Nineteen Eighty-Four's heroine was based on the writer's second wife, Sonia.
Nineteen Eighty-Four . The heroine of the novel , Julia , is based on Orwell 's second wife , Sonia Orwell . Sonia Mary Brownell ( 25 August 1918 -- 11 December 1980 ) , better known as Sonia Orwell , was the second and last wife of writer George Orwell , whose real name was Eric Arthur Blair .