1984- Part III

1984- Part III

Feb 16th.2012
page: 237~287

         In the previous part, Winston suspects that O’brien is opposing the party secretly and they eventually plan revolt against the party. However, when Winston is arrested, he finds out that O’Brein is actually entirely loyal to the party. Winston’s torture starts in real earnest and is presided over by O’Brien himself. He sits in a bright, bare cell where the lights are always on(the place where there is no darkness). He is monitored by four telescreens. O’Brien forces him to betray Julia by exerting sheer physical pain. As he shares the cell with a variety of fellow prisoners, he finds out the existence of Room101 which is the final stage of the torture and rehab at the ministry of love.
          In the torture sessions, O’Brien tells Winston that his crime was refusing to accept the party’s control of history and his memory. As O’Brien increases the pain, Winston agrees to accept that O’Brien is holding up five fingers, though he knows that O’Brien is actually holding up only four. Winston starts to love O’brien when he stops torturing him and he starts to believe O’Brien’s philosophy and what he says. Eventually he betrays Julia. In the last stage, Winston asks what waits in Room 101, and O’Brien states that everyone knows what waits in Room 101. Room 101 symbolizes the fearfulness and helplessness each person experiences when faced with his greatest fear.

          O’Brien is an antagonist against Winston. He is a powerful and cunning man, and he tricks Winston into believing that he is a member of the anti-party brotherhood. And then, he leads Winston to commit thought crime and arrests him. By torturing he changes Winston a totally different person who now completely obeys Big Brother.

          In my opinion, I hated the Book three of 1984. I was so upset when I was reading the last part of the book, because I just couldn’t bear with torturing people because of such a ridiculous reasons like thought crime. The party is so powerful so that no one can really oppose it. However, I think the party is quite systematic and logical. I recommend this book to people who like to read books about dystopia.