1984 Section Two, Part II Analysis (pp. 117-126)
by George Orwell

Winston finds himself in the pastoral setting he'd dreamed about. This is the first instance of his dreams coming true, a motif that will continue throughout the novel. Orwell frequently mentions "bluebells" as part of this pastoral setting. Though not unusual, extra attention should be paid to bluebells because he mentions them several times in this short section. One possible reading is that the bluebells, like the church bells, represent the manifestation of the human spirit—something the Party seeks to kill.

This is also the first time in the story that Winston is completely honest with another character. He considers his honesty a love offering because it is highly dangerous to Party members to be honest, which is another example of the suppression of the human spirit.

Gestures are prevalent throughout this section as well. Remember that Orwell linked gestures to Shakespeare earlier in the work, and Shakespeare is famous for his sublime depictions of human nature. Julia first discards her sash, and later her clothes, in such a manner as to demonstrate her rebellion. Winston values these gestures because he sees the rebellion in them. Also valuable to him is corruption, which often is no more than expressions of human nature. He rightly feels if Inner Party members are subject to corruption, or even human feeling, then the Party is much weaker than it seems. Winston thinks about infecting the Party with disease, an act he will later swear (to O'Brien) he would carry out to combat the Party. His own "corruption"—having sex with Julia—is an act of rebellion as far as he's concerned.

Also tied into this idea of human nature is the singing thrush. It is the thrush's song that allows Winston to start feeling in a more natural manner, which in turn opens him up to making love to Julia. In this sense, the thrush could be read as a symbol of freedom of the human spirit.

Finally, there are some minor points to consider: the chocolate and Julia's attraction to Winston. The chocolate raises disturbing sensations within Winston. This is because, as the reader will later learn, Winston essentially starved his mother and infant sister by demanding more than his share of food, and one especially dramatic instance involved chocolate he snatched from them and devoured. Finally, Julia is attracted to him because she can tell he is against the Party. If Julia can tell this, despite his constant attempts to conceal his real feelings, surely other, more dangerous members of the Party can tell how he really feels as well.