Both Mr.
Charrington andare members of the Party, both are intelligent and knowledgeable, and both
deceiveand .
Both men present as benign. Mr. Charrington, though in reality
much younger, presents himself as a harmless and humble 63-year-old shopkeeper in a velvet
jacket. He pretends to be a prole with a Cockney accent. O'Brien has a blunt, pleasant look in
his black overalls and pretends to be part of the underground Winston is seeking.
Both men supply Winston, insatiably searching for knowledge, with information he
craves. Mr. Charrington recites to Winston part of the "oranges and lemons" rhyme and
even explains some of the history and the background of the verses. O'Brien invites Winston and
Julia to his apartment, offers them wine and give Winston "The Book," supposedly
written by Goldstein, that explains oligarchic collectivism. Both men thus win Winston's (and
Julia's) trust while betraying them.
Both Mr. Charrington, a member of the
Thought Police, and O'Brien are ruthless men dedicated to the Party. They know how to manipulate
others. Both are frightening because they are able to fake being humane and benevolent so
successfully. What is most troubling about both men is that they clearly have the knowledge,
personality and intelligence to make other choices and yet have chosen a dehumanizing
path.
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