Dystopia 1984_ Thursday, Jan. 1 - Laura Diana

8/13/2019 Dystopia 1984_ Thursday, Jan. 1 - Laura Diana

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Dystopia 1984

SparkNotes: 1984: Analysis of Major haracters

sparknotes!co"

#eor$e %rwell: Nineteen &i$hty'(o)r '' *art +

orwell!r)

Dystopias: Definition and haracteristics ' Definitionharacteristics!pdf

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SparkNotes: 1984: Analysis of Major Characters

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Winston Smith

%rwell,s pri"ary $oal in 1984is to de"onstrate the terrifyin$ possi-ilities of totalitarianis"!

.he reader e/periences the ni$ht"arish world that %rwell envisions thro)$h the eyes of the

prota$onist0 inston! 2is personal tendency to resist the stiflin$ of his individ)ality0 and his

intellect)al a-ility to reason a-o)t his resistance0 ena-les the reader to o-serve and )nderstand the

harsh oppression that the *arty0 3i$ 3rother0 and the .ho)$ht *olice instit)te! hereas )lia is

)ntro)-led and so"ewhat selfish0 interested in re-ellin$ only for the pleas)res to -e $ained0inston is e/tre"ely pensive and c)rio)s0 desperate to )nderstand how and why the *arty e/ercises

s)ch a-sol)te power in %ceania! inston,s lon$ reflections $ive %rwell a chance to e/plore the

novel,s i"portant the"es0 incl)din$ lan$)a$e as "ind control0 psycholo$ical and physical

inti"idation and "anip)lation0 and the i"portance of knowled$e of the past!

Apart fro" his tho)$htf)l nat)re0 inston,s "ain attri-)tes are his re-ellio)sness and his

fatalis"! inston hates the *arty passionately and wants to test the li"its of its power5 he co""its

inn)"era-le cri"es thro)$ho)t the novel0 ran$in$ fro" writin$ 6D%N +.2 3+# 37%.2&7

in his diary0 to havin$ an ille$al love affair with )lia0 to $ettin$ hi"self secretly indoctrinated into

the anti'*arty 3rotherhood! .he effort inston p)ts into his atte"pt to achieve freedo" and

independence )lti"ately )nderscores the *arty,s devastatin$ power! 3y the end of the novel0

inston,s re-ellion is revealed as playin$ into %,3rien,s ca"pai$n of physical and psycholo$ical

tort)re0 transfor"in$ inston into a loyal s)-ject of 3i$ 3rother!

%ne reason for inston,s re-ellion0 and event)al downfall0 is his sense of fatalis"his

intense tho)$h entirely j)stified; paranoia a-o)t the *arty and his overridin$ -elief that the *arty

will event)ally catch and p)nish hi"! As soon as he writes 6D%N +.2 3+# 37%.2&7 in his

diary0 inston is positive that the .ho)$ht *olice will


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the other hand0 is well adapted to her chosen for"s of s"all'scale re-ellion! She clai"s to have had

affairs with vario)s *arty "e"-ers0 and has no intention of ter"inatin$ her pleas)re seekin$0 or of

-ein$ ca)$ht her involve"ent with inston is what leads to her capt)re;! )lia is a strikin$ contrast

to inston: apart fro" their ")t)al se/)al desire and hatred of the *arty0 "ost of their traits are

dissi"ilar0 if not contradictory!

!"#rien

%ne of the "ost fascinatin$ aspects of 1984is the "anner in which %rwell shro)ds an

e/plicit portrayal of a totalitarian world in an eni$"atic a)ra! hile %rwell $ives the reader a close

look into the personal life of inston S"ith0 the reader,s only $li"pses of *arty life are those that

inston hi"self catches! As a res)lt0 "any of the *arty,s inner workin$s re"ain )ne/plained0 as do

its ori$ins0 and the identities and "otivations of its leaders! .his sense of "ystery is centrali=ed in

the character of %,3rien0 a powerf)l "e"-er of the +nner *arty who tricks inston into -elievin$

that he is a "e"-er of the revol)tionary $ro)p called the 3rotherhood! %,3rien ind)cts inston

into the 3rotherhood! >ater0 tho)$h0 he appears at inston,s jail cell to a-)se and -rainwash hi" inthe na"e of the *arty! D)rin$ the process of this p)nish"ent0 and perhaps as an act of psycholo$ical

tort)re0 %,3rien ad"its that he pretended to -e connected to the 3rotherhood "erely to trap

inston in an act of open disloyalty to the *arty!

.his revelation raises "ore


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$eor%e !r&ell: Nineteen 'i%hty()or (( *art +

orwell!r)

+t was a -ri$ht cold day in April0 and the clocks were strikin$ thirteen! inston S"ith0 his

chin n)==led into his -reast in an effort to escape the vile wind0 slipped


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chief city of Airstrip %ne0 itself the third "ost pop)lo)s of the provinces of %ceania! 2e tried to

sondon had always -een


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3)t it had also -een s)$$ested -y the -ook that he had j)st taken o)t of the drawer! +t was a

pec)liarly -ea)tif)l -ook! +ts s"ooth crea"y paper0 a little yellowed -y a$e0 was of a kind that had

not -een "an)fact)red for at least forty years past! 2e co)ld $)ess0 however0 that the -ook was

")ch older than that! 2e had seen it lyin$ in the window of a frowsy little j)nk'shop in a sl)""y


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+t had happened that "ornin$ at the Ministry0 if anythin$ so ne-)lo)s co)ld -e said to

happen!

