Part 3: Chapter 6

1) Where is Winston in this chapter?

Winston starts of the chapter in the Chesnut Tree Cafe, the place where he allegedly witnessed Aaronson, Rutherford, and Jones many years before.

2) What are a couple of things Winston can do now that he couldn’t before he was arrested?

Before Winston was arrested he had to be on close watch for anything that could give him away to the Party. After he is released from the Ministry of Love, the Party no longer feels that he is a threat to them, so they give him more slack. He is now allowed to show more feeling and is allowed to speak to Julia publicly, rather than in secret.

3) Discuss the symbolism of the chess game Winston plays (with himself…Orwell is so brilliant!).

When Winston is playing chess with himself, it symbolizes the battles throughout the book. He mentions that the white side always wins. One of these battles is his conflict between the Party and himself, with the Party as the white, and Winston as the black pieces. The other struggle is intrapersonal, where the fighting occurs between the black side (his memories and previous beliefs of the Party), against the white side and his new found love for the Party. Chess is also a symbol of war is many cases, so it is also referring to the everlasting war of the three superstates. 


4) Winston says the story he has just remembered about his family is false. What does this tell you about what has happened to Winston?

When the memory of Winston as a child, playing with his mother and sister comes to his mind, he quickly washes out this thought, and labels it as worthless and untrue. By doing so it symbolizes that Winston is shifting to believe the Party's virtues and regards all of his past an unimportant.

5) What, according to the last couple sentences of the book, has happened to Winston?

After his treatment in Room 101, Winston has come to accept the Party, and is very excited about his country's small victory in the war, an excitement that would not exist before he was arrested. Winston has finally been converted into a good Party member, and he loves Big Brother.