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How Does Orwell Keep Secrets In 1984

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In the novel 1984, Secrets are the basis of Big Brother and how he watches the citizens of his nation, Oceania. These secrets are something that is very important to the government of Oceania, even though the people of Oceania aren’t allowed to keep secrets. Nobody really knows what is true and what isn’t. Secrets are the basis of this society. The Party keeps everyone in line by banning freethought, which is the ability to have your own thoughts and ideas. The Party also doesn’t like when people have sex for pleasure. Sex should only be for procreating. Secrets are kept by the government, and by a few citizens, like Winston and Julia. In the very beginning of the novel, Winston writes the words “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” (Orwell 18). in his diary. He immediately regrets this and decides to try and keep it a secret, hoping the Thought Police don’t already know what he did. George Orwell states, “He put the diary away in the …show more content…

Throughout the novel we see O’Brien a number of times. For years O’Brien is friendly with Winston and agrees with Winston on his negative thoughts of Big Brother, but secretly he is with Big Brother and has been watching Winston for years. “It was O’Brien who was directing everything. It was he who set the guards onto Winston and who prevented them from killing him” (Orwell 243). O’Brien holds his secret identity so well that he is comfortable inviting Winston and Julia to his house to conspire with them about going against the Party, just to see what they have been talking about. When Winston and Julia are arrested and tortured, O’Brien finally reveals his true identity. “‘Don’t worry Winston; you are in my keeping. For seven years I have watched over you. Now the turning point has come. I shall save you, I shall make you perfect’ (Orwell 244).” This shows how O’Brien wants everyone to be his idea of perfect, by banning the ability to have one’s own

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