Perhaps one did not want to be 1984

Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood.

Quote Analysis

We have this quote at page 318 of “1984” by George Orwell. This is the part of mind control tortures that O’Brien applies to Winston. Winston suffered a terrible pain interrupted by the single question - how many fingers does he see. Every answer, right or wrong, was punished by more pain. Finally Winston says that he doesn’t know what answer O’Brien wants to hear and asks him to tell. This - the complete absence of any personal opinion - was exactly the thing his torturer wants to get. O’Brien injects a drug in Winston’s arm to relieve the pain and Winston silently confesses that he adores his torturer because he understands him. This quote is even creepier if we think that it reflects the real feeling the victims can feel because of the Stockholm syndrome.