PART III

CHAPTERS 1 - 2

Summary

Winston is taken to the Ministry of Love, where he experiences brutality and brainwashing. O'Brien, who has really betrayed Winston, still pretends to be his friend. In reality, he is inflicting the torture, but convinces Winston that the pain comes from elsewhere. Winston is so brainwashed that he tells O'Brien everything, believing that this man has already thought all of his own thoughts. Winston even begins to love his tormentor and thanks him for his help. He begs for his own death in order to protect the Party; but death will not come easily. First, Winston must accept the Party beliefs. Then he must be set "free" to live with the knowledge that he will soon be killed, but never knowing when or how.

Notes

Although the party has been aware of every act of Winston and Julia, he is made to confess and be tortured for everything he has done against the Party. The sophisticated means of torture, brainwashing, and inducing pain are graphically described and give an idea of the brute force and strength of the Party. As Winston's tormentor, O'Brien comes forth as a sadistic and fanatic man. Through O'Brien, Orwell conveys the message that blind trust in a political situation is foolhardy. Because Winston has trusted O'Brien and told him his true feelings about the party, his torture at O'Brien's hands is brutal.

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