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Summary of 1984George Orwells well known novel 1984, takes place in an unpleasant

totalitarian world, where the worlds nations have been divided into three separate

sections; Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. The government in place in Oceania has

total control over its people, they have accomplished this by placing telescreens(video surveillance) and microphones in peoples homes. The corruption of the

government is shown blatantly by their common phrase Ignorance is Strength, Waris Peace, Freedom is Slavery. The government is able to make their subjects believe

every single word they say because there is no proof to the contrary, as there is no

recorded history available to the public because the party got rid of it all. Another

method the party uses are the ThoughtPolice whom monitor the telescreens andactions of middle-class and party members actions. Children are also taught in

school to spy on their parents, to ensure they are not involved in thought crime. The

majority of the society is made up of an uneducated people referred to as the

Proletarians, or simply, the Proles. They are not as closely monitored as they are

not educated enough to exercise free will and act out against the party.

The book begins following Winston (the main character of the book) through

his regular routine. He is awoken by the loud beeping of his telescreen in order to

begin his day with the grotesque morning stretch, and then quickly sent to work.

Throughout the novel, the government holds a daily activity called the Two-Minute

Hate in which the population screams at a large screen portraying a rebellious ex-

party member and the wars happening in the other countries. Winston remains

calm and does not participate in the mindless activity, and is constantly thinking of

how the party lies and undermines its people. One day during the two minutes hate

he catches the eye of a head party member named OBrien, and for a moment is

suspicious that he too does not believe in the ridiculousness that the party spews toits people. He has dreams of OBrien and always is haunted by him saying We will

meet in the place where there is no darkness. Winston later is followed by a dark

haired woman whom he has also dreamed of having sexual relations with in a field.

He believes she is part of the thought police, but then is convinced otherwise when

she leaves a note saying I love you on his desk. He discovers her name is Julia andshe takes him to the exact field he had dreamt of and they make love, something

punishable by execution by the party. Unable to live without Julias love, Winston

rents out an attic of a bookstore in the Prole ghetto, hoping to keep his rebellious

relationship alive. Winston constantly utters his hate towards the party, whereas

Julia merely has fun disobeying the strict rules by having several love affairs with

men. Winston accuses Julia of being a rebel from waist-down and is angry she isntas proactive about rebelling as he is. One day Winston is told by OBrien to meet him

at his house for dinner, in which Julia also tags along. OBrien turns his telescreenoff, explaining that only Inner-Party members have such a privilege, and reveals to

Winston the existence of the Brotherhood, a rebellious group of people aiming to

overthrow the corrupt government of Oceania, and inducts Winston and Julia into

the Brotherhood. One day when Winston and Julia are lying asleep in the attic of the

bookstore, they hear a voice telling them to rise and stay where they are. The

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painting in the room falls and reveals a telescreen behind it, the thought police

quickly flood the room and Winston realizes he has been betrayed by OBrien. Theyare taken to be tortured in the ironically named Ministry of Love. Winston is put

into a room with telescreens in every direction, providing a very bright

environment, which explains OBrien telling him that they would meet in a place

with no darkness. He is not fed for days and then is taken into the mysterious room101, a room for torturing patients into submission to the government. OBrien

spends week convincing Winston that the party is all powerful, and that anything

they say is true, no matter how ridiculous. Winston constantly disbelieves OBrienand is shocked for his disobedience. After a while Winston begins to submit to the

governments lies, until one evening he shouts out loud Julia, I love you reminding

himself of his humanity and his love of emotion and feelings. He is quickly beaten

and again brought to room 101 to be tortured. OBrien informs Winston that he isabout to face his biggest fear of his life, which are rats. He is told that his face will be

eaten alive by the rats, leaving him dead. Winston quickly submits and tells OBrien

that he would rather have Julia take the torture than himself. OBrien stops as he

now knows that Winston has let go of any shred of human emotion left and will notagain rebel.

The novel ends with Winston totally submissive to the party, and he has

found a new love for Big Brother, and lives out every day mindlessly doing the tasks

set before him by the government, completely ignorant of his rebellion and of his

human emotions. He has been fully reformed and now sits among the rest of the

society; emotionless and submissive.