Winston Smith lives in a dystopian version of London ruled by a totalitarian faction known only as the Party. Smith believes the Party rules over Oceania, a massive superstate containing much of the former United States and British Empire, rivalled by two other superstates, Eurasia and Eastasia.

Winston works for the Ministry of Truth, retroactively editing historical documents to fit the Partys ever-changing claims. Due to the nature of Winstons job, much of the objective reality about history and the outside world may not be factual. Winston enters into a forbidden romance with his coworker, Julia, and the two become protgs of OBrien, a high-ranking Party official secretly part of the Brotherhood, a rebel group seeking the Partys overthrow.

OBrien gifts Winston a copy of the book, the Brotherhoods manifesto, written by its founder, Goldstein.