Var det sant att läsa enheter 1984?

Nej, det finns inga tankläsningsanordningar 1984. Det finns dock några riktigt bra skäl till att O'Brien kan "läsa" Winston så bra.

O'Brien och staten har observerat Winston i åratal genom visningsskärmarna;

Don't worry, Winston; you are in my keeping. For seven years I have watched over you. Now the turning-point has come. I shall save you, I shall make you perfect.' He was not sure whether it was O'Brien's voice; but it was the same voice that had said to him, 'We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness,' in that other dream, seven years ago.

O'Brien har enorm erfarenhet att förhöra och skrämma människor;

There was no idea that he had ever had, or could have, that O'Brien had not long ago known, examined, and rejected. His mind CONTAINED Winston's mind. But in that case how could it be true that O'Brien was mad? It must be he, Winston, who was mad. O'Brien halted and looked down at him. His voice had grown stern again.

Julia svek honom och avslöjade alla sina hemligheter, inklusive hans rädsla för råttor;

She betrayed you, Winston. Immediately--unreservedly. I have seldom seen anyone come over to us so promptly. You would hardly recognize her if you saw her. All her rebelliousness, her deceit, her folly, her dirty-mindedness--everything has been burned out of her. It was a perfect conversion, a textbook case.

O'Brien har läst sin dagbok

'Do you remember,' he went on, 'writing in your diary, "Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four"?' 'Yes,' said Winston. O'Brien held up his left hand, its back towards Winston, with the thumb hidden and the four fingers extended. 'How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?' 'Four.' 'And if the party says that it is not four but five--then how many?' 'Four.' The word ended in a gasp of pain.

Winstons uppror är verkligen patetiskt. Han har leds av näsan i alla skeden;

You have read THE BOOK, Goldstein's book, or parts of it, at least. Did it tell you anything that you did not know already?' 'You have read it?' said Winston. 'I wrote it. That is to say, I collaborated in writing it. No book is produced individually, as you know.'

Jag måste vara oense och säga att ja utan tvekan skulle någon slags aktiva läsningsenhet ha varit anställd. Det finns också en bra anledning att tro att festen också hade förmåga att påverka en människas drömmar. Alla argument som gjordes kunde ha gjort det möjligt för O'brian att gissa några av Wimstons tankar men inte alla av dem med perfekt precision som Winston trodde på dem. Det är förmågan att läsa sina tankar som slutligen bryter Winston. Han kan inte längre dölja sig själv.