+t was nearly eleven h)ndred0 and in the 7ecords Depart"ent0 where inston worked0 they

were dra$$in$ the chairs o)t of the c)-icles and $ro)pin$ the" in the centre of the hall opposite the

-i$ telescreen0 in preparation for the .wo Min)tes 2ate! inston was j)st takin$ his place in one of

the "iddle rows when two people who" he knew -y si$ht0 -)t had never spoken to0 ca"e

)ne/pectedly into the roo"! %ne of the" was a $irl who" he often passed in the corridors! 2e didnot know her na"e0 -)t he knew that she worked in the (iction Depart"ent! *res)"a-ly since

he had so"eti"es seen her with oily hands and carryin$ a spanner she had so"e "echanical jo-

on one of the novel'writin$ "achines! She was a -old'lookin$ $irl0 of a-o)t twenty'seven0 with

thick hair0 a freckled face0 and swift0 athletic "ove"ents! A narrow scarlet sash0 e"-le" of the

)nior Anti'Se/ >ea$)e0 was wo)nd several ti"es ro)nd the waist of her overalls0 j)st ti$htly

eno)$h to -rin$ o)t the shapeliness of her hips! inston had disliked her fro" the very first

"o"ent of seein$ her! 2e knew the reason! +t was -eca)se of the at"osphere of hockey'fields and

cold -aths and co"")nity hikes and $eneral clean'"indedness which she "ana$ed to carry a-o)t

with her! 2e disliked nearly all wo"en0 and especially the yo)n$ and pretty ones! +t was always the

wo"en0 and a-ove all the yo)n$ ones0 who were the "ost -i$oted adherents of the *arty0 the

swallowers of slo$ans0 the a"ate)r spies and nosers'o)t of )northodo/y! 3)t this partic)lar $irl$ave hi" the i"pression of -ein$ "ore dan$ero)s than "ost! %nce when they passed in the corridor

she $ave hi" a


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.wo Min)tes 2ate varied fro" day to day0 -)t there was none in which #oldstein was not the

principal fi$)re! 2e was the pri"al traitor0 the earliest defiler of the *artyBs p)rity! All s)-se


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the r)n$ of his chair! .he horri-le thin$ a-o)t the .wo Min)tes 2ate was not that one was o-li$ed

to act a part0 -)t0 on the contrary0 that it was i"possi-le to avoid joinin$ in! ithin thirty seconds

any pretence was always )nnecessary! A hideo)s ecstasy of fear and vindictiveness0 a desire to kill0

to tort)re0 to s"ash faces in with a sled$e'ha""er0 see"ed to flow thro)$h the whole $ro)p of

people like an electric c)rrent0 t)rnin$ one even a$ainst oneBs will into a $ri"acin$0 screa"in$

l)natic! And yet the ra$e that one felt was an a-stract0 )ndirected e"otion which co)ld -e switched

fro" one o-ject to another like the fla"e of a -lowla"p! .h)s0 at one "o"ent instonBs hatred wasnot t)rned a$ainst #oldstein at all0 -)t0 on the contrary0 a$ainst 3i$ 3rother0 the *arty0 and the

.ho)$ht *olice5 and at s)ch "o"ents his heart went o)t to the lonely0 derided heretic on the screen0

sole $)ardian of tr)th and sanity in a world of lies! And yet the very ne/t instant he was at one with

the people a-o)t hi"0 and all that was said of #oldstein see"ed to hi" to -e tr)e! At those "o"ents

his secret loathin$ of 3i$ 3rother chan$ed into adoration0 and 3i$ 3rother see"ed to tower )p0 an

invinci-le0 fearless protector0 standin$ like a rock a$ainst the hordes of Asia0 and #oldstein0 in spite

of his isolation0 his helplessness0 and the do)-t that h)n$ a-o)t his very e/istence0 see"ed like

so"e sinister enchanter0 capa-le -y the "ere power of his voice of wreckin$ the str)ct)re of

civili=ation!

+t was even possi-le0 at "o"ents0 to switch oneBs hatred this way or that -y a vol)ntary act!

S)ddenly0 -y the sort of violent effort with which one wrenches oneBs head away fro" the pillow ina ni$ht"are0 inston s)cceeded in transferrin$ his hatred fro" the face on the screen to the dark'

haired $irl -ehind hi"! ?ivid0 -ea)tif)l hall)cinations flashed thro)$h his "ind! 2e wo)ld flo$ her

to death with a r)--er tr)ncheon! 2e wo)ld tie her naked to a stake and shoot her f)ll of arrows like

Saint Se-astian! 2e wo)ld ravish her and c)t her throat at the "o"ent of cli"a/! 3etter than -efore0

"oreover0 he reali=ed whyit was that he hated her! 2e hated her -eca)se she was yo)n$ and pretty

and se/less0 -eca)se he wanted to $o to -ed with her and wo)ld never do so0 -eca)se ro)nd her

sweet s)pple waist0 which see"ed to ask yo) to encircle it with yo)r ar"0 there was only the odio)s

scarlet sash0 a$$ressive sy"-ol of chastity!

.he 2ate rose to its cli"a/! .he voice of #oldstein had -eco"e an act)al sheepBs -leat0 and

for an instant the face chan$ed into that of a sheep! .hen the sheep'face "elted into the fi$)re of a

&)rasian soldier who see"ed to -e advancin$0 h)$e and terri-le0 his s)-'"achine $)n roarin$0 and

see"in$ to sprin$ o)t of the s)rface of the screen0 so that so"e of the people in the front row

act)ally flinched -ackwards in their seats! 3)t in the sa"e "o"ent0 drawin$ a deep si$h of relief

fro" every-ody0 the hostile fi$)re "elted into the face of 3i$ 3rother0 -lack'haired0 -lack'

"o)stachioBd0 f)ll of power and "ysterio)s cal"0 and so vast that it al"ost filled )p the screen!

