Original artwork, not a still
1984 · 1949
The thing that is in Room 101 is the worst thing in the world.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Room 101 is the place where each prisoner meets the one thing he cannot bear, and the Party uses it to break the last loyalty he has. The phrase has left the novel entirely: Room 101 now stands for any dreaded personal ordeal, and the line is the moment the reader learns the worst thing is different for everyone.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for 1984Show the scene
In Part Three, Chapter 5, Winston has been broken down for weeks and is strapped into a chair with his head clamped, unable to move. O'Brien comes in and reminds him that he once asked what was in Room 101, and that everyone already knows the answer. The worst thing in the world, he explains, varies from one person to another. A guard carries in a wire cage. For Winston it is rats, and the chapter ends on the cage being lifted toward his face.
Sources (1)
- Nineteen Eighty-Four, full text (Project Gutenberg Australia)Part Three, Chapter 5Reference checked
Context reviewed
