Mr. Charrington's Delayed Reaction

 At the end of Book 2 Winston and Julia are captured by the police and realize that Mr. Charrington was a member of the thought police all along. This is (for now) the end to their grand affair and rebellious hide out from the party's rule. 

One question I had when I was reading was the timing of the whole thing. If Mr. Charrington was indeed watching them the entire time, aware of what they were doing, who they were, and who he was as a member of the thought police, why wait so long? It seems less smart to have waited until after Winston had read the book and understood more of the Brotherhood to capture him and Julia. Wouldnt it have made more sense for them to be captured at the very first signs of romantic relations/rebellion against the party?

I found this moment very confusing.

As we move forward with Julia and Winston, now in the party's eye, I wonder what will happen to them and I wonder how Mr. Charrington will influence the story. As an avid member of their rebellion and relationship, I wonder if he will be the symbol of no hope in escaping the party, as he was the one person they thought they could "trust." 

What do you all think? Why did they wait to capture Julia and Winston? Moreover, who will Mr. Charrington become in this story?


a comic from one of my favorite series as a kid; get it because Charrington was a spy (kind of)

Comments

  1. rakeMarch 12, 2021 at 7:41 AM

    i think they waited as long as they could before any actions to rebel were taken. that incriminates winston and julia as much as is possible without anything particularly dangerous happening, so more stuff for them to confess and repent. perhaps the worse the thought-crime, the more potent the change to "good".

    ("good" meaning becoming a mindless servant of the Party)

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