No-ody heard what 3i$ 3rother was sayin$! +t was "erely a few words of enco)ra$e"ent0 the sort

of words that are )ttered in the din of -attle0 not distin$)isha-le individ)ally -)t restorin$

confidence -y the fact of -ein$ spoken! .hen the face of 3i$ 3rother faded away a$ain0 and instead

the three slo$ans of the *arty stood o)t in -old capitals:

3)t the face of 3i$ 3rother see"ed to persist for several seconds on the screen0 as tho)$h

the i"pact that it had "ade on everyoneBs eye-alls was too vivid to wear off i""ediately! .he littlesandy'haired wo"an had fl)n$ herself forward over the -ack of the chair in front of her! ith a

tre")lo)s ")r")r that so)nded like FMy Savio)rH, she e/tended her ar"s towards the screen! .hen

she -)ried her face in her hands! +t was apparent that she was )tterin$ a prayer!

At this "o"ent the entire $ro)p of people -roke into a deep0 slow0 rhyth"ical chant of F3'

3H!!! 3'3H!!!, over and over a$ain0 very slowly0 with a lon$ pa)se -etween the first F3, and the

second'a heavy0 ")r")ro)s so)nd0 so"ehow c)rio)sly sava$e0 in the -ack$ro)nd of which one

see"ed to hear the sta"p of naked feet and the thro--in$ of to"'to"s! (or perhaps as ")ch as

thirty seconds they kept it )p! +t was a refrain that was often heard in "o"ents of overwhel"in$

e"otion! *artly it was a sort of hy"n to the wisdo" and "ajesty of 3i$ 3rother0 -)t still "ore it

was an act of self'hypnosis0 a deli-erate drownin$ of conscio)sness -y "eans of rhyth"ic noise!

instonBs entrails see"ed to $row cold! +n the .wo Min)tes 2ate he co)ld not help sharin$ in the$eneral deliri)"0 -)t this s)-'h)"an chantin$ of F3'3H!!! 3'3H, always filled hi" with horror! %f

co)rse he chanted with the rest: it was i"possi-le to do otherwise! .o disse"-le yo)r feelin$s0 to


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control yo)r face0 to do what everyone else was doin$0 was an instinctive reaction! 3)t there was a

space of a co)ple of seconds d)rin$ which the e/pression of his eyes "i$ht conceiva-ly have

-etrayed hi"! And it was e/actly at this "o"ent that the si$nificant thin$ happened if0 indeed0 it

did happen!

Mo"entarily he ca)$ht %B3rienBs eye! %B3rien had stood )p! 2e had taken off his spectacles

and was in the act of resettlin$ the" on his nose with his characteristic $est)re! 3)t there was a

fraction of a second when their eyes "et0 and for as lon$ as it took to happen inston knew yes0he knewH that %B3rien was thinkin$ the sa"e thin$ as hi"self! An )n"istaka-le "essa$e had

passed! +t was as tho)$h their two "inds had opened and the tho)$hts were flowin$ fro" one into

the other thro)$h their eyes! F+ a" with yo)0, %B3rien see"ed to -e sayin$ to hi"! F+ know precisely

what yo) are feelin$! + know all a-o)t yo)r conte"pt0 yo)r hatred0 yo)r dis$)st! 3)t donBt worry0 +

a" on yo)r sideH, And then the flash of intelli$ence was $one0 and %B3rienBs face was as inscr)ta-le

as every-ody elseBs!

.hat was all0 and he was already )ncertain whether it had happened! S)ch incidents never

had any se


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2e sat -ack in his chair0 sli$htly asha"ed of hi"self0 and laid down the pen! .he ne/t

"o"ent he started violently! .here was a knockin$ at the door!

AlreadyH 2e sat as still as a "o)se0 in the f)tile hope that whoever it was "i$ht $o away

after a sin$le atte"pt! 3)t no0 the knockin$ was repeated! .he worst thin$ of all wo)ld -e to delay!

2is heart was th)"pin$ like a dr)"0 -)t his face0 fro" lon$ ha-it0 was pro-a-ly e/pressionless! 2e

$ot )p and "oved heavily towards the door!

As he p)t his hand to the door'kno- inston saw that he had left the diary open on the ta-le!D%N +.2 3+# 37%.2&7 was written all over it0 in letters al"ost -i$ eno)$h to -e le$i-le

across the roo"! +t was an inconceiva-ly st)pid thin$ to have done! 3)t0 he reali=ed0 even in his

panic he had not wanted to s")d$e the crea"y paper -y sh)ttin$ the -ook while the ink was wet!

2e drew in his -reath and opened the door! +nstantly a war" wave of relief flowed thro)$h

hi"! A colo)rless0 cr)shed'lookin$ wo"an0 with wispy hair and a lined face0 was standin$ o)tside!

F%h0 co"rade0, she -e$an in a dreary0 whinin$ sort of voice0 F+ tho)$ht + heard yo) co"e in!

Do yo) think yo) co)ld co"e across and have a look at o)r kitchen sinkC +tBs $ot -locked )p and,

+t was Mrs! *arsons0 the wife of a nei$h-o)r on the sa"e floor! FMrs!, was a word

so"ewhat disco)ntenanced -y the *arty yo) were s)pposed to call everyone Fco"rade, -)t

with so"e wo"en one )sed it instinctively!; She was a wo"an of a-o)t thirty0 -)t lookin$ ")ch

older! %ne had the i"pression that there was d)st in the creases of her face! inston followed herdown the passa$e! .hese a"ate)r repair jo-s were an al"ost daily irritation! ?ictory Mansions were

old flats0 -)ilt in 19E or therea-o)ts0 and were fallin$ to pieces! .he plaster flaked constantly fro"

ceilin$s and walls0 the pipes -)rst in every hard frost0 the roof leaked whenever there was snow0 the

heatin$ syste" was )s)ally r)nnin$ at half stea" when it was not closed down alto$ether fro"

"otives of econo"y! 7epairs0 e/cept what yo) co)ld do for yo)rself0 had to -e sanctioned -y

re"ote co""ittees which were lia-le to hold )p even the "endin$ of a window'pane for two years!

