1984: An Analysis of O'Brien | 1984: An Analysis of O'Brien

O'Brien is a kind of mysterious character. Early on in this book, I honestly thought that he was Winston's friend and co-conspirator in fighting Big Brother. But in part three we find out that he is a member of high rank the Inner Party. Winston thought that O'Brien was a friend, but the dream that kept coming up in his head "We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness," made him think that he was more than he appeared to be. O'Brien represents all of the mayhem that has been going on in 1984. Because he is a member of the Inner Party, he knows about the Inner Party's so-called "truth", which are basically all lies. He is not only aware of their lies; he has also helped to carry out their lies. There are times when Winston sees him as a god or a supporter, even though he seems really tough. Towards the end of the novel, he turned into a monster that destroys Winston by reducing him to his level, of believing in Big Brother. It's like when the devil tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.

O'Brien is just as crazy as Winston is. He is among the few that actually knows the truth, but it does nothing to change his loyalty. He helped to write Emmanuel Goldstein's book which says that the Inner Party members are crazy and brainwashed. O'Brien however, doesn't think that he's as crazy as the book says, and also doesn't believe even wrote the book. That is the mind of a crazy person. Before he sends Winston to Room 101, O'Brien says that the laws of nature can be suspended and changed by the Party at their own will, An example of this is when he told Winston that he could float off the floor like a soap bubble whenever he felt like it. He's starting to believe in his own lies. It's really difficult for anyone reading this book to believe that he is sincere in helping Winston and truly wants to help him become perfect. Still, by using doublethink, anything can be accepted. O'Brien can hold two conflicting thoughts in his mind and not view them as anything bad; their just part of one single truth. So he is letting himself become a person that thinks in doublethink terms.

At first, O'Brien's cruelty was too extreme to me. It's not though, and it's very sad that things that have happened in our recent history have shown that people like O'Brien do exist and are capable of doing anything. People like Hitler for example, who helped to carry out the killings of millions of Jews in the holocaust, and Sadaam Hussein who was oppressing his own people. Both of them believed that they were saviors to mankind despite of all the things they did. World leaders don't care about what happens to the people, they only care about the power. Sadly, they continue to hunt down enemies to terrorize and continue to assault them until they themselves get stopped, removed from power or killed.

I don't think that it was good that Winston listened to O'Brien and believed that Big Brother was great and that he loved him. Before, Winston had his own mind and believed that Big Brother was evil. He wanted freedom, and said that Big Brother didn't allow that. He was going insane from not being able to get any privacy at all. He took him to Room 101. Then, unfortunately, he lets O'Brien brainwash him and tell him that he'll make him perfect and beats him. This is a really sad thing. It just shows how much manipulation and lies can corrupt and, ultimately destroy a sense of civility in society. I think that a lesson from all of this, is that if you know that something is wrong, than you shouldn't give in to people like O'Brien. They will only try to bring you down and stop you from doing what is right for your life, and also for society.