Syme—A co-worker of Winston’s in the Ministry of Truth whose specialty is the development of Newspeak, Syme is a curious and revealing character. He truly believes in his job and in the Party. He is not a natural dissenter, and so at first it seems puzzling that he is the first character in the book to be picked up by the Thought Police. It is the sharpness of his intellect and his lack of discretion that doom him. In the ruthless world of 1984, even these qualities are a potential threat to the state.