F%f co)rse itBs only -eca)se .o" isnBt ho"e0, said Mrs! *arsons va$)ely!

.he *arsons flat was -i$$er than instonBs0 and din$y in a different way! &verythin$ had a

-attered0 tra"pled'on look0 as tho)$h the place had j)st -een visited -y so"e lar$e violent ani"al!

#a"es i"pedi"enta hockey'sticks0 -o/in$'$loves0 a -)rst foot-all0 a pair of sweaty shorts

t)rned inside o)t lay all over the floor0 and on the ta-le there was a litter of dirty dishes and do$'

eared e/ercise'-ooks! %n the walls were scarlet -anners of the @o)th >ea$)e and the Spies0 and a

f)ll'si=ed poster of 3i$ 3rother! .here was the )s)al -oiled'ca--a$e s"ell0 co""on to the whole

-)ildin$0 -)t it was shot thro)$h -y a sharper reek of sweat0 which one knew this at the first

sniff0 tho)$h it was hard to say how was the sweat of so"e person not present at the "o"ent! +n

another roo" so"eone with a co"- and a piece of toilet paper was tryin$ to keep t)ne with the

"ilitary ")sic which was still iss)in$ fro" the telescreen!

F+tBs the children0, said Mrs! *arsons0 castin$ a half'apprehensive $lance at the door! F.hey

havenBt -een o)t today! And of co)rse,

She had a ha-it of -reakin$ off her sentences in the "iddle! .he kitchen sink was f)ll nearly

to the -ri" with filthy $reenish water which s"elt worse than ever of ca--a$e! inston knelt downand e/a"ined the an$le'joint of the pipe! 2e hated )sin$ his hands0 and he hated -endin$ down0

which was always lia-le to start hi" co)$hin$! Mrs! *arsons looked on helplessly!

F%f co)rse if .o" was ho"e heBd p)t it ri$ht in a "o"ent0, she said! F2e loves anythin$ like

that! 2eBs ever so $ood with his hands0 .o" is!,

*arsons was instonBs fellow'e"ployee at the Ministry of .r)th! 2e was a fattish -)t active

"an of paralysin$ st)pidity0 a "ass of i"-ecile enth)sias"s one of those co"pletely

)n


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whiffs of his pipe0 that he had p)t in an appearance at the o"")nity entre every evenin$ for the

past fo)r years! An overpowerin$ s"ell of sweat0 a sort of )nconscio)s testi"ony to the

stren)o)sness of his life0 followed hi" a-o)t wherever he went0 and even re"ained -ehind hi"

after he had $one!

F2ave yo) $ot a spannerC, said inston0 fiddlin$ with the n)t on the an$le'joint!

FA spanner0, said Mrs! *arsons0 i""ediately -eco"in$ inverte-rate! F+ donBt know0 +B" s)re!

*erhaps the children,.here was a tra"plin$ of -oots and another -last on the co"- as the children char$ed into

the livin$'roo"! Mrs! *arsons -ro)$ht the spanner! inston let o)t the water and dis$)stedly

re"oved the clot of h)"an hair that had -locked )p the pipe! 2e cleaned his fin$ers as -est he co)ld

in the cold water fro" the tap and went -ack into the other roo"!

Fp with yo)r handsH, yelled a sava$e voice!

A handso"e0 to)$h'lookin$ -oy of nine had popped )p fro" -ehind the ta-le and was

"enacin$ hi" with a toy a)to"atic pistol0 while his s"all sister0 a-o)t two years yo)n$er0 "ade the

sa"e $est)re with a fra$"ent of wood! 3oth of the" were dressed in the -l)e shorts0 $rey shirts0

and red neckerchiefs which were the )nifor" of the Spies! inston raised his hands a-ove his head0

-)t with an )neasy feelin$0 so vicio)s was the -oyBs de"eano)r0 that it was not alto$ether a $a"e!

F@o)Bre a traitorH, yelled the -oy! F@o)Bre a tho)$ht'cri"inalH @o)Bre a &)rasian spyH +Bll shootyo)0 +Bll vapori=e yo)0 +Bll send yo) to the salt "inesH,

S)ddenly they were -oth leapin$ ro)nd hi"0 sho)tin$ F.raitorH, and F.ho)$ht'cri"inalH, the

little $irl i"itatin$ her -rother in every "ove"ent! +t was so"ehow sli$htly fri$htenin$0 like the

$a"-ollin$ of ti$er c)-s which will soon $row )p into "an'eaters! .here was a sort of calc)latin$

ferocity in the -oyBs eye0 a


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-anners0 the hikin$0 the drillin$ with d)""y rifles0 the yellin$ of slo$ans0 the worship of 3i$

3rother it was all a sort of $lorio)s $a"e to the"! All their ferocity was t)rned o)twards0 a$ainst

the ene"ies of the State0 a$ainst forei$ners0 traitors0 sa-ote)rs0 tho)$ht'cri"inals! +t was al"ost

nor"al for people over thirty to -e fri$htened of their own children! And with $ood reason0 for

hardly a week passed in which the Timesdid not carry a para$raph descri-in$ how so"e

eavesdroppin$ little sneak Fchild hero, was the phrase $enerally )sed had overheard so"e

co"pro"isin$ re"ark and deno)nced its parents to the .ho)$ht *olice!.he stin$ of the catap)lt -)llet had worn off! 2e picked )p his pen half'heartedly0 wonderin$

whether he co)ld find so"ethin$ "ore to write in the diary! S)ddenly he -e$an thinkin$ of %B3rien

a$ain!

