1984 Summary

Description

Here you will find a 1984 summary (George Orwell's book).
We begin with a summary of the entire book, and then you can read each individual chapter's summary by visiting the links on the "Chapters" section.

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Last Updated: Monday 1 Jan, 2024

1984 Summary Overview

Winston Smith, a minor functionary for the government, lives in a dystopian society where the ruling Party, led by Big Brother, scrutinizes every aspect of people's lives, even their thoughts, through omnipresent surveillance technology. The Party orchestrates a linguistic purge, introducing Newspeak, a language designed to obliterate any words or ideas that could provoke opposition to its rule. Winston, growing increasingly dissatisfied with the Party's oppressive control, procures a forbidden diary to record his subversive thoughts. He also becomes intrigued by O’Brien, a high-ranking Party official whom he suspects to be part of the legendary Brotherhood, an underground organization bent on toppling the Party. Working at the Ministry of Truth, Winston manipulates past records to align with the Party's current narrative. His fear of detection intensifies when he notices a female colleague, Julia, observing him closely. Despite the Party's historical revisionism, Winston can vaguely remember a past that contradicts the official narrative. Meanwhile, he explores impoverished areas, where the proletariat, or 'proles', live relatively unmonitored lives. His relationship with Julia evolves from paranoia to romance after receiving a love note from her. They clandestinely meet in a rented room in the prole district, where Winston’s contempt for the Party intensifies, while he also awaits a potential meeting with O'Brien. Their anticipated meeting with O’Brien takes place in his lavish apartment, where he lives a life of privilege as part of the Inner Party. O’Brien admits his own hatred for the Party and confirms his participation in the Brotherhood, subsequently initiating Winston and Julia. O'Brien provides Winston with a forbidden book containing the Brotherhood's ideology. However, their rebellion comes to a sudden halt as they are arrested by the Thought Police; O'Brien is revealed to be a loyal Party member and their landlord, Mr. Charrington, a Thought Police agent. Imprisoned and tortured in the ironically named Ministry of Love, Winston endures psychological manipulation aimed to eradicate his rebellious thoughts. Ultimately, his resistance crumbles in Room 101, where he is tormented with his greatest fear, rats, and betrays Julia. Broken, Winston is released; he encounters Julia but feels nothing. In the end, Winston has fully succumbed to the Party's indoctrination, even proclaiming love for Big Brother.

book 1 chapter 1

In the chilly spring of 1984, Winston Smith, a thin, frail, 39-year-old man, returns to his decrepit apartment named Victory Mansions. Due to a varicose ulcer on his right ankle, the climb up the frequently out-of-service elevator's stairs is a struggle. Each landing showcases a poster of a vast face with the eerie caption “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU.” Winston serves as a minor official in the Party, the totalitarian regime governing Airstrip One—formerly England—within the larger state of Oceania. Despite his status, Winston's life is dominated by the Party's oppressive control. His apartment houses a telescreen, a device that constantly streams propaganda and allows the Thought Police to monitor citizen's activities. Winston often faces away from the screen, which currently displays a dull report about pig iron. From his window, he gazes upon the Ministry of Truth, his workplace where he alters historical records to reflect the Party's approved version of history. Other Party-run Ministries include the Ministry of Peace, which conducts war; the Ministry of Plenty, managing economic shortages; and the chilling Ministry of Love, the hub of the Party's heinous activities. Winston retrieves a small diary from a hidden alcove, safe from the telescreen's view. The diary, bought secondhand from the proletarian district where the poor live relatively untouched by Party surveillance, serves as a form of rebellion against the Party. As he begins to write, he recalls his feelings of lust and hatred for a dark-haired coworker, and his suspicion that an Inner Party member, O’Brien, is an enemy of the Party. He remembers feeling intense hatred for Big Brother during a recent Two Minutes Hate assembly, a sentiment he believes he saw reciprocated in O’Brien’s eyes. Abruptly, Winston notices that he’s written “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” repeatedly in his diary, constituting a thoughtcrime—the worst offense in the eyes of the Party. He is certain the Thought Police will apprehend him. Suddenly, there's a knock at the door.

