichelFoucaultHeterotopiais

anothernameforthesphereofintimacythatresistthepervasivecodificationinthe

macroscopicspaceattributedtothestateapparatus.Foucaultfurtherarguedthatthe

Heterotopiaspaces,couldbealsotermedasthecrisisheterotopiawhicharesacredor

forbiddenplacesreservedfortheindividualintimeofcrisis.Foucaultalsomentionedthat

crisisheterotopiaarebeingreplacedbyheterotopiasofdeviationwhicharereservedfor

individualswithdeviantsbehaviorsbythenormsandpracticesofagiventhesociety.He
finallyattributedtothesecountersitesthefunctiontocreateaspaceofillusionor

compensation:

Eithertheirroletocreateaspaceofillusionthatexposeseveryrealspace,allthesites

insidewhichhumanlifeispartitioned..Orelse,onthecontrary,theirroleistocreate

spacethatisother,anotherrealspaceasperfect,asmeticulous,aswellarrangedas

oursismessy,illconstructedandjumbled(Foucault,8).

ThisnewsecretplacewhichTuan,describedastheoutcomeoftheindividuals

perceptionandinteractionwithspaceandwhichisalsotheresultofwhatWestphal

describedasatransgressiononthemacroscopicspace,andwhichFoucaultdescribedasa

HeretopicplaceofintimacythatresisttheprevalentclassificationintheMacroscopicSpace.

WasalsoadvancedintheLefebvreianSchemaofTrialecticofSpaceasbeingtheLived

Space,whichaccountsforthelivingexperienceoftheindividual..AccordingtoLefebvre

thefirstandthesecondspacewillpermittheunderstandingoftheideologyandpolitics

behindtheconceptionandtheperceptionofaparticularspace.However,nonewouldaccount

fortheindividualscontactwiththatspace,especiallyifwetakeintoconsideration,what

TuanreferstoasTheExperientialperspectiveofspace,Thatistosaythateachandevery

onewouldprobablyhaveadifferentrepresentationbasedontheirinteractionsand

experiencesofaspaceoraplaceinparticular.

4.TheHeretopicplacein1984anditsimpactonWinston

SpaceinthenovelhasbeendesignedassomesortofaPanopticon,andwithinthe

narrativewecanwitnesshowtheprotagonistisaffectedbythemacroscopicspacethathas

beendesignedhomogenouslyallowingnoindividuality.However,inthesecondsectionofthe

noveltheprotagonistWinstoncommitswhatBertrandWestphalreferredtoasanactofa

recurrenttransgressiononthehomogenousmacroscopicspace.Westphalarguedthattheact
ofTransgressivitycreatesfortheindividualazoneofintimacy,guardedagainstexternal

intrusions.Whencommittingthistransgressiononthehomogenousspacewhichisdesigned

asaPanopticonWinstonfoundanintimateplacewhichprocuredamarginalspaceof

freedom.Thusthroughthisactofrepeatedtransgressionhecreatedacountersitethat

contrastedwiththePanopticonarchitectureimposedbytheGovernmentofINGSOC.Inthe

novelthisnewplaceoffreedomwastheroomherentedabovetheantiqueshop,which

becametheprotagonistszoneofintimacy,andwhichfromtheprotagonistperspective

clearlycontrastedwithscrutinyprevailinginOceania.InthelightofTuansdistinction

betweenspaceandplace,wemayconcludethatthisnewmicroscopicspacethatresultedfrom

theProtagonisttransgressiononthePanopticonspaceengenderedwhatTuanreferredtoasa

Place,becausethisnewcountersitehadadistinctatmosphereandanaurathatopposedthe

otherspacesinthenovelwhichisfurtherillustratedbyWinstonsinteractionandperception

oftheroom.InthisroomtheprotagoniststartedhavingwhatTuanreferredtoasThe

Experientialperspectiveofspace,whichinvolvestheinteractionwithaspacewithallour

modesofperceptions.Andtheminutedescriptionofthewarmthandfriendlyatmosphereis

whatturnedtheroomabovetheantiqueshopformaspacetoaplacewithanauraofitsown.

