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The telescreen was dimmed to a low murmur; the richness of the dark-blue carpet gave one the impression of treading on velvet. . . . It was only on very rare occasions that one saw inside the dwelling-places of the Inner Party, or even penetrated into the quarter of the town where they lived. 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.

In Book Two, Chapter 8, we are given (through Winston) a glimpse into the living quarters of O’Brien, which are typical for a member of the Inner Party, and which stand in stark contrast to rundown living quarters of Outer Party members such as Winston. Read more about this quote in Quotes by Setting: London, Oceania (the fifth quote).

‘We believe that there is some kind of conspiracy, some kind of secret organization working against the Party, and that you are involved in it. We want to join it and work for it. We are enemies of the Party. We disbelieve in the principles of Ingsoc. We are thought-criminals. We are also adulterers. I tell you this because we want to put ourselves at your mercy. If you want us to incriminate ourselves in any other way, we are ready.’

Under the mistaken impression that O’Brien is opposed to the Party, Winston makes this confession to him about his and Julia’s beliefs in Book Two, Chapter 8. Read more about this in Quotes by Character: Winston (the eighth quote).

‘You are prepared to cheat, to forge, to blackmail, to corrupt the minds of children, to distribute habit-forming drugs, to encourage prostitution, to disseminate venereal diseases—to do anything which is likely to cause demoralization and weaken the power of the Party? . . . . If, for example, it would somehow serve our interests to throw sulphuric acid in a child’s face—are you prepared to do that?’

After Winston reveals his and Julia’s rebellious beliefs to O’Brien in Book Two, Chapter 8, he asks them these questions, which Winston replies to affirmatively. O’Brien is asking these questions not (as they believe) to test the level of their resolve to bring down the Party, but rather to record them making incriminating and damning statements. This quote is also discussed in Quotes by Character: O’Brien (the first quote).

O’Brien nodded without appearance of surprise. ‘In the place where there is no darkness,’ he said, as though he had recognized the allusion.

Near the end of Book Two, Chapter 8, and at the end of Winston and Julia’s meeting with O’Brien in his apartment, Winston apparently is unable to resist referencing “the place where there is no darkness” he had earlier dreamed about O’Brien discussing with him. Read more about this quote in Quotes by Symbol: The Place Where There Is No Darkness (the fourth quote).

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