#15- 1984

"Under the table Winston's feet made convulsive movements. He had not stirred from his seat, but in his mind he was running, swiftly running, he was in the crowds outside, cheering himself deaf" (244).

The words "in his mind" are key here. The Party argues that "reality is inside the skull" (218) and Winston now believes this too. By describing Winston's running as "swift" the reader understands that he feels free in his head, yet he is in reality a prisoner in his seat. Orwell uses this passage to suggest that there is the possibility that none of the society exists and therefore the Party may have been correct the entire time telling Winston that he does not exist. Winston's actions and thoughts in the final few passages of the novel shine a whole new light on the situation - it becomes clear that once people have subjected themselves to the Party, the world truly does simply exist in the mind.



Work Cited:
Photo Credit:

"Audio: Darwinian Medicine All in the Mind." Pool. 28 April 2009. ABC. 26 Aug. 2010 <http://www.pool.org.au/audio/natasha_mitchell/audio_darwinian_medicine_abc_radio_nationals_all_in_the_mind>.