O'Brien
Probably the most interesting
thing about O'Brien is that we have only Winston's opinion of him. This
burly but sophisticated leader of the Inner Party is supposed to be the
head of the secret Brotherhood dedicated to the overthrow of Big Brother.
In his black overall, he haunts both Winston's dreams and his waking moments
to the very end of the novel. Another very interesting thing about O'Brien
is that the reader doesn't precisely know if he is a friend or an enemy
of Winston. Yet even Winston himself doesn't know it . I would say that
O'Brien, the powerful and mighty Party member, is a kind of father for
Winston. Before Winston's capture, O'Brien "helps" Winston to make contact
with the Brotherhood, and he teaches him about the Ideology and the rules
of this secret Organisation. After the capture O'Brien gives Winston the
feeling, that he is somehow protecting him. The relation between O'Brien
and Winston has all attributes of a typical relation between a father and
a child: The father is all-knowing, all-mighty; he teaches, punishes and
educates his child, and he is protecting it, from anything that could harm
the child. But I think that O'Brien is only playing his role, due to reintegrate
Winston.
1984