1984

1984

__3-15-12__ (pages 1 - 37)

When the story begins, Winston Smith is introduced to the setting. Winston Smith is an "insignificant" member of the totalitarian group that monitors Airstrip one (England). The government is called "Big Brother" and he is always watching. Winston is a member of the ruling class but still feels the opressive political control of his party. While in his apartment, he travels past the telescreen. It is a device that is always on and which the "thought police" are believed to monitor the actions of the citizens. He often hides from the screen in order to read and write in his journal, both of which are illegal. The members are called for Two Minutes Hate speech and Winston writes "DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER" in his journal. This is considered a thought crime and the children next door, thought police Junior Spies, confront him about his crime. Winston knows that this means death. Read pages 37-69

__3-16-12 (pages 37-69)__ Despite his fear, Winston must continue on with normal life. He participates in the "physical jerks" (excercises done with the woman on the telescreen). He also continues his work in the records section of the Ministry of Truth where he uses a machine to destroy obsolete documents. He also updates Big Brother's records so that Big Brother is always right. We learn that people who go against the Party becomes "unpersoned" and vanishes.

Winston has lunch with a man named Syme who tells him of Big Brother's plan to narrow thought so much that thought crime becomes impossible. Winston continues to worry about his crime and often feels his is being watched by a dark-haired girl in a party uniform. Read pages 69-147

__3-19-12 (pages 69-147)__ Winston believes that Big Brother must be destroyed. There are two options, the Brotherhood or the proles. The Brotherhood has been together for a long time, but Winston feels thay the proles are larger in number and have a better chance at defeating Big Brother. Winston also continues his search to understand the past. He reads a children's book, most likely edited by Big Brother, and speaks to an old man that does not have much memory of the past.

Winston then goes back to the shop where he purchased his journal and buys a paper weight. There he meets the owner of the shop who takes him to an upstairs apartment with no telescreen. On his way home he sees the dark-haired girl again. He becomes terrified and rushes home, he feels his only option is suicide, but decides against it.

The next day at work Winston sees the dark-haired girl again and she gives him a note that says "I love you," he then realizes that she is not a Party spy and he feels a sudden desire to live. He meets with the girl several times and they begin an affair in the mercant's apartment. Read pages 147-184

__3-20-12 (pages 147-184)__ Winston continues seeing Julia and wishes that his wife would die so they could be married. He considers a plan for them to run away together and become proles. However, he is disappointed in her superficial rebellion. Winston has a dream about his mother, but realizes that it is really a suppressed memory from his past. He realizes that the goal of the Party is to suppress the individual so much so that they become non-humans. Winston and Julia know that if they are caught they will be killed, but they cannot change how they feel about each other. They travel to O'Brien's together where they declare that they are enemies of the party and wish to join the Brotherhood. They take the oath of initiation and leave O'Brien's apartment.

__3-21-12 (pages 184-217)__ While sitting in the empty apartment Winston begins reading a book written by Goldstein, the leader of the Brotherhood. The book takes Winston through the creation of Oceania and the meaning behind the 2 slogans: "WAR IS PEACE" and "IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH." As winston continues reading Julia enters the apartment. Winston reads to Julia until she falls asleep.

__3-22-12 (pages 217-260)__ The next morning as Julia and Winston are admiring the proles outside their window and both say "we are dead" and a third voices says the same. They realize that there is a hidden telescreen behind a picture on the wall. The house is then surrounded by troops, they enter and beat Julia and Winston. They then realize that the owner of the shop is a member of the Thought Police. Winston is placed in a solitary cell. He sees beating, starvation, and mangling among the other prisoners. O'Brien oversees all of Winston's torture sessions that take place in Room 101. Room 101 is so bad that Winston said he would rather watch his own three kids be murdered than go there.

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