1984: The Party's Control Over the Thoughts The world of 1984 is bleak; individualism is utterly suppressed the reign of terror of the Thought Police. In this setting, Orwell's work details the efforts of one individual, Winston Smith, to resist and retain a personal sense of uniqueness. In keeping this goal, Smith places his trust in the hands of O'Brien, a mysterious Inner Party member who ultimately proves Winston's nemesis as an agent of the Thought Police. In the end, Winston is crushed by the state, tortured to the point that he ceases to leave any unique consciousness, and becomes a shell of a man before his execution. The first step t