Torture/O'Brien

[nachos]

In the rooms that Winston goes through, including 101, he is starved and beaten etc. But is O'Brien with them? He says that "They got me a long time ago" or something to that extent, does this mean he is thought police. That would explain the sudden change in the apartments safety when he tells of it. On the other hand was O'Brien actually captured? If so that really doesn't explain his cryptic language. Winston is starved, watches others beaten, and even meets a woman who may be his mother(doubtful). When he reaches room 101 he confesses of things he has not even done to incriminate others. But is this torture going to end because of it. This whole seen is extremely fascinating, but while Winston is tortured Orwell tortures the reader with anticipation, don't you think?

[JazzHands]

I definitely agree that Orwell tortures the reader with anticipation. I really wanted to know what would happen to Winston and Julia. I even hoped for Orwell to do a complete 180 and make Winston defeat O'Brian and start a revolution but as you know, the real world doesn't work like that and Orwell really focuses on the future and realness of society. When O'Brian says "they got me a long time ago" he's referring to when he joined the Thought Police. He is one of them and the apartment never really was safe. Mr. Charrington was a member of the Thought Police also so there was no way to escape them. I don't believe O'Brian was captured. He mentioned to Winston that if you are released from the Ministry of Love you will most likely not die of a natural death. If they got O'Brian "a long time ago" I doubt he would still be alive let alone entrusted with such responsibility in the Thought Police. O'Brian's job was to destroy Winston. Maybe not physically but mentally. To get inside his head and make Winston disappear and replace him with a drone of a "perfect" citizen. The torture wouldn't stop until Winston was gone forever.