Final answer:
In George Orwell's novel '1984,' O'Brien tells Winston that he will never know anything beyond the existence of the Brotherhood to maintain its secrecy and protect it from the Party's surveillance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984, where O'Brien, a member of the oppressive Party, describes the secretive anti-party organization known as the Brotherhood to the protagonist, Winston Smith. According to O'Brien, Winston will never know anything more than the fact that the Brotherhood exists. O'Brien emphasizes that Winston may never meet anyone from the organization again after him, or even know their identities. Additionally, Winston will never be able to ascertain the full scope of the Brotherhood's activities or its members. The aim is to protect the secret organization from the pervasive surveillance of the Party, which seeks to root out and annihilate any form of dissent or rebellion. This highlights the extreme measures taken to preserve anonymity and secrecy in the face of an all-powerful totalitarian regime. The brotherhood's structure is intentionally designed to be a mystery to its own members, thereby making it difficult for the Party to destroy it.