book 1 chapter 2

In a state of trepidation, Winston anticipates the arrival of the Thought Police for his diary entries, but it's only Mrs. Parsons, a fellow tenant seeking assistance with her plumbing issues while her husband is absent. Winston finds himself vexed by the Parsons' impassioned offspring who, as members of the Junior Spies, accuse him of intellectual treason. The Junior Spies are a group of young people who observe adults for any signs of Party disloyalty, often succeeding in trapping them - Mrs. Parsons appears fearful of her own fervid children. The children are in dismay as their mother forbids them from witnessing a public execution of the Party's political adversaries that evening. Back at home, Winston recalls a dream where a man, he believes to be O’Brien, spoke the words, “We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness.” Winston acknowledges in his diary that his mental rebellion seals his fate and hides the book.

book 1 chapter 3

In Winston's dream, he's on a sinking ship with his mother, whose disappearance in a political purge two decades earlier he feels inexplicably guilty for. Next, his dream transports him to The Golden Country, where the brunette woman disrobes and runs towards him, an act of defiance effectively destroying the entire Party. He awakens with the word “Shakespeare” on his lips, unsure of its origin. The telescreen's shrill whistle signals it's time for office workers to awaken and engage in the Physical Jerks, a series of grotesque exercises. While exercising, Winston reflects on his childhood, the details of which are hazy. The absence of tangible mementos like photographs or documents, he believes, contributes to the haziness of his memories. He ponders about Oceania's geopolitical relations with Eurasia and Eastasia. Although the official narrative states that Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia and allied with Eastasia, Winston is aware of the manipulation of historical records. He recalls that the Party's leader, Big Brother, was unheard of prior to 1960. Yet, stories about him are now found in accounts dating back to the 1930s. Amidst his thoughts, the telescreen's voice suddenly scolds him by name, criticizing his lack of effort during the Physical Jerks. This causes Winston to break into a sweat and push himself harder during the exercises.

book 1 chapter 4

Winston finds himself immersed in his role at the Ministry of Truth's Records section. His primary task involves a speakwrite, a machine that transcribes his spoken words, and the destruction of outdated documents. In an effort to maintain Big Brother's infallibility, Winston revises Party records and orders to align with current happenings. Despite Airstrip One's citizens experiencing decreased food supplies, they are convinced that their rations have actually increased. That day, Winston is charged with modifying a 1983 speech record mentioning Comrade Withers, a former official of Big Brother who had been erased from existence after being labelled a Party enemy. The existence of a praising document about him is considered inappropriate. In the revised records, Winston replaces Comrade Withers with a fictional character he creates, Comrade Ogilvy. Comrade Ogilvy, a figment of Winston's mind, embodies the ideal Party member - suspicious and averse to sexual activities. Comrade Withers is now an unperson, effectively erased from existence. Observing Comrade Tillotson from a nearby cubicle, Winston contemplates the happenings at the Ministry of Truth, where a multitude of employees tirelessly tweak history to fit Party beliefs and produce continuous nonsense material, including illicit content, to subdue the severely impoverished proletariat.

book 1 chapter 5

During a meal, Winston interacts with Syme, an astute Party member who is refining the Newspeak dictionary, Oceania's official language. Syme discloses that the aim of Newspeak is to curtail thought diversity, effectively preventing any potential thoughtcrime. By eliminating the linguistic ability to articulate defiant ideas, rebellion becomes inconceivable. Winston silently predicts that Syme's brilliance might cause his vaporization in the future. Parsons, a zealous Party official known to Winston for his plumbing aid to Parsons' wife, drops by the canteen to collect contributions for the community's Hate Week. Despite apologizing for his children's previous misconduct towards Winston, Parsons praises their fervor. A jubilant broadcast from the Ministry of Plenty suddenly interrupts, proclaiming production growth. Despite the announcement hailing an increase in chocolate rations to twenty grams, Winston discerns it as a veiled decrease. His peers, however, unquestioningly rejoice in the news. Feeling observed, Winston glances upward and is met by the watchful eyes of the mysterious dark-haired girl, reigniting his fears of her being a Party spy.

