O'brien?

[queeny]

O'brien was the man who gave Winston and Julia "the book" and told them about "the brotherhood." So why, after Winston gets caught, is he the one torturing him? I don't understand how he comes to be this person. I thought that he was helping Winston and Julia. Explain?

[MIDOxRI]

O'Brien is a member of the thought police.
The Brotherhood doesn't really exist, the party invented it to both direct public hate at it, and to lure out thoughtcriminals under the pretense of joining it. O'Brien was merely lying a trap for Julia and Winston, and collecting more Intel and evidence so he can play with their minds better afterward.
O'Brien actually helped writing the book. It's all a set up.

[blackbird1159]

I think that Winston always knew that this whole thing was a set up. He never truely believed that there was a Brotherhood. If he did then he should've been more cautious. Whe I first read it I thought that it was a little fishy that this could be possible and amazed that inner party members could turn off the telescreens. It was sort of suspicious and now that I know that it was really a set up for Winston and Julia, all my previous supicions were somewhat answered.

[Birdy333]

I dont think that Julia and Winston knew that O'brien was going to turn on them. They put their trust in him... obviously. They pretty much offered to give up their lives in order to be part of the brotherhood. I think They believed that there really was a brotherhood.

[student101]

O'brien was part of the thought police. He just befriended Winston and Julia to trick them. Im not so sure if the Brotherhood is truly fake or not, it could just be a scheme the party made up to figure out who was against them. Also the Brotherhood could be more then just a rumor. I feel as if that Winston and Julia always knew that O'brien would be the one who turned them in, but never paid full attention to this thought. They just wished the the Brotherhood and its accomplices were true.