@ears a$o how lon$ was itC Seven years it ")st -e he had drea"ed that he was

walkin$ thro)$h a pitch'dark roo"! And so"eone sittin$ to one side of hi" had said as he passed:

Fe shall "eet in the place where there is no darkness!, +t was said very ondon at present!

Down in the street the wind flapped the torn poster to and fro0 and the word +N#S%

fitf)lly appeared and vanished! +n$soc! .he sacred principles of +n$soc! Newspeak0 do)-lethink0 the

")ta-ility of the past! 2e felt as tho)$h he were wanderin$ in the forests of the sea -otto"0 lost in a

"onstro)s world where he hi"self was the "onster! 2e was alone! .he past was dead0 the f)t)re

was )ni"a$ina-le! hat certainty had he that a sin$le h)"an creat)re now livin$ was on his sideC

And what way of knowin$ that the do"inion of the *arty wo)ld not end)refor everC >ike an

answer0 the three slo$ans on the white face of the Ministry of .r)th ca"e -ack to hi":

2e took a twenty'five cent piece o)t of his pocket! .here0 too0 in tiny clear letterin$0 thesa"e slo$ans were inscri-ed0 and on the other face of the coin the head of 3i$ 3rother! &ven fro"

the coin the eyes p)rs)ed yo)! %n coins0 on sta"ps0 on the covers of -ooks0 on -anners0 on posters0


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and on the wrappin$s of a ci$arette packet everywhere! Always the eyes watchin$ yo) and the

voice envelopin$ yo)! Asleep or awake0 workin$ or eatin$0 indoors or o)t of doors0 in the -ath or in

-ed no escape! Nothin$ was yo)r own e/cept the few c)-ic centi"etres inside yo)r sk)ll!

.he s)n had shifted ro)nd0 and the "yriad windows of the Ministry of .r)th0 with the li$ht

no lon$er shinin$ on the"0 looked $ri" as the loopholes of a fortress! 2is heart


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lives of his "other and his sister had -een sacrificed to his own! +t was one of those drea"s which0

while retainin$ the characteristic drea" scenery0 are a contin)ation of oneBs intellect)al life0 and in

which one -eco"es aware of facts and ideas which still see" new and val)a-le after one is awake!

.he thin$ that now s)ddenly str)ck inston was that his "otherBs death0 nearly thirty years a$o0

had -een tra$ic and sorrowf)l in a way that was no lon$er possi-le! .ra$edy0 he perceived0

-elon$ed to the ancient ti"e0 to a ti"e when there was still privacy0 love0 and friendship0 and when

the "e"-ers of a fa"ily stood -y one another witho)t needin$ to know the reason! 2is "otherBs"e"ory tore at his heart -eca)se she had died lovin$ hi"0 when he was too yo)n$ and selfish to

love her in ret)rn0 and -eca)se so"ehow0 he did not re"e"-er how0 she had sacrificed herself to a

conception of loyalty that was private and )naltera-le! S)ch thin$s0 he saw0 co)ld not happen today!

.oday there were fear0 hatred0 and pain0 -)t no di$nity of e"otion0 no deep or co"ple/ sorrows! All

this he see"ed to see in the lar$e eyes of his "other and his sister0 lookin$ )p at hi" thro)$h the

$reen water0 h)ndreds of fatho"s down and still sinkin$!

S)ddenly he was standin$ on short sprin$y t)rf0 on a s)""er evenin$ when the slantin$

rays of the s)n $ilded the $ro)nd! .he landscape that he was lookin$ at rec)rred so often in his

drea"s that he was never f)lly certain whether or not he had seen it in the real world! +n his wakin$

tho)$hts he called it the #olden o)ntry! +t was an old0 ra--it'-itten past)re0 with a foot'track

wanderin$ across it and a "olehill here and there! +n the ra$$ed hed$e on the opposite side of thefield the -o)$hs of the el" trees were swayin$ very faintly in the -ree=e0 their leaves j)st stirrin$ in

dense "asses like wo"enBs hair! So"ewhere near at hand0 tho)$h o)t of si$ht0 there was a clear0

slow'"ovin$ strea" where dace were swi""in$ in the pools )nder the willow trees!

.he $irl with dark hair was co"in$ towards the" across the field! ith what see"ed a

sin$le "ove"ent she tore off her clothes and fl)n$ the" disdainf)lly aside! 2er -ody was white and

s"ooth0 -)t it aro)sed no desire in hi"0 indeed he -arely looked at it! hat overwhel"ed hi" in

that instant was ad"iration for the $est)re with which she had thrown her clothes aside! ith its

$race and carelessness it see"ed to annihilate a whole c)lt)re0 a whole syste" of tho)$ht0 as tho)$h

3i$ 3rother and the *arty and the .ho)$ht *olice co)ld all -e swept into nothin$ness -y a sin$le

splendid "ove"ent of the ar"! .hat too was a $est)re -elon$in$ to the ancient ti"e! inston woke

)p with the word FShakespeare, on his lips!

