Summary of Orwell’s 1984Summary 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. Winston
thinks 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 chocolate. 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 punishment 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”