book 1 chapter 6

In one evening, Winston documents in his diary about his latest sexual experience with a prole prostitute. He contemplates the Party's intense detestation of sex and concludes that they aim to eradicate the joy from the sexual act, transforming it into a mere duty to the Party, essentially a method of birthing more Party followers. Katherine, Winston's ex-wife, despised sex, and upon realizing that they could not conceive, they parted ways. Winston harbors a deep desire for an enjoyable sexual relationship, which he views as an ultimate defiance act. In his diary, he describes the prole prostitute as elderly and unattractive, but he carried out the sexual act regardless. He discerns that documenting the act in his diary did not diminish his rage, melancholy, or rebelliousness. He's left with an overwhelming urge to yell obscenities at full volume.

book 1 chapter 7

Winston postulates in his journal that the only possibility of overthrowing the Party lies within the proles. He holds firm that the Party's downfall can't originate from within, even doubting the infamous rebel group, the Brotherhood's, capability to overpower the formidable Thought Police. The proles, who constitute the majority (85%) of Oceania's citizens, could potentially overthrow the police. However, their harsh, uneducated lives, devoid of will and interest to incite rebellion, and their obliviousness to Party's tyranny, pose a significant obstacle. Winston consults a children's history book, hoping to understand the actuality of past events. The Party boasts about constructing utopian cities, however, Winston's reality in London is a contrast — dilapidated infrastructure, unreliable electricity, and pervasive poverty. With no trustworthy official record, Winston is left questioning the Party's claims about literacy rate improvement, infant mortality reduction, and enhanced food and shelter provision. Winston doubts these assertions but lacks evidence since the Party has monopolized the recording of history. Ultimately, the Party could assert that two plus two equals five, and people would have to accept it. Winston recalls an incident where the Party was found lying. In the 1960s, the Revolution's original leaders were arrested due to a cultural backlash. Winston spotted a few ousted leaders at the Chestnut Tree Café, a hangout for disgraced Party members. A song played, causing one of the members, Rutherford, to cry. Later, Winston found a photograph proving that these members were in New York at the treason-accusation time in Eurasia. Fearing consequences, Winston destroyed the photo, but the incident remained etched in his memory as a tangible instance of Party's deceit. Winston's diary entries often feel like letters to O’Brien, a Party member he knows little about, but perceives a streak of rebellion similar to his own. Reflecting on the Party's absolute control over truth, Winston concludes that true freedom is the ability to understand reality independently — to state that "2 + 2 = 4." He believes O’Brien shares this sentiment.

book 1 chapter 8

Winston meanders into the prole quarter, longing for the straightforward existence they lead. He stops in a public house and engages an elderly man, hoping to confirm whether society was indeed oppressed by greedy capitalists before the Party's reign, as claimed by the Party records. However, the old man's recollections lack clarity, leaving Winston frustrated that the past has been relegated to the proles, who are bound to forget it. Winston later visits the secondhand shop where he purchased his diary and acquires a transparent paperweight with a pink coral core from Mr. Charrington, the owner. Mr. Charrington then shows him an unmonitored room upstairs, adorned with an image of St. Clement's Church linked to an old rhyme. On his journey home, he spots the brunette girl in blue Party uniform seemingly following him. Fearful, he contemplates attacking her with a stone or his newly bought paperweight. In a panic, he rushes home, pondering that suicide might be a better option before the Party captures him. Aware that if apprehended, the Thought Police would torture him before killing him, Winston finds solace in his dreams of O'Brien and the darkness-free place. Disturbed, he pulls out a coin and gazes at Big Brother's face, drawn to the Party's slogans: "War is Peace," "Freedom is Slavery," "Ignorance is Strength."