.he telescreen was $ivin$ forth an ear'splittin$ whistle which contin)ed on the sa"e note

for thirty seconds! +t was no)$ht seven fifteen0 $ettin$')p ti"e for office workers! inston

wrenched his -ody o)t of -ed naked0 for a "e"-er of the %)ter *arty received only 0EEE

clothin$ co)pons ann)ally0 and a s)it of pyja"as was IEE and sei=ed a din$y sin$let and a pair of

shorts that were lyin$ across a chair! .he *hysical erks wo)ld -e$in in three "in)tes! .he ne/t

"o"ent he was do)-led )p -y a violent co)$hin$ fit which nearly always attacked hi" soon after

wakin$ )p! +t e"ptied his l)n$s so co"pletely that he co)ld only -e$in -reathin$ a$ain -y lyin$ on

his -ack and takin$ a series of deep $asps! 2is veins had swelled with the effort of the co)$h0 and

the varicose )lcer had started itchin$!

F.hirty to forty $ro)pH, yapped a piercin$ fe"ale voice! F.hirty to forty $ro)pH .ake yo)rplaces0 please! .hirties to fortiesH,

inston spran$ to attention in front of the telescreen0 )pon which the i"a$e of a yo)n$ish

wo"an0 scrawny -)t ")sc)lar0 dressed in t)nic and $y"'shoes0 had already appeared!

FAr"s -endin$ and stretchin$H, she rapped o)t! F.ake yo)r ti"e -y "e! One0 two0 three0

fo)rH One0 two0 three0 fo)rH o"e on0 co"rades0 p)t a -it of life into itH One0 two0 three fo)rH One

two0 three0 fo)rH!!!,

.he pain of the co)$hin$ fit had not


16/46

happened0 yo) re"e"-ered the detail of incidents witho)t -ein$ a-le to recapt)re their at"osphere0

and there were lon$ -lank periods to which yo) co)ld assi$n nothin$! &verythin$ had -een different

then! &ven the na"es of co)ntries0 and their shapes on the "ap0 had -een different! Airstrip %ne0 for

instance0 had not -een so called in those days: it had -een called &n$land or 3ritain0 tho)$h

>ondon0 he felt fairly certain0 had always -een called >ondon!

inston co)ld not definitely re"e"-er a ti"e when his co)ntry had not -een at war0 -)t it

was evident that there had -een a fairly lon$ interval of peace d)rin$ his childhood0 -eca)se one ofhis early "e"ories was of an air raid which appeared to take everyone -y s)rprise! *erhaps it was

the ti"e when the ato"ic -o"- had fallen on olchester! 2e did not re"e"-er the raid itself0 -)t he

did re"e"-er his fatherBs hand cl)tchin$ his own as they h)rried down0 down0 down into so"e

place deep in the earth0 ro)nd and ro)nd a spiral staircase which ran$ )nder his feet and which

finally so wearied his le$s that he -e$an whi"perin$ and they had to stop and rest! 2is "other0 in

her slow0 drea"y way0 was followin$ a lon$ way -ehind the"! She was carryin$ his -a-y sister

or perhaps it was only a -)ndle of -lankets that she was carryin$: he was not certain whether his

sister had -een -orn then! (inally they had e"er$ed into a noisy0 crowded place which he had

reali=ed to -e a .)-e station!

.here were people sittin$ all over the stone'fla$$ed floor0 and other people0 packed ti$htly

to$ether0 were sittin$ on "etal -)nks0 one a-ove the other! inston and his "other and father fo)ndthe"selves a place on the floor0 and near the" an old "an and an old wo"an were sittin$ side -y

side on a -)nk! .he old "an had on a decent dark s)it and a -lack cloth cap p)shed -ack fro" very

white hair: his face was scarlet and his eyes were -l)e and f)ll of tears! 2e reeked of $in! +t see"ed

to -reathe o)t of his skin in place of sweat0 and one co)ld have fancied that the tears wellin$ fro"

his eyes were p)re $in! 3)t tho)$h sli$htly dr)nk he was also s)fferin$ )nder so"e $rief that was

$en)ine and )n-eara-le! +n his childish way inston $rasped that so"e terri-le thin$0 so"ethin$

that was -eyond for$iveness and co)ld never -e re"edied0 had j)st happened! +t also see"ed to hi"

that he knew what it was! So"eone who" the old "an loved a little $randda)$hter0 perhaps

had -een killed! &very few "in)tes the old "an kept repeatin$:

Fe didnBt o)$ht to Bave tr)sted Be"! + said so0 Ma0 didnBt +C .hatBs what co"es of tr)stin$

Be"! + said so all alon$! e didnBt o)$ht to Bave tr)sted the -)$$ers!,

3)t which -)$$ers they didnBt o)$ht to have tr)sted inston co)ld not now re"e"-er!

Since a-o)t that ti"e0 war had -een literally contin)o)s0 tho)$h strictly speakin$ it had not

always -een the sa"e war! (or several "onths d)rin$ his childhood there had -een conf)sed street

fi$htin$ in >ondon itself0 so"e of which he re"e"-ered vividly! 3)t to trace o)t the history of the

whole period0 to say who was fi$htin$ who" at any $iven "o"ent0 wo)ld have -een )tterly

i"possi-le0 since no written record0 and no spoken word0 ever "ade "ention of any other ali$n"ent

than the e/istin$ one! At this "o"ent0 for e/a"ple0 in 1984 if it was 1984;0 %ceania was at war

with &)rasia and in alliance with &astasia! +n no p)-lic or private )tterance was it ever ad"itted that

the three powers had at any ti"e -een $ro)ped alon$ different lines! Act)ally0 as inston well

knew0 it was only fo)r years since %ceania had -een at war with &astasia and in alliance with&)rasia! 3)t that was "erely a piece of f)rtive knowled$e which he happened to possess -eca)se

his "e"ory was not satisfactorily )nder control! %fficially the chan$e of partners had never

happened! %ceania was at war with &)rasia: therefore %ceania had always -een at war with

&)rasia! .he ene"y of the "o"ent always represented a-sol)te evil0 and it followed that any past

or f)t)re a$ree"ent with hi" was i"possi-le!

