Character Sketches 1984 O’Brien

Physical appearance “O’Brien was a large, burly man with a thick neck and a coarse, humorous, brutal face.” “Prizefighter’s physique” “…heavy face was flushed. He was sitting very straight in his chair, his powerful chest swelling and quivering as though he were standing up to the assault of a wave.”

Personality traits Mysterious – we don’t even know his first name! Contradicting Sadistic Eloquent Condescending

First mention in the novel “The other person was a man named O’Brien, a member of the Inner Party and holder of some post so important and remote that Winston had only a dim idea of its nature. “ Winston’s attitude to him: “He felt deeply drawn to him, and not solely because he was intrigued by the contrast between O’Brien’s urbane manner and his prizefighter’s physique.”

Key scene in the novel When Winston, Julia and O’Brien meet to discuss how to take down the Party and O’Brien gives Winston a book called “The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism by Emmanuel Goldstein” When O’Brien is torturing Winston to “cure” him of his “insanity”

Last appearance in novel Last appearance: Torturing Winston Last mention – “He [Winston] was light-years distant, but O’Brien was still standing at his side.”

Setting Room 101 at the concentration camp Mr. Charrington’s shop

Major themes through characters Reduction of thought, (particularly THOUGHTCRIME) Vision Semi-vision: “a trick of re-settling his spectacles on his nose which was curiously disarming – in some indefinable way, curiously civilized” Reference to the spectacles

Quotations “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever.” Personification of totalitarian state, very violent. O’Brien is very eloquent so it is ironic when he says this because he negates the violence – makes it sound less horrible than it is.

“You are a difficult case. But don’t give up hope. Everyone is cured sooner or later. In the end we shall shoot you” Saying “don’t give up hope” makes it appear as though Winston is hopeful about being shot – IRONY “Cured” – medical/pretentious diction – scientific impartiality “In the end we shall shoot you” directly after “cured” implies that being shot is the only definite way to be cured.

“God is Power” The closest thing to a God is Big Brother, and therefore believing in Big Brother means a higher level of power gained. The word Power is capitalized – sounds like a slogan Paradox There is no God in this society – Big Brother is deified The Party wants power over the people. Self-elevation/Application to modern society Does Big Brother exist?