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Paulina Pirichian
Professor Vana Derohanessian
English 114B
8 May 2014
Spatial Awareness Matters
In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, Winston, the protagonist, and Julia,
Winstons partner in crime/companion, are forced to obey their government, otherwise
known as the Party, and must follow rules by their main leader, Big Brother. However,
they refuse to do so because, unlike any other government, the Party completely controls
the communitys actions and prevents them from being able to think. This withholds all
members of society from showing individuality, therefore keeping everything and
everyone under control. Additionally, Winston and Julia know a man named OBrien,
who is a member of the Party. However, they strongly believe that he is in a group that is
against the government called the Brotherhood, and is only putting on an act for the Party
so they do not kill him. Because of this assumption, they visit OBrien at his house and
reveal all of their secrets about going against the Party and how they want to join this
secret group that is rebellious towards it. Unfortunately, they later find out that OBrien
was only pretending to be on their side to get all the information he needed from Winston
and Julia, in order to punish them for their ruthless desires. Moreover, OBriens sly
actions lead Winston to a torture chamber called Room 101, because it is a room where
people in their continent, Oceania, are punished for going against the Party. This is
where Winston shockingly realizes that OBrien was pretending to be apart of the
Brotherhood so he could have Winstons trust in him, only to betray him in the end.
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OBriens house displays the confidence and trust that Winston has in him, when on the
other hand, Room 101 displays the betrayal and vulnerability that Winston feels towards
OBrien. In 1984, the spatial difference between OBriens house and Room 101
provides a physical and nonphysical environment, which depicts the mindset, attitude,
and actions that Winston portrays towards OBrien.
OBriens house in contrast to Room 101, is very comforting for Winston which
allows him to confidently speak his mind and focus on what he believes in.
Unfortunately, the aura for Room 101 pressures Winston into giving in to the
government, which changes his mindset and attitude toward his main reason for being put
there in the first place, which is because of his motive to rebel. The spatial awareness of
every area that people encounter is vital under any circumstance, because it portrays the
vibe and outcome of any situation. For example, in the article Positive Gentrification,
Social Control, and the Right to the City In Mixed Income Communities, it states how
focusing particularly on responses to competing expectations regarding the use of space
and appropriate normative behavior and what constitutes 'public' space, and the nature
and extent of rights to use that space in daily life, is vital. This demonstrates how in any
given situation, the spacing of the environment and how everything is taken under control
leaves a huge impact on how the people and their surroundings are taking action and their
attitude towards it. Winstons attitude differs from the settings he is placed in, which
changes the outcome of his original beliefs.
OBriens house is displayed as heaven for Winston, because it is very rare for
people to converse with someone in the Inner Party in their own home. Winston feels
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that it is almost too good to be true, because OBriens house can be compared to a
mansion filled with extravagant objects with an incredible smell at all times.
The whole atmosphere of the huge block of flats, the richness and spaciousness of
everything, the unfamiliar smells of good food and good tobacco, the silent and
incredibly rapid lifts sliding up and down, the white-jacketed servants hurrying to
and fro -- everything was intimidating. (Part 2, Chapter 8)
The detailed description of the room allows Winston to feel at ease and unease, because
although the richness enlightens him, it frightens him as well due to the fact that he is
unfamiliar with houses being this way. Leaving his own house that is nothing like this
and is under surveillance at all times, then suddenly entering a home that can be
compared to what a mansion in heaven may look like is only a dream for Winston. The
constant smell of good food allows Winston to feel right at home, and although the
servants keep him on edge, because he feels as if one of them will turn out to be a guard
in a black uniform ready to take him to Room 101, he eventually becomes very
comfortable and clearly states to OBrien how he hates the government. The atmosphere
presents a trustworthy and confident vibe, which is why Winston was able to completely
open up to OBrien, therefore sharing all of his thoughts and secrets, which is not allowed
in Oceania.
