O'Brien?

[Volleyball4]

When Winston gets caught by the thought police, O'Brien says "they got me a long time ago." Did O'Brien go through the same process Winston is going through in the Ministry of Love? I think O'Brien planned to capture Winston, and he orchestrated the whole plan so he could capture him. O'Brien plans the torture being inflicted upon Winston, but what I'm wondering is why O'Brien wanted to specifically catch Winston. Why could he just take and capture anyone? Why did O'Brien set his sights on Winston?

[swaggie_swag5]

i think that winston must have had some sort of significance about him that o'brien wanted.

[Mr.Potatohead]

I see it as O'Brien knowing just by the look in winston's eyes in the beginning of the book his feelings toward the party. Winston though he was on his side with that look, while in reality, it gave O'Brien the chance to find someone who is guilty of being opposed to the party. He was doing his job, and Winston must have been just another obvious victim.

[The Atheist]

When Winston gets caught by the thought police, O'Brien says "they got me a long time ago." Did O'Brien go through the same process Winston is going through in the Ministry of Love?

No, it's a double entendre. The Party/Thought Police "got" O'Brien years ago, when he joined them.


I think O'Brien planned to capture Winston, and he orchestrated the whole plan so he could capture him. O'Brien plans the torture being inflicted upon Winston, but what I'm wondering is why O'Brien wanted to specifically catch Winston. Why could he just take and capture anyone? Why did O'Brien set his sights on Winston?

No special reason, other than it's his job. Winston was just the next one he found.

[DiggyBOP]

I believe O'Brien had his eyes set on Winston the whole time. Winston knew to much to just be forgotten. It was only a matter of time. An yes, O'Brien orchestrated the entire plan. With Winston somewhat comprehending that O'Brien is behind this I can only ask why does Winston still see hope everytime O'brien appears? O'Brien is the one creating the torture but somehow Winston still sees hope.

[Thejalapeno123]

This just makes you question, does the brotherhood really exist, or is it just to trick people into admiting to hating B.B

[The Atheist]

The Brotherhood doesn't exist either, and it only takes a moment's consideration to see why.

Have a think about the effort consumed to entrap W & J and reveal all of their secrets. Years of planning, millions of man-hours of surveillance, all to catch one pathetic individual who is incapable of harming the Party.

With that kind of ability, something like the Brotherhood is impossible.

[prole8436]

This is probably not the most plausible interpretation of the novel but I wonder if many others have considered it? Could O Brien and Winston been the same person? That is Winston really became an inner party member after his torture, which was really more an initiation into a position of power more than a correction of minor rebellion. It is mentioned that O Brien was once rebellious himself but they got him a long time ago, and also that his mind contained Winston's. Is it possible that O Brien was who Winston became, and they did not literally interact in real life.

[The Atheist]

Is it possible that O Brien was who Winston became, and they did not literally interact in real life.

Sorry, but not possible at all. The idea could work, but Orwell was very clear about what he was saying.

[Quibbler]

if O'Brien is part of the thought police, or a form of it, it is his job to look for people that seem "suspicious." I believe that Winston may have showed something on his face that showed he didn't agree with Big Brother. Once O'Brien realized this l, he must have planned to set up Winston.

[Bistritsa]

It is O'Brien's job to look for, watch closely, and reprimand those who seem suspicious and against the Party and Big Brother. Also, I believe that O'Brien wished to catch Winston for the same reason that Winston feels hope every time he sees O'Brien; they understand each other. Even though they have opposing views, they listen and talk about them, mostly because O'Brien is trying to "heal" Winston's mind, but also because they seem to almost care about each other in a strange and deep way, like a strange case of Stockholm Syndrome.
And no, O'Brien didn't go through the torture that Winston is going through because a) he would no longer be alive or b) he would just be a shell of his former self if he had gone through the process of learning to love Big Brother.

[DoodleBob]

Just recently I've read the part in the book where Winston encounters O'Brien and O'Brien gives Winston his address to meet up. I am aware of the situation in which The Brotherhood doesn't even exist, and is all just a plow to see which individuals are small insignificant attempts to take down Big Brother, but if this is true how could O'Brien possibly know that Winston would want to be part of this organization? And when Winston meets up with O'Brien, why doesn't O'Brien just vaporize him on the spot?

[Low-key Learner]

It's unlikely that the Thought Police would entrust O'Brien with something like breaking down thought criminals and reshaping their minds. By saying "they got me a long time ago" he's probably talking about when he became part of the Thought Police.

It seems to me that O'Brien made the "correction" of Winston something of a personal mission, although we don't get to see how he treats other detainees. At the beginning of his torture, Winston hears a voice which says "Don't worry, Winston; you are in my keeping... I shall save you, I shall make you perfect." Although Winston is unsure of who's voice it is, we can assume that it's O'Brien's because the voice says "For seven years I have watched over you." Also, just before the reintegration process, O'Brien allows Winston to ask a series of questions with no penalty of torture.