Chapter 4
The crowd in the Ministry’s auditorium erupts into the Two Minutes Hate. The massive screen projects Big Brother’s face, lingering for several seconds. A sandy‑haired woman throws herself over a chair, murmurs “My Saviour!” and prays, then the room settles into a slow, rhythmic chant of “B‑B! … B‑B!” that lasts about thirty seconds, accompanied by imagined foot‑stomps and tom‑tom drums. Winston feels his entrails grow cold; the chant horrifies him but he joins it, unable to resist. As the chant ends, O’Brien stands, removes his spectacles, and briefly locks eyes with Winston. In that fraction of a second Winston believes O’Brien shares his hatred for the Party, receiving a mental message of solidarity, though the moment vanishes as O’Brien’s expression returns to inscrutability. The encounter fuels Winston’s hope that a secret resistance—the Brotherhood—might exist, recalling rumors, scribbles on lavatory walls, and possible secret signals, though he acknowledges these may be imagined. After the session, Winston returns to his cubicle, feels a belch as gin rises, refocuses on his diary, and discovers his handwriting has changed: the pen glides over the paper, forming large, neat capital letters spelling “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER.”