What circumstances cause Winston's varicose ulcer to bother him in 1984 by George Orwell?

's ulcer
frequently affects him during his mundane daily life in abiding by the seemingly pointless party
rules, most particularly due to his sexual chastity. When Winston represses anything, whether it
be sexual desire, creativity, individual thinking, or general individuality, the ulcer becomes
engorged and enlarged. While partially acting as a phallicfor painful sexual repression,
Winston's ulcer also serves as a result of repressing his own identity.

Of
course, when Winston is around , with whom Winston is allowed to be sexually and individually
frank, the ulcer completely subsides and ceases to bother him. Later, once the two lovers become
inevitably separated, the ulcer returns with a vengeance.

The ulcer acts as a
sort of metaphor for the spiritual and physical negative effects that such archaic repression
can have on an individual. The effects of stress can be dangerously detrimental, as can the
effects of not allowing one to be oneself.