Essay/Term paper: 1984: summary and reactions

Essay, term paper, research paper:  George Orwell

1984: Summary and Reactions

Summary Chapter 1 and 2

We are introduced to Winston Smith the main character of the story. Works at
Ministry of truth. Ministry of truth is one of four government buildings in
destroyed London, the main city of Airstrip One, a province of Oceania. Year is
1984 and three contries are at war, Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia. Oceania is
run by the party whose leader is Big Brother. Winston is sick of his life in the
ruined city and decides to keep a diary. This is against the law in Oceania. He
felt his feelings begin to hate Emmanuel Goldstein, leader of the enemy party.
He also spots O'Brien, a party leader whose eyes he see's a bit of political
sympthy. See's young girl who he dislikes. He feels it is only a matter of
time before his though crimes are detected. A knock at the door he thinks is
police. Mrs. Parsons, his neighbor is at the door and asked him to unclog a
sink. He does it but smells sweat all over the apartment. Mrs. Parsons is a
follower of party doctrine and a fellow employee at the ministry. The children
are members of Spies, a youth that encourages spying and telling on traitors,
including parents. Winston is revolted. He returns home and writes a couple
more minutes before going back to work. He remenbers a dream where O'Brien tole
him he would meet him in a place wher there is no darkness. He washes his hands
and hides the diary

Reaction
Major ideas, conflicts and themes are introduced. We are shown how the earth
has changed, into 3 main contenients. we are also introduced to the main
character and how he fits into the new world. Also we are shown how the
computer age has taken over peoples minds. The language is easy to understand,
it has not really changed much over time. Seems like nothing left after nuclear
war, just ruins remaining. We are introduced to Tom Parsons which Winston is
contrasted with. The city is very drab.

Quotes "Big brother is watching you, the caption beneath it said" "Thoughtcrime
was not a thing that could be concealed for ever."

Summary Chapter 3,4 and 5

Waking from dreams, he remembers his mother and sister, and can barely
remember their disappearence and feels responsible for there deaths. He has
another dream where he is in the perfect countryside with the girl he had
noticed eariler. He dreamed she stripped for him. This time he is woken up by
the telescreen, telling him to do his exercises. He thinks about how much power
the Party has over all information. Begins work at the ministry of truth. His
job is to correct printed articles in line with the Party's orders. The
Ministry and records department jobs are to rewrite history to make the party
look good. They get a break because of the 2 minute hate. When he gets back he
replaces a speech by Big Brother with invented history. Makes up story about a
man named Ogilvy. The article had become contrary to the present party policy.
It is replaced as though is never existed. Winston meets Syme, a philologist,
for lunch. Syme explains parts about Newspeak. They are joined by Parsons.
Winston thinks of the fate that each co-worker will recieve. Syme will be
vapourized because he is to smart, where Parsons is dull enough to escape
vapourization. He is the only one who has not been taken over by the propaganda
that is always being brodcast. He notices the same girl from the other day
starring at him and thinks it is the thought police.

Reaction
The Golden country that he dreams about is definatly a release or a freedom
from the the drabness of London. Also from the party. We are introduced to the
fact that he has no mother or father or sisters or brothers anymore because they
were taken by the party. He is realizing that he is rebelling against the party
and he understands that he is at risk. Winston is in search of the truth and is
concerned because of the party's ability to change history. We find that he
likes his work even though it is for the party and against morals. He is
introduced to the girl that will play a big part in the book most likely.

Quotes "People in the Records Department did not talk readily about there jobs."
"Winstons greatest pleasure in life was his work"

Summary Chapter 6,7 and 8

He records in his diary and encounter a couple of years ago with a prostiture
mad up to look young, but was really and old woman. This menory of the encounter
causes him to think of the policy regarding sex and marriage which the party has
enforced. Thsi causes him to theink of his miserable life with his wife
Katherine, that he has not seen in eleven years. Winston resents the intrusinon
of the Party into the sex lives of its members. Also realizes the
discouragement of sexual enjoyment, that makes any love affair with a party
member impossible. Writing down the incident does not help him. He makes
another entry in his diary, this one concerning the proles. He feels they are
the only group that might overthrough the party, but they are unaware of it.
There is no way of finding the truth about the past but he does think that
present life is worse than the past. He remembers a photo that came into his
possession trying to change the pastbut he destroyed it. He plans to stay free.
After work one evening, he wonders into the prole end of London, and ends up
near the store where he bought the diary. Follows man into pub and plans to ask
him about revolution but man is incoherent. He leaves the pub and wanders. He
ends up outside the little antique shop and decides to buy a glass paperweight.
Mr. Charrington shows him a room upstairs and Winston dreams of renting it. He
notices a dark haired girl following himand he is sure it is the thought police
and he will be arrested.

