George Orwell: 1984 Chapter Summaries

Make sure you are getting the most out of 1984 with your chapter-by-chapter reviews for books 1, 2, and 3.
Use this 1984 Study Guide to review Orwell's classic. Find more novel study guides at Brighthub.com.
Chapter One: The novel's first chapter introduces people to the novel's protagonist, Winston Smith of Airstrip One, Oceania. Winston is definitely an unimportant an affiliate Ingsoc, the controlling party of Oceania. As he labors the stairs to his apartment, he passes several posters of Big Brother, the embodiment of party leadership, who the truth is represents oppression, but to citizens represents all that is good. Winston commits



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thoughtcrime by writing DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER as part of his diary, the possessing which constitutes thoughtcrime.
Chapter Two: Winston hears a knock on the door and fears oahu is the thought police. It's actually his neighbor whose sink he unplugs and whose kids are junior spies for that party.




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Chapter Three: Winston dreams of his mother, of your naked girl running toward him, as well as Shakespeare, the three of which represent thoughtcrime. He awakens for the telescreen's shrill cry of exercise time.
Chapter Four: Winston goes to work at The Ministry of Truth. His job is usually to falsify past records to make them conform to current reality.
Chapter Five: Winston eats lunch with Syme, a specialist on Newspeak, the state language from the party, whose purpose would be to reduce the variety of words and to render thoughtcrime impossible.
Chapter Six: Winston records his latest sex act in the diary, a disgusting affair having a Prole prostitute without having teeth. He longs to get a meaningful romance, what he considers the supreme rebellion contrary to the party.
Chapter Seven: Winston writes in his diary how the only hope is incorporated in the Proles, the working class. He longs for the sense with the past, picks up a children's history book, and realizes any record of the past is controlled from the party and has been falsified.
Chapter Eight: Winston wanders to the Prole district and buys a paperweight in the same store he bought the diary. He notices women from the Ministry of Truth and fears he is being followed. He contemplates smashing her face in which has a cobblestone.
Analysis: The party controls its citizens through media manipulation, language manipulation, psychological trickery, the dissolving of family ties, and torture. The party makes illegal things that make life enjoyable: family ties, sex, romantic love, the freedom to believe, great literature, and anything involving introspection. Although Oceania doesn't have specific laws prohibiting any one Winston's actions, his actions are outward signs that he has committed the best crime, thoughtcrime.
Book One introduces the various readers to the novel's other two significant characters, Julia, the lady in the blue overalls, and O'Brien, the inner party member who Winston believes may be a fellow conspirator.
Chapter One: The girl who earlier Winston desired to strike in the face having a cobblestone passes him a note that says "I thank you." It takes several attempts, nevertheless the two are able to converse and schedule a meeting at Victory Square. Winston feels she has a reason to reside in.
Chapter Two: The two meet inside country and engage in romantic love acts.
Chapter Three: The two resume normal party lives and have the ability to meet only for short amounts of time. They rendezvous at an abandoned church. Winston realizes that Julia just isn't interested in a large rebellion. She is only considering outsmarting the party and having intercourse.
Chapter Four: Winston rents a room above Mr Charrington's shop, where he purchased the diary along with the paper weight. He realizes it's really a huge risk but he feels it's worth every penny.
Chapter Five: Syme disappears (as WInston predicted earlier). Winston constantly acknowledges the room above Charrington's shop, considering what continues on there, I think we understand.
Chapter Six: O'Brien stops Winston inside hall and offers him his address. Winston isn't sure if it is a sign through the underground or if he's a measure closer to his doom.
Chapter Seven: Winston and Julia visit their rented room frequently. They know they will eventually be captured and tortured which renting the space is stupid. They still rent it anyhow and promise each other they'll remain loyal.
Chapter Eight: Winston and Julia visit O'Brien and discuss the underground with him. He promises Winston that he will deliver a book containing the secrets in the underground.
Chapter Nine: Oceania has stopped being at war with East Asia. It's at war with Eurasia. This forces Winston and his Ministry of Truth coworkers to log 96 hours in the next couple weeks. Finally, Winston will be able to escape to his rented room where he reads the ebook given him by O'Brien. The book explains the importance and concise explaination War is Peace, Ignorance is Strength, and Freedom is Slavery.
Chapter 10: As it turns out, Mr. Charrington is a member of the Thought Police then there is a telescreen behind the picture within the room above his shop. Winston and Julia are arrested.
Analysis: The moment WInston, Julia, and the various readers have all been expecting finally occurs at the end of chapter 10. The only question remaining is if Winston and Julia betray one another. Don't you hate it if you buy illegal items from an undercover thought policeman? I imagine Winston feels pretty stupid. That whole "Here comes a chopper to reduce off your brain poem" has haunted me since part one and may have been an idea to Winston that both Charrington and O'Brien were not to be trusted.




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Chapter One: Winston awaits his punishment in the cell along with other prisoners, victims of starvation and beatings. His coworker Ampleforth has become arrested, as has his neighbor Parsons. O'Brien enters and reveals himself being an agent of the Ministry of Truth. A security guard smashes Winston's elbow with a club. It hurts. Bad.
Chapter Two: O'Brien attempts to "cure" Winston's "insanity" with torture. Winston agrees to anything O'Brien tells him and begins to love O'Brien while he can stop the pain. O'Brien explains that this party has perfected a system that will keep these things in power forever. They do not kill any prisoners until they may be "cured."
Chapter Three: O'Brien tortures Winston more. He tells Winston that this party's true aim would be to remain in power forever by controlling all things. Winston argues how the party cannot control external events. O'Brien thinks otherwise, explaining that so long as the party controls mental performance, anything can be done. O'Brien admits that Winston has yet to betray Julia, but doesn't appear too upset by it, understanding that eventually many people are cured.
Chapter Four: Winston is come to a more comfortable room, is fed regularly, and is not really tortured. He still hates Big Brother and wants to die hating Big Brother as a last act of rebellion. He wakes up from a dream and shouts Julia's name more than once. O'Brien arrives and orders Winston to room 101.
Chapter Five: Winston's face is strapped to a cage that contains starving rats. Just before O'Brien pulls the lever to discharge them, Winston asks that Julia take his place. With the final betrayal complete, the torture stops.
Chapter Six: Winston sits with the Chestnut Tree Cafe drinking Victory Gin and accepting everything Big Brother says. He has met with Julia once since developing but Whatsapp india neither had any fascination with continuing their relationship. After news of an great war victory, Winston acknowledges he loves Big Brother.
Analysis: Evil wins. All it took was weeks of torture, a cage full of rats, and enough gin to paralyze a rhinoceros. I love Big Brother.