Now Winston is in the last stage of his “reintegration.” He is brought to Room 101. He has heard stories about this room, but this is the first time he is inside it. When he asks about the room, he is told that he does know—deep inside—exactly what the room is about. As it turns out, Room 101 is different for different people. It is basically the stuff of their nightmares.

For Winston, it is rats. Rats have been in his nightmares several times. O’Brien warns Winston that the rats would swarm his head and his face. He tells him that the rats are fearsome and hungry, that they would eat him alive. He adds that the rats would devour his cheeks, eyes, and quite possibly his tongue, too. Pushed to his breaking point, Winston betrays Julia in a way he has never done before. He has already told them everything about her, but now he asks them to unleash the rats on her instead of him. This is the ultimate degradation, and it shows the readers that Winston is finally broken.