1984 Blog #9

Following his capture, Winston undergoes a process of “philosophical cleansing” and “re-education.” He fights valiantly against this. Discuss the methods of torture and their results. What do you think this ending is saying about the hope Winston had for himself and for mankind at the beginning of the book? What do you think the broader message of the book is?

Winston does put on a long, valiant fight against O'Brien and the party in Book 3. But, he eventually falls. A physiological torture was being in a prison cell with no windows and there's always lights on. So, Winston doesn't sleep well and begins to lose track of time and space. He gets confused and doesn't know where in the Ministry of Love he is. Another type of torture they used on Winston was this contraption that stretch out Winston's body and sent electrical changes through his body. O'Brein used this torture device to try to make Winston forget his memories. This is when O'Brein is asking Winston how many fingers he's holding up. Winston knows there's four but it's supposed to mean you never know what it really is. It's only what the Party tells you what it is. And, finally, the last form of torture they use on Winston was the torture in room 101. It's supposedly the worst place in the world. They display Winston's worst fears... rats. O'Brein tells him that he'll release a cage full of hungry rats on his face unless he stops hating the Party. So, he betrays Julia and says that he would rather have her get that torture than himself. As for the ending, I felt like it was a shame. Even the most rebellious party member has their limits and can be controlled i guess. But, after reading what happens to people that in the Ministry of Love, the hope of successfully overpowering the Party decreases. They can cleanse the rebels of their hatred thoughts toward the party. And, final thoughts, I think that the boarder message of this book is there really is not hope for those that dislike the Party and that want things to change. The Party has gained too much power and control that it's more than likely that things won't change. But, I agree with Huxely that this society won't last forever and that it would eventually have to change into a Brave New World society. But, it's clear that the people living in the society of 1984 really have crappy lives...