book 2 chapter 1

Winston, en route to the restroom at work, spots the brunette with her arm in a cast. She stumbles, and upon aiding her, she slips him a piece of paper that reads “I love you.” Baffled and anxious, Winston struggles to decipher the note's implication. Despite previously suspecting her of being a political informant observing him, she now professes her love for him. Before he can fully process this, Parsons disrupts him, rambling about his Hate Week preparations. The note stimulates a sudden, potent urge to live within Winston. After several tension-filled days and no communication with her, Winston finally finds an opportunity to share a table with her in the lunchroom. They converse covertly, their gazes lowered to avoid drawing attention. They strategize a rendezvous in Victory Square, a place bustling enough to camouflage them from the ever-watchful telescreens. Amidst a crowd cheering on the torment of Eurasian prisoners, they meet in the square. The woman provides Winston with directions to a secluded spot in the countryside, accessible via a train journey from Paddington Station. Despite the risks, they briefly clasp hands.

book 2 chapter 2

Carrying out their scheme, Winston and the mysterious girl rendezvous in a rural setting. Despite his initial suspicions, Winston now trusts that the brunette isn't an undercover operative. He's somewhat paranoid about potential hidden microphones but is calmed by the girl's apparent expertise. She reveals her name to be Julia while discarding her Junior Anti-Sex League badge. As they retreat into the forest, their physical attraction intensifies, and they engage in an intimate act that is strikingly similar to Winston's previous erotic fantasy. Later, Winston inquires about Julia's past experiences, to which she admits having had multiple. Her response exhilarates him as it implies a higher proportion of Party members are rebelling through illicit activities. This makes him love her even more, as each act of defiance against the Party is a small victory in his eyes.

book 2 chapter 3

In the morning, Julia organises their departure back to London, and both she and Winston plunge back into their routine lives. In the following weeks, they manage to meet briefly within the city. During a secret meeting in a dilapidated church, Julia shares her experiences of living in a hostel with a large group of girls and her first covert sexual affair. Julia, unlike Winston, is not concerned with mass rebellion; she simply enjoys evading the party and indulging in pleasures. She elucidates to Winston that the Party's strict sexual restrictions serve to transform people's sexual frustrations into vehement animosity towards the Party's enemies and zealous loyalty towards Big Brother. Winston narrates to Julia a past incident where he contemplated pushing his former wife, Katherine, off a cliff during a walk. He confesses that the outcome wouldn't have mattered because battling the oppressive regime controlling their existence is futile.

book 2 chapter 4

Winston surveys the small space above Mr. Charrington's shop he's rented, considering it reckless due to his relationship with Julia. A robust woman with fiery arms airs her laundry while singing, outside. Both Winston and Julia have been preoccupied with the city's Hate Week preparations, their ability to see each other hampered, a situation worsened by Julia's menstrual cycle. Winston yearns for a slow-paced, romantic existence with Julia, akin to a seasoned married couple. Julia arrives with coffee, sugar, and bread – commodities usually reserved for the Inner Party. Her beauty, accentuated by makeup, leaves Winston awestruck. Julia, lying in bed one evening, spots a rat, invoking extreme fear in Winston who has a particular dread of rats. Julia's attention is drawn to the paperweight. Winston explains that it serves as a connection to history. They hum the St. Clement’s Church tune and Julia promises to polish the aged church painting. When Julia departs, Winston finds himself lost in the paperweight, envisioning a timeless life with Julia within it.