ThePlacethatresultedfromtheprotagonisttransgressiononthePanopticonspace

andwhichemergedasacountersitethatcontrastedtheotherspacesintheOrwellian

London,isintroducedtowardstheendofthefirstsection.Howeveritwasnotuntilthe

secondsectionofthenovelthattheprotagonistmadethemovetorenttheroomanditwas

encouragedbyhisloveaffairwithJuliaandtheirneedforaprivateandasafeplaceas

mentionedinthenovel(Orwell172).Winstonwasawarethatbyrentingthisroom,hewas

committingatransgressiononthehomogenousspaceashedescribedhisactofrentingthe

roomasbeingmadness,consciousgratuitoussuicidalfolly(Orwell173),butthedesirefor

privacyandthetemptationofhavingahidingplacewasstrongerthanthefearofbeing
caught.ThuswemaysaythatbycommittingwhatWestphaltermedasTransgressivityon

thehomogenousspacethathasbeendesignedasaPanopticon,Winstonopenedthedoortoa

newaplacewhichstoodasacountersiteintheOrwellianLondon,and,intheFoucauldian

termtheroomaboveMrCharringtonsshophasbecomehisHeretopicplace.Themost

distinguishablefeatureofthisroom,abovetheantiqueshop,isthefeelingofprivacyand

intimacywhichwasinducedbytheabsenceofthegazingandspyingoftheTelescreens

whichwasalsoamanifestcontrastwiththePanopticonspaceofsurveillance.

Inthewarmdimlighttheplacelookedcuriouslyinvitingtheroomhadawakenedin

himasortofnostalgia,asortofancestralmemory.Itseemedtohimthatheknew

exactlywhatitfeltliketositinaroomlikethisutterlyalone,utterlysecure,withno

bodywatchingyou,novoicepursuingyou(Orwell,122)

Theroom,therefore,standsasacountersitewhichhasthepropertytocontradictthe

PanopticismcreatedintheOrwellianLondon.Inadditiontothemostsignificantfeatureofthe

roomisthatithadnoapparatusofsurveillance,andthisparticularityprovidedwhatFoucault

termedasasphereofintimacythatcontrastedwiththeruleandregulationsimposedbythe

government.Theroomabovethejunkshopcouldbealsoviewedasashelterinwhichthe

protagonistmanagedtohidethusitconstitutedwhatFoucaulttermedasaCrisisHeretopia

whichareplacesreservedfortheindividualintimeofcrisisorwhicharereservedfor

individualswithdeviantsbehaviorsbythenormsandpracticesofagiventhesociety.

LikewiseinNineteenEightyFourWinstonwasfullyawareofthefollythathewas

committingwhenhedecidedtorentthisplace,inordertonurturehisloveaffairwithJulia

andhewasalsoawareofhisdeviancefromtherulesimposed.Thuswemayconcludedthat

theroomabovetheJunkshopistheHeretopicplaceinthenovelasitispresentedasacounter

sitetothePanopticonarchitectureintheOrwellianLondon,andithasalsowelcomedthe

Protagonistintimeofcrisis,andservedasasheltertocoveruphisdeviance,andmost
importantlyitcreatedaspaceofillusionorcompensationacharacteristicthatMichel

Foucaulthadalsoattributedtothesecountersites.

TheHeretopicplaceinthenovelhadanoticeableimpactontheprotagonistboth

physicallyandpsychologically.Itsphysicalimpactontheprotagonistismadeapparentin

Orwellsfirstportrayaloftheprotagonistintheopeningpagesofthenovelwhichcontrasted

withhisphysicalportrayaloftheprotagonistinthehereticplace.EarlyinthenovelWinston

isdescribedtobeillandweakhismeagernessisemphasizedbyhisuniformandhewas

describedasasmallishfrailfigure(Orwell4),moreovertheadditionaldetailofthevaricose

ulcerabovehisrightankle,madethecharacterappearagedandill.Incontrasttherewere

clearphysicalchangesthatoccurredinWinstonsportrayalinhisHeretopicplace.