.he fri$htenin$ thin$0 he reflected for the ten tho)sandth ti"e as he forced his sho)lders

painf)lly -ackward with hands on hips0 they were $yratin$ their -odies fro" the waist0 an e/ercise

that was s)pposed to -e $ood for the -ack ")scles; the fri$htenin$ thin$ was that it "i$ht all -e

tr)e! +f the *arty co)ld thr)st its hand into the past and say of this or that event0 it never happened

that0 s)rely0 was "ore terrifyin$ than "ere tort)re and deathC

.he *arty said that %ceania had never -een in alliance with &)rasia! 2e0 inston S"ith0knew that %ceania had -een in alliance with &)rasia as short a ti"e as fo)r years a$o! 3)t where

did that knowled$e e/istC %nly in his own conscio)sness0 which in any case ")st soon -e


17/46

annihilated! And if all others accepted the lie which the *arty i"posed if all records told the

sa"e tale then the lie passed into history and -eca"e tr)th! Fho controls the past0, ran the *arty

slo$an0 Fcontrols the f)t)re: who controls the present controls the past!, And yet the past0 tho)$h of

its nat)re altera-le0 never had -een altered! hatever was tr)e now was tr)e fro" everlastin$ to

everlastin$! +t was


18/46

-)t at least we can all keep fit! 7e"e"-er o)r -oys on the Mala-ar frontH And the sailors in the

(loatin$ (ortressesH )st think what theyhave to p)t )p with! Now try a$ain! .hatBs -etter0 co"rade0

thatBs much-etter0, she added enco)ra$in$ly as inston0 with a violent l)n$e0 s)cceeded in

to)chin$ his toes with knees )n-ent0 for the first ti"e in several years!

ith the deep0 )nconscio)s si$h which not even the nearness of the telescreen co)ld prevent

hi" fro" )tterin$ when his dayBs work started0 inston p)lled the speakwrite towards hi"0 -lew

the d)st fro" its "o)thpiece0 and p)t on his spectacles! .hen he )nrolled and clipped to$ether fo)rs"all cylinders of paper which had already flopped o)t of the pne)"atic t)-e on the ri$ht'hand side

of his desk!

+n the walls of the c)-icle there were three orifices! .o the ri$ht of the speakwrite0 a s"all

pne)"atic t)-e for written "essa$es0 to the left0 a lar$er one for newspapers5 and in the side wall0

within easy reach of instonBs ar"0 a lar$e o-lon$ slit protected -y a wire $ratin$! .his last was for

the disposal of waste paper! Si"ilar slits e/isted in tho)sands or tens of tho)sands thro)$ho)t the

-)ildin$0 not only in every roo" -)t at short intervals in every corridor! (or so"e reason they were

nickna"ed "e"ory holes! hen one knew that any doc)"ent was d)e for destr)ction0 or even

when one saw a scrap of waste paper lyin$ a-o)t0 it was an a)to"atic action to lift the flap of the

nearest "e"ory hole and drop it in0 where)pon it wo)ld -e whirled away on a c)rrent of war" air

to the enor"o)s f)rnaces which were hidden so"ewhere in the recesses of the -)ildin$!inston e/a"ined the fo)r slips of paper which he had )nrolled! &ach contained a "essa$e

of only one or two lines0 in the a--reviated jar$on not act)ally Newspeak0 -)t consistin$ lar$ely

of Newspeak words which was )sed in the Ministry for internal p)rposes! .hey ran:

ith a faint feelin$ of satisfaction inston laid the fo)rth "essa$e aside! +t was an intricate

and responsi-le jo- and had -etter -e dealt with last! .he other three were ro)tine "atters0 tho)$h

the second one wo)ld pro-a-ly "ean so"e tedio)s wadin$ thro)$h lists of fi$)res!

inston dialled F-ack n)"-ers, on the telescreen and called for the appropriate iss)es of the

Times0 which slid o)t of the pne)"atic t)-e after only a few "in)tes delay! .he "essa$es he had

received referred to articles or news ite"s which for one reason or another it was tho)$ht necessary

to alter0 or0 as the official phrase had it0 to rectify! (or e/a"ple0 it appeared fro" the Timesof the

seventeenth of March that 3i$ 3rother0 in his speech of the previo)s day0 had predicted that the

So)th +ndian front wo)ld re"ain


19/46

wo)ld -e reprinted0 the ori$inal copy destroyed0 and the corrected copy placed on the files in its

stead! .his process of contin)o)s alteration was applied not only to newspapers0 -)t to -ooks0

periodicals0 pa"phlets0 posters0 leaflets0 fil"s0 so)nd'tracks0 cartoons0 photo$raphs to every kind

of literat)re or doc)"entation which "i$ht conceiva-ly hold any political or ideolo$ical

si$nificance! Day -y day and al"ost "in)te -y "in)te the past was -ro)$ht )p to date! +n this way

every prediction "ade -y the *arty co)ld -e shown -y doc)"entary evidence to have -een correct0

nor was any ite" of news0 or any e/pression of opinion0 which conflicted with the needs of the"o"ent0 ever allowed to re"ain on record! All history was a pali"psest0 scraped clean and

reinscri-ed e/actly as often as was necessary! +n no case wo)ld it have -een possi-le0 once the deed

was done0 to prove that any falsification had taken place! .he lar$est section of the 7ecords

