Winston's Work Environment

Identify three or more specific descriptions or details about Winston's work environment at the Ministry of Truth as presented in Chapter 2-3 of the novel. For each detail, explain the mood or atmosphere created for the reader.

”… looked grim as the loopholes of a fortress. His heart quailed before the enormous pyramidal shape. It was too strong, it could not be stormed. A thousand rocket bombs would not batter it down.”

This means that the Ministry of Truth was virtually indestructable because the people of Oceania were so brainwashed that they had no idea what was actually going on.

“He was a fattish but active man of paralysing stupidity, a mass of imbecile enthusiasms -- one of those completely unquestioning, devoted drudges on whom, more even than on the Thought Police, the stability of the Party depended”

This says that in their society if you go along with what they tell you to do you can have a good job but not necessarily be qualified for it.

“It was nought seven fifteen, getting-up time for office workers. Winston wrenched his body out of bed -- naked, for a member of the Outer Party received only 3,000 clothing coupons annually, and a suit of pajamas was 600 -- and seized a dingy singlet and a pair of shorts that were lying across a chair.”

This shows how much control they had over the people of Oceania. They were given a certain amount for clothes and had to wake up when they were told.

How does Winston's work and work environment affect him?

He knows that something is wrong with how things are but feels helpless because there's nothing he can do about it. He is scared of what they will do to him if he does try and stand up for himself and the others of Oceania.