As agreed upon, Winston and the dark-haired girl meet in the countryside. Winston arrives early and waits for her to arrive. She arrives and motions Winston to be silent, for they could after all be in the midst of hidden microphones. He follows her to a clearing surrounded by tall trees. She has been here once and knows it is safe. They embrace and kiss awkwardly. All at once, Winston finds himself becoming aware of their thirteen-year age difference (she is 26, while Winston is 39), his modest physique, and varicose ulcer. He wonders why she would be attracted to him. For her, though, the attraction is a way of resisting the Party’s totalitarian grip.

Winston uncovers details about her over the course of their meeting. Her name is Julia. She lives a double life, keeping up appearances as a diligent Party member and often going out of her way to volunteer for community activities. On the other hand, she privately engages in sexual activity with several men. Winston isn’t repulsed by this; in fact, he finds this rather attractive and admirable. Her sexual encounters, they feel, are a poignant act of resistance directed against the Party. To Winston, having sex with her becomes a political act.