Reaction
We discover that people have a bond when it comes to sexuallity that the
party connot control. Even thought the party rejects sexual relationships
between its members. Sexual experience is no longer allowed in the society and
Winston longs for one. He confesses in his Diary about his last expereince but
it does not help. We find he has faith in the proles and there ability to
revolt. It is hard to set up a revolt with the thought police detecting every
thought. Winston reaches a crises with the thought police.

Quotes "Winston reached down and cautiously scratched his varicose ulcer" "Not a
word could ever be proved or disproved"

Summary Part 2, Chapter 1,2 and 3

At work he runs into the dark haired girl again, in the hallway. She falls
and while he is lifting her up she slips him a note. He reads it at his desk
and is amazed to find that it simple states, I love you. Eager and excited to
meat with her, he has to wait 7 days until they eat together in the cafeteria.
They decide to meet in Victory square. When meeting there, they arrange another
meeting next sunday afternoon. At the designated meeting place, in the
countryside outside London, he finally learns her name. Julia explains that she
considers herself rebelious to the party. She has had sex with many other non-
members. Suddenly he walks into the scene exactly like his dreem. She removes
her clothes and they have sex. He belives that sexual desire may be the force
that destroys the party. Following there secret meeting they meet each othe
occasionally. Julie arranges the meetings. They go a month without seeing each
other but whenever they can before and after. She belives that she must pretend
to cooperate with the party and in secret break the rules whenever possible.
Winston thinks that rebellion is the best answer. They discuss past girl and
boyfriends and how the party controls them.

Reaction
He is ready for the Julia but is worried about a possible trap. His negative
approach to life and his sexual fustration make him ready anyhow. Once he
commits to her he connot go back and he is committing though crimes. This may be
the beginning of the end. He was happy to find that she was not a virgin and had
previous affairs. His idea of revolt is changed and he now is enjoying being
corrupted. Julia takes charge of the relationship, showing her aggressivness.
She does not believe in Winstons ideas on rebellion and thinks that differently.

Quotes "A sense of helplessness took hold of Winston" "Between you and me, the
antique trade's just about finished"

Summary Chapter 4,5,6 and 7

Winston does rent the room above the antique show and realizes the
foolishness of what he and Julia are doing. She brings him coffee and real
sugar and real old-fashioned make-up. Julie tries to remember an old nursry
rhyme, while Winston immagines that he and Julia and the room itself were all
closed in like the paperweight. Many preperations for the upcoming hate week
keep Winston, Julia and the others very busy. Winston discovers that his friend
Syme has dissappeared and all records of him have been altered. Meanwhile,
Parsons is still busy and happy in the preperations for hate week. He was right
about them. Because of the increased work load he and Julia do not meet as much
but in the room above the antique shop they look at things from the past and
other forbidden things. They discuss the hopelessness of there private
rebellion and that it cannot go on forever. He is dissappointed that Julie does
not reject propaganda from the partyand her theroy that the party sends bombs on
itself. One day at work O'Brien gives Winston his address and asked him to stop
by so tha he can lend him an advance copy of the Newspeak dictionary.
Winstonthinks this is a conspiracy against the party and is excited but, thinks
it will end in touture and death. Winston dreams of his mother again and the
hunger and awful conditions there were before the disappearence. He feals bad
for asking for rationed food and stealing his sisters choclate. When he came
back they were gone. Winston tries to tell her but she is tired. He is glad him
and her have there own feeling toward each other.

Reaction
He rents room above the antique shop showing his independence and his plunge
into the end. He wishes the room could be closed in like the paperweight. We
find out how different the two main characters are. The state does not care
what kind of person you you are. Julia understanding of the party is much
better that Winston although she is nieve to many things that the party does.
Winston defines his rebellion in three steps, first the thought then the
word(Diary) then the act(Julia). O'Brien seems to be a good man, also in
rebellion. His mother was like him.

Quotes "The timy interior of the shop ws in fact uncomfortably full, but there
was almost nothing in it of the slightest value" "A sharp cry of pain was wrung
out of her"

Summary chapter 8,9 and 10

Winston takes Julia to the O'Briens apartment. He wonderes is O'Brien is
also a rebel because he finds him in front of the telescreen, hard at work.
Over toast he explains to Winston what is required of the secret rebel
brotherhood. They except the terms of the menbership except that they will
never see each other ever again. O'Brien promises to be given a copy of
Emmanuel Goldstein's book, secretly in the future. After a long week, of
sorting through millions of documents, changing them to prove that the Party's
decision that Easstasia, and not Eurasia, was the enemy that they have been
fighting all along. He rushes home to read the copy of the book. He reads
while lying back and relaxing. Julia falls asleep when he tries to read her
sections of it. When they awake from there sleep they start talking, but a
voice issues from behind the picture on the wall. It is a hidden telescreen
which instructs them not to move. They are rushed by armed guards. The Thought
Police had been observing them all along. Winston and Julia are violently
seperated. Mr. Charrington enters the room without his disquise, looking much
younger. He is a menber of the thought police.

