Winston now goes back to work and uses “speakwrite” to alter history. Speakwrite is a device that spells out whatever is spoken into it. Winston is currently assigned the task of altering a particular speech made in December 1983. The speech refers to a person who has now fallen out of repute with the Party and has since been vaporized. Winston is now given the task of altering this speech so that it fits perfectly with events planned for the future. This adjustment process, readers find out, is massive and ongoing, and several people are hired to accomplish this rewriting.

Interestingly, even fictional literature deemed offensive by the Party is corrected to suit the government’s narrative. Winston’s current task is to alter the speech to praise an entirely fabricated character who exemplifies all the qualities deemed important by the Party. The ideal subject is one who is opposed to sex and regards everyone suspiciously. The reader realizes that, while Winston detests the Party and its actions, he nonetheless finds pleasure in fabricating these events.