After sitting down and listening to OBrien speak about the Brotherhood and how
confident he is in letting Winston and Julia into the group, Winston has his full trust in
him and leaves without even questioning OBriens actions. For example, Orwell states
how At the door Winston looked back, but OBrien seemed already to be in process of
putting him out of mind. He was waiting with his hand on the switch that controlled the
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telescreen. Beyond him Winston could see the writing-table with its green-shaded lamp
and the speakwrite and the wire baskets deep-laden with papers. The incident was
closed. Winston is certain that OBrien goes forth with these actions only to prove to
him that he may have his trust in him. OBriens sudden urge to do what is expected as a
member of the Party allows Winston to believe that his actions and the way everything is
placed is there only to protect both of them from getting caught, which sets a nonphysical
aura for Winston.
Room 101 is a torture chamber that is used for people who disobey the laws of the
Party and is portrayed as an uncomfortable environment for Winston, unlike OBriens
house. People are placed in these closed rooms to face their fears and disregard their own
beliefs to follow the way everyone elses mindset works. This is much similar to the
Panoptican from Michel Foucoults novel Discipline and Punish(1975) Panopticism,
because like Foucoult states, the Panoptican presents a cruel, ingenious cage, which
gives the patient the time to understand why society believes their actions are wrong,
along with why they themselves should be punished for their crimes. The Panoptican-
like room that Winston is in, determines whether or not he will choose to stay alive and
obey the government or be killed by facing his biggest fear, which is being eaten alive by
rats. Foucoult also says how Two ways of exercising power over men, of controlling
their relations, of separating out their dangerous mixtures. The plague-stricken town,
traversed throughout with hierarchy, surveillance, observation, writing; the town
immobilized by the functioning of an extensive power that bears in a distinct way over all
individual bodies - this is the utopia of the perfectly governed city. This demonstrates
how the atmosphere that people are placed in can change their mindset within a second.
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The aura of an area has the ability to either strengthen or weaken a person, which goes to
show that every setting has a specific purpose behind it. Orwells description of Room
101 weakens Winston as opposed to OBriens house, which gives him the strength to be
confident. The physical setting makes Winston go against his own beliefs, become apart
of the Party and live his life like every other person living in Oceania, because the
enclosed area that OBrien places him in succeeds in its purpose to brainwash Winston at
his most vulnerable state.
Room 101 is similar to an asylum, because people who disagree with the Party are
seen as being mentally challenged and must be given the opportunity to forcefully change
their mind and live up to the governments expectations. It is solely based on pressuring
the people to become normal just like how mental patients are taken to an asylum to
face their problems rather than avoiding them.
He was in a high-ceilinged windowless cell with walls of glittering white
porcelain. Concealed lamps flooded it with cold light, and there was a low, steady
humming sound, which he supposed had something to do with the air supply.
There were four telescreens, one in each wall. (Part 3, Chapter 1)
It is set up this way to make Winston go crazy and feel vulnerable. The more he is alone
in this room being constantly watched from the telescreens above, the more he begins to
feel pressured and accept the fact that the Party may be right, therefore obeying them at
all times. The windowless walls pressure Winston into believing OBriens insight of the
Party, because he has no connection to the outside world, just like patients placed in an
insane asylum that cannot be near people except for nurses. The lighting, along with
what is and is not in the room portrays a physical atmosphere, because Winston is being
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attacked at every corner of the room due to the telescreens watching him. The
environment that OBrien has placed him in differentiates from OBriens house, which
makes Winston completely lose all of his trust in OBrien and give up on his goal to go
against the Party.
The novel displays how easy it is for members of society to believe anything that
is thrown at them, because of how dependent they are towards others. It is very easy for
people to become influenced by others, which is exactly what happens to Winston.
Although some may have strong beliefs, being placed in an environment that is filled
with pressure from others, influences people to immediately change their minds,
therefore changing their actions. The different atmospheres that Winston is placed in
because of OBrien, displays the change of mindset, attitude, and action that Winston
undergoes.











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Works Cited
Chaskin, Robert J., and Mark L. Joseph. "'Positive' Gentrification, Social Control and the
'Right to the City' in Mixed-Income Communities: Uses and Expectations of
Space and Place." International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 37.2
(2013): 480-502. Web.
Orwell, George. 1984: A Novel ; Revised and Updated Bibliography. New York, NY:
New American Library, 2002. Print.
Sheridan, Alan. "Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison." Discipline & Punish:
Panopticism. By Michel Foucoult. Vol. 3. New York, NY: Vintage, 1995. 195-
228. Print.