Previous Next

What happens in Book Two, Chapter 4 of 1984?

Winston and Julia spend time together in a room above Mr. Charrington’s shop that Winston has rented for their affair. Winston hears the working-class prole woman singing while she works outside, reminding him of the past and spurring his hopes for revolution.

What happens in Book Two, Chapter 5 of 1984?

During the preparations for Hate Week the city comes rowdy, and we also learn that Syme has disappeared. Winston imagines life with Julia but becomes upset after her apparent lack of interest in full-scale rebellion.

What happens in Book Two, Chapter 6 of 1984?

Winston finally meets O’Brien and is overjoyed when O’Brien offers to have Winston come to his home to show him a Newspeak dictionary. Winston believes that his meeting with O’Brien is fate, even if it will lead to his eventual death.

Read our Summary & Analysis of Book One: Chapters 4–6. (3-minute read)

Why does the prole woman singing have an emotional impact on Winston in 1984?

Winston is emotionally stirred when he hears a working-class prole woman singing as she works outside of the apartment where he and Julia meet in Book 4, in the first of multiple instances of this occurring in Book Two. Her singing and working at common tasks affect him because they remind him of the simpler way of life that existed before the Party intruded on everyday living. It also reinforces his belief that the hope for the future of humanity rests with the proles, due to their large numbers, capacity to reproduce, and strength, as well as the fact that the Party largely ignores them.

Much like Big Brother, the “red-armed prole woman” exists in 1984 as a character, but far more importantly as a symbol (the fifth symbol). She is the exact opposite of Big Brother in that she serves as a symbol of freedom and hope for the future.

Read about two quotes from Book Two, Chapter 4 discussing the Red-Armed Prole Woman. (3-minute read).

Are there any other symbols in 1984 important in these chapters?

Two other prominent symbols in 1984, the glass paperweight that Winston bought and the picture of St. Clement’s Church, were mentioned in Chapter 8 of Book One, but are discussed repeatedly in Book Two. The two objects serve more or less the same purpose in evoking longing for the lost past in Winston, although the picture of the church also serves a more sinister purpose in that it hides a telescreen that is observing Winston and Julia and collecting evidence against them.

Read about the Glass Paperweight and St. Clement’s Church as key Symbols (#2) in 1984. (1-minute read).

Read explanations of several quotes about the Glass Paperweight and St. Clement’s Church. (4-minute read)

Previous section Book Two Chapters 1–3 Overview Next section Book Two Chapters 7 & 8 Overview

Popular pages: 1984

Take a Study Break