O'Brien's Absolute Self

Character fate flow for O'Brien, the Inner Party intellectual who moves from apparent ally to tormentor.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Face in the Crowd

The Face in the Crowd The First Sight Winston sees O'Brien at the Two Minutes Hate, a large, burly Inner Party member with a coarse, humorous face. He feels an inexplicable attraction, a hope that O'Brien is not perfectly orthodox. The Gesture O'Brien's trick of resettling his spectacles seems civilized and disarming, like an eighteenth-century nobleman offering a snuff-box. For Winston it becomes a symbol of possible salvation. The Unknowable Winston never verifies his guess, but the image of O'Brien as a secret friend takes root in his mind and grows.

The Friend in the Corridor

The Friend in the Corridor The Approach O'Brien stops Winston in the corridor and speaks of the Newspeak Dictionary, then writes his address on a slip of paper in full view of the telescreen. The message is public and private at once. The Code Winston is convinced that O'Brien is recruiting him into the Brotherhood. He does not see that the address is bait because the real recruitment is a trap. The Bond A subtle bond of understanding forms between them, deeper than partisanship. Winston would follow O'Brien anywhere, even into the cellars of the Ministry of Love.

The Master of the Catechism

The Master of the Catechism The Ritual O'Brien receives Winston and Julia like a priest, turns off the telescreen, and pours wine. He asks them if they are prepared for murder, sabotage, suicide and separation, and they say yes. The Irony His calm, ironic manner conceals a heart utterly loyal to the Party. He is playing a role, but the role is so perfect that Winston worships him. The Promise O'Brien promises that they will meet again 'in the place where there is no darkness.' Winston believes this is the future; O'Brien knows it is the Ministry of Love.

The Torturer in the White Cell

The Torturer in the White Cell The Admission O'Brien tells Winston, 'They got me a long time ago.' He reveals that he wrote, or collaborated on, Goldstein's book, and that the Brotherhood is a myth. The Dial He controls a dial that inflicts pain, and he uses it to teach Winston to love Big Brother. His face is old and tired, and Winston feels a strange tenderness toward him even while he screams. The Power O'Brien is the absolute priest of the Party's power. He does not seek wealth or luxury; he seeks to reshape human souls.

The Perfect Servant

The Perfect Servant The Final Step O'Brien orders Winston to look at himself in the mirror, to see the emaciated, decaying body, and then sends him to Room 101. He has broken Winston's intellect and now breaks his heart. The Unshakable Belief O'Brien believes every word he says about power and submission. He is not a hypocrite; he is a madman of perfect orthodoxy, a cell in the immortal organism. The Legacy O'Brien survives, unchanged, while Winston is transformed. He is the face of the Party, beyond pity and beyond weakness.

during the Two Minutes Hate

several weeks later

at O'Brien's flat

during the interrogation

the final stage of the conversion