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Parsons is both Winston’s neighbor and coworker at the Ministry of Truth, and he is widely known for his excessive sweating and blind devotion to the Party. Unlike Syme, who is too smart for his own good, Parsons is particularly dim-witted and does not have the intellectual capacity to question the Party’s teachings. Winston finds him to be a rather exhausting person to be around because of these qualities, but he endures him out of a fear of being turned in to the Thought Police. The extent of Parsons’ involvement in Party-sponsored activities reflects just how deeply invested he is in their way of life. When Parsons first arrives at the cafeteria in Part One, Chapter 5, Winston explains that he once attempted to stay involved in Youth League and Spies despite aging out of them, and he currently organizes numerous community events on behalf of the Sports Committee. This level of devotion extends to Parsons’ children as well, giving them a reputation for being particularly overzealous and brutal towards others. While his participation in Party events makes him a beneficial person for the Party’s leadership to keep around, his true value comes from the fact that he has no idea what he is actually supporting. He even admits that Syme’s work is “something a bit too brainy” for him, a comment which calls attention to his ignorance. This lack of understanding makes him an easily manipulated pawn in the Party’s oppressive schemes.
Despite Parsons’ attempts to be an upstanding Party member, he ends up in jail alongside Winston anyways. He explains to Winston in Part Three, Chapter 1 that his daughter overheard him saying “Down with Big Brother” in his sleep and turned him in to the Thought Police. As horrified as he is with himself for uttering such an unorthodox statement, a subconscious resistance of the Party would help to explain some of Parsons’ anxious habits, such as his excessive sweating and cluttered home. Neither his involuntary act of rebellion nor his impending punishment are enough to dispel his belief in the Party, however, and he ultimately praises his daughter for her vigilance. This response reiterates Parsons’ obliviousness and why, all things considered, he is an ideal member of the Party.
