Winston Smith: The protagonist in 1984, Winston is a 39 year old revolutionary living in Airstrip One. He is essentially a revolutionary in his society. Beginning with his purchase of a diary his actions continue to lead him down a path opposing The Party. Winston has a sense of paranoia about The Party believing that anything that he does will be discovered by The Party causing him to take risks he wouldn’t otherwise.
Julia: Winston and Julia are lovers in the novel, after Winston gets over his paranoia that Julia is a member of the Thought Police. Julia enjoys rebelling against The Party in her own way which is having sex with a number of different party members. She loves to outwit The Party in this small way though it does not fit with Winston’s idea of rebellion.
Emmanuel Goldstein: A symbolic character in 1984, he is the only true opposition to Big Brother another non-existent yet omnipresent character. Emmanuel is the leader of The Brotherhood and supposedly the most dangerous man in Oceania.
Big Brother: Big Brother is the omnipresent leader of The Party. It is never determined if he actually exists but it is easily determined that he is part of The Party’s propaganda. His face appears on posters and the Telescreens that occupy every room.
O’Brien: A mysterious character throughout most of the novel O’Brien is a powerful member of the Inner Party. He toys with Winston and his belief in the Brotherhood, tricking him into revealing his rebellious nature. O’Brien then reveals himself as an agent of The Ministry of Love while he tortures Winston utilizing his fear of rats and convincing him to return to conformity.
Mr. Charrington: A member of the Thought Police who deceives Winston and Julia by disguising himself as the owner of a second hand prole store. He eventually turns over Julia and Winston to the Ministry of Love.
The Proles: The Proles or Proletariat are what makes up the lowest yet largest class in Airstrip One. They go about their day to day with little regard as to what The Party does. They are mostly uneducated and are primarily the workforce of the society.
Syme: An author of the Newspeak Dictionary, Winston believes he is too smart for his own good and worries about his safety. He eventually goes missing.
Parsons: Another party member who lives with his wife and children. His children are part of the Junior Spies and suspect everyone of thought crimes, including Parsons himself who finds himself in The Ministry of Love with Winston.