#11

      Orwell's 1984 tells the story of how a totalitarian regime systematically destroys the individual and the individual's free thought.  After being arrested Winston has suffered unspeakable horrors.  He has been beaten tortured, questioned, and with no relief.  He has confessed to every crime under the sun but it is still not enough for the Party.  Now he has begun the Party's process of cleansing his thought.  This process brings Winston face to face with O'Brien, a man Winston once thought he could trust, but who turned out to be instead an agent of the Party out to destroy Winston.   Ever since Winston's enlightenment he has held onto truth.  He realized that although the Party could take away everything else the truth would still exist and if Winston still knew the truth he would still be in the right.  The truth Winston felt, was unchangeable.  As Winston goes through cleansing with O'Brien he realizes that in fact the party can change the truth.  This realization comes as O'Brien tests Winston on the truth of what his eyes can see: " How many fingers am I holding up Winston?  Four.  And if the Party says that it is not four but five- then how many?  Four.  The word ended in a gasp of pain." (Orwell 249).  O'Bren continues to torture Winston until finally Winston truly sees five fingers for a brief instant.  He succeeds in doublethink for an instant.  The Party has the power to change lie to truth.  Their power is concentrated in the human mind.  When people like Winston feel that they have finally found the truth they find themselves lost because the Party has instilled fear, awe, and a system in which they can change the truth the doublethink.  The Party has the power if a human gives them the power.  Winston has finally relinquished the power he had within his mind.  He has given it to the Party to alter facts, create their own truths and rectify the past.  It was inevitable because in the world of 1984 all power belongs to the government: the Party.