book 2 chapter 5

Syme, as Winston foresaw, disappears. The city buzzes with activity as Hate Week preparations coincide with the peak of summer, even the proles becoming unruly. Parsons enthusiastically decorates the city with banners and his kids sing a freshly written 'Hate Song' dedicated to the event. Winston's mind is frequently occupied by the room above Mr. Charrington’s store, even when he can't visit. He daydreams of Katherine's death, which could pave the way for his union with Julia and of conceiving a new prole identity for himself. Discussions about the Brotherhood take place between Winston and Julia; he shares his peculiar connection with O’Brien, whilst she argues that the war and supposed Party adversaries like Emmanuel Goldstein are merely Party fabrications. Winston, disturbed by Julia’s casual indifference, reprimands her for being a rebel only in terms of physical intimacy.

book 2 chapter 6

O'Brien initiates interaction with Winston, a moment Winston has anticipated his whole life. The fleeting encounter with O'Brien in the Ministry of Truth's corridor leaves Winston feeling both nervous and exhilarated. O'Brien hints at Syme and proposes Winston could view a Newspeak dictionary should he visit O'Brien's residence one evening. Winston perceives this encounter with O'Brien as a continuation of the journey in his life that initiated with his inaugural act of rebellion. He melancholically speculates that this journey will ultimately lead him to the Ministry of Love, where he anticipates meeting his death. Nonetheless, Winston is exhilarated to possess O'Brien's address, even as he accepts his grim fate.

book 2 chapter 7

Winston awakens one morning, tear-stricken, in the quarters above Mr. Charrington’s antique store. Julia, his companion, queries about his distress. He reveals a disturbing dream about his mother, which led him to acknowledge a latent belief of having inadvertently caused her death. A flurry of previously suppressed memories assail him, revolving around his childhood, post his father's departure. Winston, his mother, and his infant sister spent most of their days in subterranean hideouts, evading air strikes and dealing with food scarcity. Driven by starvation, Winston stole chocolate from his family and absconded, never to meet them again. He abhors the Party for eradicating human sentiments, considering the proles as the last vestiges of humanity. He thinks that Party's members, including him and Julia, have been coerced into numbing their emotions, rendering them near-robotic. The possibility of their apprehension has Winston and Julia on tenterhooks, as they are aware that their secretive residence above Mr. Charrington’s store significantly elevates their risk of being discovered. They soothe each other with the affirmation that despite the inevitable torture that would extract confessions, their love will remain unscathed. They concur that forsaking the room permanently would be the most sensible decision, but find themselves unable to follow through.

book 2 chapter 8

In a daring move, both Winston and Julia journey to O’Brien’s luxurious residence. To Winston's surprise, O’Brien turns off the telescreen, implying safety from the Party’s surveillance. Winston confidently reveals their opposition to the Party and their intention to join the Brotherhood. O’Brien confirms the existence of the Brotherhood and the reality of Emmanuel Goldstein, initiating them into the rebellious faction with a ceremonial song. He offers them wine and Winston suggests a toast to bygone times. After Julia departs, O’Brien assures Winston he will receive a copy of Goldstein’s revolutionary manifesto. O’Brien hints at a potential future encounter, confirming Winston's interpretation about meeting in a place without darkness. He also enlightens Winston about the missing lines from the St. Clement’s Church rhyme. As Winston departs, O’Brien reinstates the telescreen and resumes his tasks.

book 2 chapter 9

Winston is drained after a demanding ninety-hour work week due to Oceania's abrupt shift of enemies and alliances in the war during Hate Week. At a rally, it's announced that Oceania is not at war with Eurasia, but Eastasia, causing confusion and embarrassment. The crowd quickly adjusts, blaming Emmanuel Goldstein’s agents for the mix-up and channeling their hatred towards Eastasia. In the solitude of Mr. Charrington’s room, Winston immerses himself in Goldstein’s book, The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism, gifted to him by O’Brien. The book, with party slogans as chapter headings, outlines the theory of social classes and recent history. The world, according to the book, is divided into three superstates: Eurasia, Oceania and Eastasia; each engaging in ongoing border wars to maintain control over their populations. In this framework, the war is an instrument of control, hence the motto “WAR IS PEACE.” While engrossed in the book, Winston is joined by Julia who casually approves of his reading. After spending intimate time together, Winston reads to Julia, echoing Goldstein’s sentiments on the Party's manipulation of history and the use of doublethink. Exhausted, Winston asks if Julia is awake, only to find her asleep, leaving him alone with his thoughts that “sanity is not statistical.”

