A Meeting At Long Last (Part Two, Chapter Eight)

When Julia and I first entered O'Brien's sitting room, my heart was thumping so loudly I felt that I could hardly hear him speak. For a second I thought that I was wrong, that O'Brien had really only wanted to give a Newspeak dictionary to me, and he was not a member of the fabled Brotherhood. But after I had stated my purpose in being there, and O'Brien showed that he was also a hater of the Party, I felt a huge wave of relief and joy sweep over my body. O'Brien's questions about to what extent we would serve the Brotherhood, although seemingly harsh, only strengthened my hate of the Party, and loyalty to the conspiracy. I was amazed at the luxuries that O'Brien enjoyed. The delectable food, the inviting house, the ability to turn off the telescreen, and the servant were all foreign to me. I saw how the Party had created such a distinct set of social classes, where most of the riches were in the hands of only a small number of people. This helped to justify the rebellion against the Party even more in my mind. Goldstein's book, which O'Brien promised would soon be given to me secretly, would contain the answers to any questions that I did not have time to ask O'Brien. I felt ecstatic that I had finally found a way into the rebellion. I could not back out now.