Book 2 Chapter 6: The Encounter

       Winston has been waiting to meet the famous O' Brien for tremendous time now. He has dreamed several time of meeting O' Brien and have an encounter with him. Winston has even spoken to Julia in previous times of his dreams and how he expects his encounter with O' Brien to be. But now, there was O' Brien standing "face to face, and it seemed that his only impulse was to run away. His heart bounded violently. He would have been incapable of speaking. O' Brien, however, had continued forward in the same movement, laying a friendly hand for a moment on Winston's arm, so that the two of them were walking side by side. He began speaking with the peculiar grave courtesy that differentiated him from the majority of Inner Party members." Winston realized that he was risking a lot by talking and having this encounter with O' Brien. Winston was perfectly conscious that his action would lead him most like to death. Winston had a good long conversation with O' Brien. O' Brien seemed to play a role, a role of undercover party member- he acted as to be against the party as Winston but cared deeply about the party and was eager to help the party. I believe that with the encounter that Winston is having with O' Brien specially by taking an address too his home, Winston is digging his own grave. As I said in the latter O' Brien gave Winston a paper with his address to go get a dictionary - vocabulary the power to knowledge which the government wanted to restrict. But what a coincidence that the paper with the address was given to Winston in front of the telescreens where it was easily visible yet nothing occurred. Winston though was conscious what he was doing as clearly stated "The end was contained in the beginning. But it was frightening: or, more exactly, it was like a foretaste of death, like being a little less alive. Even while he was speaking to O' Brien, when the meaning of the words had sunk in, a chilly shuddering feeling had taken possession of his body. He had the sensation of stepping into the dampness of a grave, and it was not much better because he had always known that the grave was there and waiting for him." Winston's admiration and wish for his encounter with O' Brien was stronger than that of his knowledge of the consequences that his action were going to bring upon him. He decides to accept his fate of death due to his thrill of having an encounter with O' Brien. Winston knew this though since the day he first wrote in his diary- his days of thought crime and rebellion against the party had begun.