George Orwell: 1984 Chapter Summaries

Make sure you will get the most out of 1984 with these 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 your reader to the novel's protagonist, Winston Smith of Airstrip One, Oceania. Winston is 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 everything that is good. Winston commits



eval(ez_write_tag([[468,60],'brighthubeducation_com-banner-1']));


thoughtcrime by writing DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER in the diary, the possession of which constitutes thoughtcrime.
Chapter Two: Winston hears a knock with the door and fears it does not take thought police. It's actually his neighbor whose sink he unplugs and whose kids are junior spies to the party.




eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'brighthubeducation_com-medrectangle-2']));


Chapter Three: Winston wants his mother, of an naked girl running toward him, and also Shakespeare, all three of which represent thoughtcrime. He awakens to the telescreen's shrill cry of exercise time.
Chapter Four: Winston travels to work at The Ministry of Truth. His job is usually to falsify past records to be conform to current reality.
Chapter Five: Winston eats lunch with Syme, a specialist on Newspeak, the state run language from the party, whose purpose is always to reduce the quantity of words and also to render thoughtcrime impossible.
Chapter Six: Winston records his most recent sex act in the diary, a disgusting affair using a Prole prostitute with no teeth. He longs for any meaningful love affair, what he considers the greatest rebellion from the party.
Chapter Seven: Winston writes in the diary that the only hope is within the Proles, the functional class. He longs for the sense in the past, sees a children's history book, and realizes any record of the past is controlled with the party and possesses been falsified.
Chapter Eight: Winston wanders in to the Prole district and buys a paperweight on the same store he bought the diary. He notices women from the Ministry of Truth and fears he's being followed. He contemplates smashing her face in having a cobblestone.
Analysis: The party controls its citizens through media manipulation, whatsapp numbers usa language manipulation, psychological trickery, the dissolving of family ties, and torture. The party has created illegal all things that make life enjoyable: family ties, sex, romantic love, the freedom to think, great literature, and anything which involves introspection. Although Oceania doesn't have any specific laws prohibiting some of Winston's actions, his actions are outward signs that they has committed the ultimate crime, thoughtcrime.
Book One introduces people to the novel's other two significant characters, Julia, your ex in the blue overalls, and O'Brien, the inner party member who Winston believes can be a fellow conspirator.
Chapter One: The girl who earlier Winston planned to strike in the face using a cobblestone passes him an email that says "I thank you." It takes several attempts, but the two have the ability to converse and schedule a meeting at Victory Square. Winston feels he has a reason to live.
Chapter Two: The two meet within the country and participate in romantic love acts.
Chapter Three: The two go back to normal party lives and have the ability to meet only for short intervals. They rendezvous at an abandoned church. Winston realizes that Julia is not interested in a broad rebellion. She is only thinking about outsmarting the party and having intercourse.
Chapter Four: Winston rents a place above Mr Charrington's shop, where he purchased the diary as well as the paper weight. He realizes it is a huge risk but he feels it's worth the cost.
Chapter Five: Syme disappears (as WInston predicted earlier). Winston constantly considers the room above Charrington's shop, considering what continues there, I think we understand.
Chapter Six: O'Brien stops Winston inside the hall and provides him his address. Winston isn't sure if it is a sign through the underground or if he's one step closer to his doom.
Chapter Seven: Winston and Julia visit their rented room frequently. They know they are going to eventually be captured and tortured and that renting the bedroom 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 which he will deliver the sunday paper containing the secrets of the underground.
Chapter Nine: Oceania is no longer at war with East Asia. It's at war with Eurasia. This forces Winston with his fantastic Ministry of Truth coworkers to log 96 hours in the next couple of weeks. Finally, Winston is able to escape to his rented room where he reads the book given him by O'Brien. The book explains the value and specification of 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 and there's a telescreen behind the picture inside room above his shop. Winston and Julia are arrested.
Analysis: The moment WInston, Julia, and people have all been expecting finally occurs with the end of chapter 10. The only question remaining is if Winston and Julia betray the other person. Don't you hate it once you buy illegal items from an undercover thought policeman? I imagine Winston feels pretty stupid. That whole "Here comes a chopper to cut off your head poem" has haunted me since part one and should have been a hint to Winston that both Charrington and O'Brien were not to be trusted.




eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'brighthubeducation_com-medrectangle-3']));


Chapter One: Winston awaits his punishment in the cell along with other prisoners, victims of starvation and beatings. His coworker Ampleforth continues to be arrested, as has his neighbor Parsons. O'Brien enters and reveals himself as an agent from the Ministry of Truth. A security guard smashes Winston's elbow using 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 how the party has perfected something that will keep them 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 is always to remain in power forever by controlling everything. Winston argues how the party cannot control external events. O'Brien thinks otherwise, explaining that as long as the party controls your head, anything is achievable. O'Brien admits that Winston has yet to betray Julia, but doesn't come off as too upset by it, knowing that eventually many people are cured.
Chapter Four: Winston is come to a more comfortable room, is fed regularly, and is no longer tortured. He still hates Big Brother and wants to die hating Big Brother like a last act of rebellion. He wakes up from the dream and shouts Julia's name repeatedly. 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 release them, Winston asks that Julia take his place. With the final betrayal complete, the torture stops.
Chapter Six: Winston sits on the Chestnut Tree Cafe drinking Victory Gin and accepting everything Big Brother says. He has met with Julia once since hitting theaters but neither had any fascination with continuing their relationship. After news of your great war victory, Winston acknowledges he loves Big Brother.
Analysis: Evil wins. All it took was weeks of torture, a cage filled with rats, and enough gin to paralyze a rhinoceros. I love Big Brother.