Winstonhaddroppedhishabitofdrinkingginatallhours.Heseemedtohavelostthe

needforit.Hehadgrownfatter,hisvaricoseulcerhadsubsidedhisfitsofcoughing

earlyintheearlymorninghadstopped.Theprocessoflifehasceasedtobeintolerable

nowthatheyhadasecurehidingplace,almostahome,itdidnotevenseema

hardshipthattheycouldonlymeetinfrequently,whatmatteredwasthattheroomover

thejunkshopshouldexist(Orwell189).

Theabovepassageformthetextillustratenotonlythephysicalchanges,butthe

psychologicalchangesaswell,throughdepictingthechangeintheprotagonistattitude,

towardslifeastheprocessoflivingdidnotappeartobesoinsupportableanymore.Inthis

heretopicplace,theprotagonistfeelsittobesafeandsecuretolive.Theroomsymbolizesa

spaceoffreedom,asafezone,anditcreatesforWinstonandJuliaaspaceofillusion,which

procuresasenseofoptimismandhopeasclearlystatedinthefollowingquote

Therewerealsotimeswhentheyhadtheillusionnotonlyofsafety,butofpermanence.

Solongastheywereactuallyinthisroom,theybothfelt,noharmcouldcometothem

theroomitselfwasasanctuary(Orwell191).
 ThisHeretopicplaceinthenovelembodiedthepersonalspacethatwasmissinginthe

Panopticonspace.Thefeelingofprotection,andwelfarethattheprotagonistexperiencedin

thisHeretopicplacecontributedtonurturehishopesanddreams.Theroom,indeed,hasa

distinctatmosphereandanaurathatopposedtheotherspacesinthenovelwhichisfurther

illustratedbyWinstonsinteractionandperceptionoftheroom.Inthisroomtheprotagonist

startedhavingwhatTuanreferredtoasTheExperientialperspectiveofspace,which

involvestheinteractionwithaspacewithallourmodesofperceptions.Howeverboth

WinstonandJuliawerefullyawarethatthecountersitethattheyhavecreatedwillnotbe

abletoresistforlongBigBrotherswatch,astheybothknewthattheycreatedanillusion

anditwasonlyamateroftimebeforetheywerediscovered:

Bothofthemknewinaway,itwasneveroutoftheirmindsthatwhatwasnow

happeningcouldnotlastlong.Thereweretimeswhenthefactofimpendingdeath

seemedaspalpableasthebedtheylayonInrealitytherewasnoescape(Orwell190)

TowardstheendofthenoveltheprotagonistisforcedbacktothePanopticonspace.Inthe

finalsection,heisarrestedandimprisonedintheMinistryofLovewherehephysically

torturedandpsychologicallybroken.Thefinalstageofhisrehabilitationoccursinroom101

whichissimilartowhatFoucaultreferredtoasalaboratoryofpower,inthisroomheis

confrontedwithhisbiggestfear,whichtakesawayhefinalpowerofresistance,thusheends

upcompletelyandfullypsychologicallybroken,whichbythenormsofthegovernmentof

INGSOCWinstonSmithisconsideredtobefullyrehabilitatedandfittoreturntothesociety

ashedidnotconstituteaheresyinthegiganticPanopticspaceanymore.

5.Conclusion

Formthisdissertationitmaybepossibletoobservethattheinteractionoftheprotagonistwith

thePanopticspacecontrastedclearlywithhisinteractionwiththeHeretopicPlace.Inthe

panopticspacetheprotagonistisalmostjustashadowofhimselfheisasimplebodyplaced
withinthehegemonyimposedbyBigbrothersregime,howeverintheheretopicplacethe

protagonistregainedhumanfeaturesandhasbeguntoacquirealifeofhisown.Inthisveinit

maybepossibletoconfirmthatthespaceintheOrwellianLondonhasbeenconsciouslyand

meticulouslydesignedtokeepafirmcontroloverthepsychologicalspaceoftheindividual.

ThePanopticspacehadaclearimpactonthepsycheoftheobservedsubject,consideringthat

thesimplefactoftheconstantscrutinywassufficientincoercingtheindividualtobehavein

thedesiredmanner.Andincontrastthelackofsurveillance,andthefeelingofprivacythe

protagonistexperiencesinhisHeretopicplacehasnurturedanotherformofbehavior.