book 2 chapter 10

Winston is awakened the next day by a singing woman outside, her strong physique catching his attention. He considers, while watching her, that the commoners might be the ones to overthrow the Party's reign. Winston and Julia observe the woman, understanding their own impending doom yet recognizing her potential to shape the future. Their shared words, "We are the dead," are hauntingly echoed by a disembodied voice, revealing a concealed telescreen behind St. Clement's Church portrait. The sound of approaching boots confirms they've been discovered, and the poetic lines from St. Clement's rhyme chillingly announce their capture. The window bursts as troops dressed in black invade, destroying the paperweight, which Winston notes seems smaller now. Brutality ensues as Julia is beaten and Winston is kicked, resulting in disorientation and a struggle to read the room's old clock. The entrance of Mr. Charrington, who commands the collection of broken glass, brings a shocking revelation. The voice from the telescreen belonged to him, confirming his role as part of the Thought Police.

book 3 chapter 1

Winston finds himself in a stark, perpetually lit cell, under constant surveillance from four telescreens. He has been moved from a shared cell, where he speculated about his possible familial connection to a fellow detainee named Smith. In his loneliness, Winston fears that physical torture might compel him to betray Julia. A fellow prisoner, the poet Ampleforth, who was imprisoned for not censoring religious word in a Kipling interpretation, is thrown into the cell, only to be quickly taken to the terrifying Room 101. Winston's cellmates include a range of prisoners, among them his own gassy neighbour Parsons, who was reported by his children for thoughtcrime. Witnessing extreme starvation, brutal beatings and mutilation, Winston clings to the hope that the Brotherhood might supply him a razorblade to end his life. However, his illusions about the Brotherhood shatters when O'Brien, his presumed ally, walks into his cell. Shocked, Winston exclaims, “They’ve got you too!” O'Brien calmly responds, “They got me long ago,” revealing his true role as an agent of the Ministry of Love. He claims that Winston has always suspected his true allegiance, which Winston sheepishly confirms. A guard violently breaks Winston’s elbow, making him realize the impossibility of heroism in the face of excruciating, unbearable pain.

book 3 chapter 2

O'Brien conducts Winston's extensive torture sessions. He accuses Winston of rejecting the Party's manipulation of history and personal memory. As O'Brien intensifies the torture, Winston concedes to O'Brien's truth, even when he knows it's false. He starts to appreciate O'Brien, associating him with the relief from pain, eventually denying that O'Brien is causing the pain. O'Brien labels Winston's perspective as madness, promising that the torture will restore his sanity. Control over the past equates to control over the future. The present control determines control over the past. O'Brien explains to Winston that the Party has mastered processes used by the Inquisition, Nazis, and Soviets, by eliminating its adversaries without turning them into martyrs. It converts them, then ensures their non-existence in public perception. Gradually, Winston starts accepting O'Brien's narratives. He learns to apply doublethink, denying the authenticity of his own memories. O’Brien offers to answer Winston's questions, to which Winston inquires about Julia. O'Brien informs him that Julia betrayed him instantly. When Winston questions if Big Brother's existence parallels his own, O'Brien asserts that Winston doesn't exist. Winston's queries about the Brotherhood are met with vague answers. Winston's final question about the dreaded Room 101 gets a response that the answer is known to all.

