1984 pages 225 - 260 Week 7

This section of reading begins after Winston has been captured and taken from Julia. He describes the room as "high-ceilinged and windowless with walls of glittering white porcelain." This is a somewhat ironic setting because one would normally picture a room such as the one he's in to be dark, dreary, and filthy. It's like the entire country of Oceania; the sky is always described as blue and things in the city lacks the gloominess one would expect with the oppression that goes on there. However, even though the room is white and clean, it is definitely known that the people are not to be comfortable, as noted by the thin bench they are forced to sit still on or else the telescreen will yell at them. What I want to know is why that telescreen still holds the power that it does. Winston is already starving and in the Ministry, so what is stopping him from acting out? I don't know how his situation can be any worse because he already knows what's coming, he might as well do what he feels like until his time comes.

It is also stated that Winston was put in another cell prior to this one which was dirty. This one was a mixture of both Party members and proles. It's amazing that the proles who are supposidly the low lifes of Oceania know they have nothing to be scared of. They are not the ones who are going to be tortured, but it is instead the Party members who need to be frightened. I thought that the proles would be tortured just as much as the Party members just for being apart of that low class.

As he's sitting in the filthy cell, it is mentioned that Winston couldn't think about Julia. He says that he loves her and that's a fact, but I don't believe they were ever in love. I think Winston was in love with the idea of Julia. The idea that having her was a rebellion against the party. I also feel that Winston wanted somebody to talk to and he got that from her, even though she didn't listen.

Still sitting in the cell, Winston believes that the razor blade will be coming to him. While it could be later rather than sooner, he thinks that blade is coming. Unfortunately, that blade will not becoming to him. I can't figure out if he's still in denial about the Brotherhood and genuinely thinks the blade will be coming, or if he's just thinking about it as a way to keep his spirits up and take his mind off of the things around him.

One thing I noticed about his predicament is that he does not know what time of the day it is and does not know how long he has been there. The lights never go on or off to signify day or night. This would have to drive Winston crazy after so long to never know how long he has been in the Ministry and it's definitely a tactic used by the Ministry to make people feel less sane.

It is when the poet, Ampleforth, enters the room that Winston finally breaks his silence. Partly out of curiosity and also because he still thinks someone is coming with that razor. I just can't believe how much in denial Winston is about O'brien! He still trusts this guy as if he's going to set him free when it's obvious that he helped put him there. Well, surprise surprise, Ampleforth wasn't the bearer of the razor blade. He's there because he was unable to remove the word 'God' from a poem. What's sad is that he tried his hardest to do so but couldn't find anything else to work. I think this shows that no matter how much the Party tries they will never be able to erase everything from the past.

As Winston sits in the cell, prisoners are constantly coming and going, but the one that is not surprising is Parons. In a way it's ironic that he was always commending his children on busting thought criminals and they turned him in. However, it's not a shocker at all that he's in there because we knew from the beginning that his children would eventually turn on him. Parsons himself is in great denial when he's there because he continues yet to lend panegyric compliments to his children even though they're responsible for his imminent demise. What I find quite strange is that he is there because he talked in his sleep. He said "Down with Big Brother" but during the two minutes hate it was perfectly okay. It makes me angry at the Party that they do not take into consideration that people dream what they have done in the past. This man is praising his children for turning in thought criminals, yet he is there because he is supposidly against the Party. It is twisted in every way.

Soon after Parson's removal to the dreaded room 101, another prisoner is thrown into the cell. His frail appearance is terrifying to Winston who feels now as though he is being starved. This man is wasting away and when a fellow prisoner finally offers him a piece of bread he doesn't take it because he knows what will happen if he does. Suddenly a brutal man storms into the room and bludgens the giver of the bread with his trencheon. What I want to know is why the Party doesn't search its criminals' pockets. It would seem the logical thing to do so that bread doesn't get smuggled in to be fed to their prisoners.

After this incident, an officer comes to take away the starving man to room 101. Here we see just how horrible 101 must be because this brittle man throws himself at the mercy of the officer and heavily importunes him not to go there. He even tries to make them take in one of the other cell members in an attempt to escape this room. In the end he doesn't win against the healthy, strong officer. All he really succeeds in doing is making everyone else in the cell more horrified.

A time comes when Winston is all alone in the cell. The white light is inducing faintness and the position he's in on the bench is highly uncomfortable. These are definitely stress techniques which are apparently timeless because they're similar to some of the things done at Guantanamo Bay. In fact, this whole situatation is eerily similar to Guantanamo Bay - innocent people being questioned under harsh conditions with little sleep and loads of stress. It creates a forced confession.

Suddenly, Winston hears the boots approaching again and this time it's O'brien. I wonder what it is about Winston that is so special to O'brien. I'm sure O'brien catches many of these criminals through his tricks, but why is Winston important enough to deserve a special word before he's taken away? Is it because he is so overtly against the party that O'brien considers him a more important case?

From his cell, Winston is taken to room 101. It is in deed as horrible as it was foreshaddowed to be. The torture afflicted upon Winston was beyond gruesome and I had a hard time reading it. As a result of the brutality, Winston confesses to anything asked of him yet the torture still continues. It appears to be never-ending but then O'brien comes into the room. It is at this time that we finally learn why the Party tortures its prisoners the way that they do.

O'brien explains that he could care less about what Winston says or confesses, but he wants him to believe in what he's confessing. People never leave the Ministry without a clean mind which believes in the Party whether they're going back to Oceania life or being shot. The goal is to believe that two plus two equals five. One quote sticks out in my mind that was said to Winston presumably by O'brien, "For seven years I have watched over you. Now the turning point has come. I shall save you." I don't think this was a quote meaning 'I will save you from this torture,' but instead, a quote meaning 'I will save you from your (antiParty) thoughts.'

When O'brien is questioning Winston, he asks him questions about his memory. He then pulls out the picture Winston came across of the three convicted men whom Winston knew were innocent of the crimes. This picture is years old, yet they have been saving it. Has the Party been planning this moment for years? Just waiting for the right time to take Winston in and "save" his mind?

It is at the end of the chapter that one of the most horriffic events takes place. The doctor places a machine on Winston's head and O'brien begins to ask questions. What is so scary is that Winston is at a state where he doesn't know the correct answer, but they are somehow brainwashing him. He is starting to believe like they do, only not by choice. It completely goes against what he was telling Julia earlier about the Party - that they could make you say anything but never believe it. He no longer has any control over his life and I don't know what's worse for him, if he lives or if he dies.