12 George Orwell 1984 Summary (Part Three – Inside Winston Smith’s Head: Chapter Twelve – Room 101)

64.

Part Three – Inside Winston Smith’s Head: Chapter Twelve – Room 101

“After being tortured, Winston does not understand why he fought against the Party.” True or false?

This statement is true: after being tortured, Winston realises that he ‘had been stupid to fight against the power of the Party’ because it is not possible to do so.

65.

Although Winston cannot tell whether it is day or night outside while he is in the cells in the Ministry of Love, what can he tell from inside them?

Even though he cannot tell whether it is day or night outside from inside the cells in the Ministry of Love, Winston is able to use the quality of the air to tell whether the different cells he is put into are ‘high up or low down’ in the buiding.

66.

What detail about the behaviour of rats is repeated from earlier in the book?

When explaining how he will use the rats to torture Winston, O’Brien repeats some details about rats which Julia tells Winston earlier in the novel – chiefly, that in some poor parts of London mothers cannot leave their babies outside for more than a couple of minutes for fear that the rats will attack and eat it.

67.

“Winston never betrays Julia.” True or false?

This statement is false: when faced with being tortured by rats – his greatest fear – he instinctively implores O’Brien to inflict the pain on Julia instead, before he realises that he has said anything.

68.

“After his release from the Ministry of Love, Winston just wants to see Julia again.” True or false?

This statement is false: when he is released, Winston is no longer interested in Julia – he knows that they could see each other again but neither of them wants to.

69.

How is Julia different to the girl Winston loved before they were arrested by the Thought Police?

When Winston sees Julia again by chance after they have been released from the Ministry of Love, he notices that she is ‘fatter’ than she was before.

70.

How is Winston’s fight against the Party described in the final paragraph?

In the final paragraph, Winston’s fight against the Party is described as a ‘fight against himself’ which he has won, thereby demonstrating that the Party’s interrogation of him has been so successful that Winston has taken their side against his original views and sees his former self as the enemy.