Hello, my name's mariam.
Today's story is set in a dark and scary version of london.
It's called a dystopia, an imagined society where things are very unfair in this world.
Everything is run by an organization called the party.
The party's watchword is control.
They can see everything everyone is doing and will punish anyone who disagrees with them.
The party have even created a new language called Newspeak, which doesn't contain any words which could undermine them.
And the party is ruled by a person called Big Brother.
Everywhere you look, there are posters which say, Big Brother is watching you.
Winston Smith lives in this strange version of London and works for the government in the Ministry of Truth.
His job is to change historical records whenever they contradict what the party wants people to think.
But watch this space.
Winston isn't sure about Big Brother at all and thinks the government have too much control over people.
Everywhere Winston goes, he is surrounded by cameras which monitor what he is doing and makes him uneasy.
Throughout the story, he also has nightmares about rats and is terrified of them.
...who punish anyone who thinks for themselves.
So Winston has to watch out for anyone who might be suspicious of what he is thinking, and for anyone who might secretly hate the party too.
One day at work, Winston catches the eye of a colleague called O'Brien.
He believes that O'Brien might be part of the Brotherhood, which is a secret organisation working to defeat the party.
Winston also notices a girl with dark hair and worries that she might report him to the Thought Police.
But soon the girl passes him a secret note.
Her name is Julia and the note says, I love you.
Winston and Julia are able to meet in a poorer part of London where there are fewer cameras watching them.
They fall in love and agree that the party is dangerous, but they must watch their step.
If anyone discovers their secret meetings, they will be punished.
Finally, Winston's hopes about O'Brien seem to be confirmed when O'Brien asks to meet him and Julia.
O'Brien tells the couple that he hates the party too.
He says he's been watching over them and arranges to give Winston a book written by the leader of the Brotherhood that will help them fight the party in secret.
But it's a trap.
When Winston reads the book to Julia at one of their secret meetings, the thought police rush in and carry him away to a place called the Ministry of Love.
Winston realises that O'Brien has betrayed him.
In fact, it turns out that O'Brien is a member of the Thought Place and has been keeping a close watch on Winston for seven years, waiting for the right moment to have him arrested.
Inside the Ministry of Love, Winston is tortured for his crimes.
Winston believes his love for Julia is strong, but he struggles to withstand the torture and brainwashing of the party.
And then, O'Brien takes him to a place called Room 101.
In room 101, the prisoner has to face their greatest fear.
Remember I told you that Winston is terrified of rats?
Well, as a cage of rats is lowered towards Winston's head ready to eat him...
He breaks and pleads with O'Brien to take Julia to Room 101 instead.
Now that Winston has betrayed Julia, O'Brien is satisfied and allows him to be released.
Winston returns to the outside world.
He sees Julia, and it is clear her beliefs have been broken by the Ministry of Love too, but it doesn't matter.
Winston has only one love now.
He loves Big Brother.
Well, that was a very strange and unsettling story.
I definitely wouldn't like a trip to Room 101.
I'll be back soon with another classic story.
I hope you'll join me then.
Thank you.