Reaction
Winston thinks of O'Brein as a strong, unexcitable man. He is dedicated and
wholeheartyu to the brotherhood. Winston joins the brotherhood and tells about
his dreams. We understand about hate week a little more. Winston reads the book
that is given to him by O'Brien. Winston and Julia get arrested. They find out
that O'Brien was the enemy. There was a sorta feeling that O'Brien was the bad
guy, and they would get cought sonner or later.

Quotes "He was a bit early" "The lane widened, and in a minute he came to the
footpath she had told him of"

Summary Part 3 Chapter 1 and 2

Winston is being held prisoner in a large, crowded cell at the Ministry of
Love. Ampleforth and Parsons are both prisoners also. Parsons was tured in by
his own daughter for thoughtcrime. He feels increased discomfort and room 101 is
continually mentioned by several prisoners. O'Brien enters the cell with a
guard and Winston now realized he has been betrayed by him. O'Brein is a member
of the Inner Party. O'Brien orders the guard to strike Winston who feels a
great deal of pain on his elbow. Winston is tortured both physically and
mentally for an unknown length of time. He keeps getting interrogated with
beations and questions until he confesses to many crimes. O'Brien reveals that
he has been watching Winston for seven years. O'Brein wants total rehab. from
Winston. O'Brien explains why the party can never be defeated. He has been
informed that Julia quite easily betrayed him and has now been released totally
rehabilitated. Winstons questions about room 101 is not answered.

Reaction
Finally he is caught by the thought police, which was inevidable since the
beginning. He realizes that he has been betrayed by Julia and O'Brien. But he
says he would never betray her. All time is lost while he is in jail. We is
going to be rehabilitated and is taken to the dreded 101 for more mind games.
Winston does not crack, except that O'Brien gets him to believe is a little
crasy.

Quotes "Listen the more men you have had the more I love you" "We can come here
once again"

Summary Chapter 3 and 4

O'Brien tells Winston th esecond stage of his rehab. is about to begin-
understanding the why in party. He also tells winston that he wrote sections of
Goldstiens book. He says the Party rules for the sake of power, and power alone.
The proles will never revolt. O'Brein questions him further and punishes him
when he does not answer correctly. Winston says he is morally superior to the
Party, but O'Brien has a tape of the conversation about what Winston was
willing to do to join the brotherhood. Winston thinks that the party will be
defeated by a noble man, but O'Brien shows Winston himself in the mirror.
Winston weeps looking at his own aged and ghastly body. He conforts himself by
thinking about how he never betrayed Julia. Winstons health is improving, and
he is trying to accept the rightness of the party. He examines the past events
and realilizes the party was in control the whole time. He realizes also that
he party can make anything right if is wants to. He has to practice
doublethinking. He wakes up from a troubled sleep, calling Julia's name.
O'Brien enters his room and Winston confesses that he still hates Big Brother.
He is sent to room 101.

Reaction
He had also looked to O'Brien for sanity and stength and kindness but now he
sees what he really is a power-hungry guy who likes infliction of pain. He
finds out he has been watched for 7 years. After being broken or cracked he
still has the fact that he has not turned against Julia. They completely
destroyed Winston and he has now entered the party.

Quotes "Have you heard the rumours of the existance of the brotherhood." "The
brotherhood cannot be wiped out because it is not an orgainization in the
ordinary sense" "He was tired, but not sleepy any longer"

Summary Chapter 5 and 6

The torture room is brightly lit, room 101. O'Brien says that the room
contains the worst thing in the world. It turns out to be rats in a cage which
can be strapped over his face. Winston yells and screems and is overcome by the
horror and the terror. He screams that this punnishment should be given to
Julia and not him. O'Brien spares his life. Winston is then released. He is
sitting under a tree at the Chestnut Tree Cafe. He drinks very heavily now. He
remembers meeting Julia and how they talked about how they betrayed each other.
The party would not allow them to see each other, but neither felt anything
anymore. He remembers a game of his childhood but then it is pushed out by the
broadcast that comes on the telescreen. Eurasia is once again the enemy. His
heart fills with love for Big Brother.

Reaction
The party knows the worse nightmare of each person and is ble to use that
against them. It worked on Winston. Finnally he gives in and the party has won.
Quotes "He did not attempt to kiss her, nor did they speek" "He loved Big
Brother"