Monday, December 29, 2014

What happens to Winston after the physical beatings in Book 3 Chapter 2 of 1984?

This chapter relates how, after a series of incredibly
disturbing beatings, Winston is completely broken and has confessed to everything that
he has been told he needs to confess to. But at the same time, his process of
rehabilitation, if that is what you want to call it, is not over yet. It is obvious that
he still has some way to go, and as he hears the voice of O'Brien, it is clear that
O'Brien recognises this too:


readability="7">

Don't worry, Winston; you are in my keeping. For
seven years I have watched over you. Now the turning-point has come. I shall save you. I
shall make you
perfect.



O'Brien then goes on
to torture him with a machine that causes pain. Through this special torture session,
O'Brien challenges Winston's notion of the truth, and argues that the only truth that
exists is what the Party says is true, even if that were 2+2=5. O'Brien thus tries to
show Winston the truth of one of the Party's
statements:


readability="5">

Who controls the past controls the future: who
controls the present controls the
past.



Thus it is that the
Party can change history to suit its own needs and can manipulate the truth so that it
can control the present, future and past. Finally, after Winston's desperate attempts to
cling on to what he thinks is the truth, he is taken to Room 101 and the chapter
ends.

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