book 3 chapter 3

Following a prolonged period of torment and questioning, O'Brien enlightens Winston about the intentions of the Party. Winston presumes that the Party governs the proles for their benefit. In response to this, O'Brien inflicts pain on him, clarifying that the Party's sole objective is to obtain unlimited and unending power. Winston challenges this, stating that the Party can't change the cosmos; O'Brien refutes this, asserting that if necessary they could, as the only reality of importance is within the human psyche, over which the Party has absolute control. O’Brien compels Winston to look at his reflection; his form is now skeletal and has lost all color. Overcome with emotion, Winston starts to cry, holding O'Brien responsible for his physical state. O'Brien retorts that Winston was aware of the potential consequences when he started his diary. O'Brien concedes that Winston has remained strong by not betraying Julia, causing Winston to feel a surge of affection and gratitude towards O'Brien for acknowledging his resilience. Despite this, O'Brien reassures Winston that he will soon be healed. O'Brien concludes by pointing out the futility of it all, as everyone ultimately faces execution.

book 3 chapter 4

Following a period of torturous captivity, Winston experiences a reprieve with his relocation to a more hospitable environment. His dreams are filled with pleasant thoughts of Julia, his mother, and O'Brien in a utopian setting. His health improves as he regains strength and he is permitted to write on a petite slate. Winston starts to regret his individual rebellion against the Party and attempts to convince himself to accept the Party’s doctrines. He scribbles on his slate the paradoxical slogans of the Party: “FREEDOM IS SLAVERY,” “TWO AND TWO MAKE FIVE,” and “GOD IS POWER.” Overcome with despair one day, Winston involuntarily utters Julia's name repeatedly, causing himself great fear. Despite knowing the repercussions, he acknowledges his irrevocable loathing for the Party. He attempts to suppress his hatred in such a way that he himself is unaware of it. His aim is to hold onto this hatred until his death at the hands of the Party, deeming it a personal triumph. However, he fails to conceal his emotions. When O'Brien arrives with the guards, Winston confesses his detestation for Big Brother. O’Brien retorts that mere obedience is not enough; Winston must cultivate love for Big Brother. Consequently, O'Brien orders the guards to escort Winston to Room 101.

book 3 chapter 5

Within the intimidating confines of Room 101, O'Brien forcefully secures Winston to a seat, immobilising his head. He ominously reveals to Winston that Room 101 harbors the "most dreadful thing in the world." He invokes Winston's deepest fear - his recurring nightmare of a mysterious, terrifying entity lurking behind a wall - and divulges that his fear is embodied by rats, who are positioned behind the said wall. O'Brien then introduces a cage teeming with large, squiggling rats in close proximity to Winston. He chillingly informs Winston that once the lever is triggered, the cage door will retract, releasing the famished rats to pounce on his face and gnaw it. Confronted by the horrifyingly close, wriggling rats, Winston's resolve shatters. He hysterically pleads for O'Brien to inflict this torment on Julia instead. Gratified by Winston's treacherous surrender, O'Brien removes the cage.

book 3 chapter 6

Winston, having gained his freedom, frequently visits the Chestnut Tree Café, a favorite haunt for discharged Party members. He relishes his Victory Gin as he watches the telescreen, fully accepting the Party's doctrines. Vaguely, he can still sense the smell of rats. He unconsciously inscribes “2 + 2 = 5” in the dust on the table. Recollections of Julia on a freezing day in March come to him. She had become physically unattractive to him, making the idea of intimacy with her abhorrent. They admitted their betrayal towards each other and decided to meet again, although they had no real intent to rekindle their connection. Winston believes he hears the song "Under the spreading chestnut tree / I sold you and you sold me", a tune he remembers from his encounter with political prisoners years ago. Tears welled up in his eyes. He recalls a time of joy with his mother and sister, yet he dismisses it as an illusory memory. A picture of Big Brother on the telescreen catches his eye, instilling feelings of joy and security within him. As he listens to the war updates, he consoles himself with thoughts of his personal triumph and newfound adoration for Big Brother. In the end, one may argue that it was a mere ploy, that their words were only uttered to cease the torment, without any real conviction. However, that would be far from the truth.