Depart"ent0 far lar$er than the one on which inston worked0 consisted si"ply of persons whose

d)ty it was to track down and collect all copies of -ooks0 newspapers0 and other doc)"ents which

had -een s)perseded and were d)e for destr)ction! A n)"-er of the Timeswhich "i$ht0 -eca)se of

chan$es in political ali$n"ent0 or "istaken prophecies )ttered -y 3i$ 3rother0 have -een rewritten a

do=en ti"es still stood on the files -earin$ its ori$inal date0 and no other copy e/isted to contradict

it! 3ooks0 also0 were recalled and rewritten a$ain and a$ain0 and were invaria-ly reiss)ed witho)t

any ad"ission that any alteration had -een "ade! &ven the written instr)ctions which inston

received0 and which he invaria-ly $ot rid of as soon as he had dealt with the"0 never stated ori"plied that an act of for$ery was to -e co""itted: always the reference was to slips0 errors0

"isprints0 or "is


20/46

-e retained in the antholo$ies! And this hall0 with its fifty workers or therea-o)ts0 was only one s)-'

section0 a sin$le cell0 as it were0 in the h)$e co"ple/ity of the 7ecords Depart"ent! 3eyond0 a-ove0

-elow0 were other swar"s of workers en$a$ed in an )ni"a$ina-le ")ltit)de of jo-s! .here were the

h)$e printin$'shops with their s)-'editors0 their typo$raphy e/perts0 and their ela-orately e


21/46

known to inston0 not co)ntin$ his parents0 had disappeared at one ti"e or another!

inston stroked his nose $ently with a paper'clip! +n the c)-icle across the way o"rade

.illotson was still cro)chin$ secretively over his speakwrite! 2e raised his head for a "o"ent:

a$ain the hostile spectacle'flash! inston wondered whether o"rade .illotson was en$a$ed on the

sa"e jo- as hi"self! +t was perfectly possi-le! So tricky a piece of work wo)ld never -e entr)sted to

a sin$le person: on the other hand0 to t)rn it over to a co""ittee wo)ld -e to ad"it openly that an

act of fa-rication was takin$ place! ?ery likely as "any as a do=en people were now workin$ awayon rival versions of what 3i$ 3rother had act)ally said! And presently so"e "aster -rain in the

+nner *arty wo)ld select this version or that0 wo)ld re'edit it and set in "otion the co"ple/

processes of cross'referencin$ that wo)ld -e reea$)e! At nine teen he had

desi$ned a hand'$renade which had -een adopted -y the Ministry of *eace and which0 at its first

trial0 had killed thirty'one &)rasian prisoners in one -)rst! At twenty'three he had perished in action!

*)rs)ed -y ene"y jet planes while flyin$ over the +ndian %cean with i"portant despatches0 he had

wei$hted his -ody with his "achine $)n and leapt o)t of the helicopter into deep water0 despatches

and all an end0 said 3i$ 3rother0 which it was i"possi-le to conte"plate witho)t feelin$s of

envy! 3i$ 3rother added a few re"arks on the p)rity and sin$le'"indedness of o"rade %$ilvyBslife! 2e was a total a-stainer and a nons"oker0 had no recreations e/cept a daily ho)r in the

$y"nasi)"0 and had taken a vow of celi-acy0 -elievin$ "arria$e and the care of a fa"ily to -e


22/46

inco"pati-le with a twenty'fo)r'ho)r'a'day devotion to d)ty! 2e had no s)-jects of conversation

e/cept the principles of +n$soc0 and no ai" in life e/cept the defeat of the &)rasian ene"y and the

h)ntin$'down of spies0 sa-ote)rs0 tho)$htcri"inals0 and traitors $enerally!

inston de-ated with hi"self whether to award o"rade %$ilvy the %rder of onspic)o)s

Merit: in the end he decided a$ainst it -eca)se of the )nnecessary cross'referencin$ that it wo)ld

entail!

%nce a$ain he $lanced at his rival in the opposite c)-icle! So"ethin$ see"ed to tell hi"with certainty that .illotson was -)sy on the sa"e jo- as hi"self! .here was no way of knowin$

whose jo- wo)ld finally -e adopted0 -)t he felt a profo)nd conviction that it wo)ld -e his own!

o"rade %$ilvy0 )ni"a$ined an ho)r a$o0 was now a fact! +t str)ck hi" as c)rio)s that yo) co)ld

create dead "en -)t not livin$ ones! o"rade %$ilvy0 who had never e/isted in the present0 now

e/isted in the past0 and when once the act of for$ery was for$otten0 he wo)ld e/ist j)st as

a)thentically0 and )pon the sa"e evidence0 as harle"a$ne or )li)s aesar!

+n the low'ceilin$ed canteen0 deep )nder$ro)nd0 the l)nch ove! .alkin$ to hi" was lar$ely a "atter of $ettin$ hi" away fro"

s)ch s)-jects and entan$lin$ hi"0 if possi-le0 in the technicalities of Newspeak0 on which he was

a)thoritative and interestin$! inston t)rned his head a little aside to avoid the scr)tiny of the lar$e

dark eyes!

F+t was a $ood han$in$0, said Sy"e re"iniscently! F+ think it spoils it when they tie their feet

to$ether! + like to see the" kickin$! And a-ove all0 at the end0 the ton$)e stickin$ ri$ht o)t0 and -l)e a


23/46

inston and Sy"e p)shed their trays -eneath the $rille! %n to each was d)"ped swiftly the

re$)lation l)nch a "etal pannikin of pinkish'$rey stew0 a h)nk of -read0 a c)-e of cheese0 a ")$

of "ilkless ?ictory offee0 and one saccharine ta-let!

F.hereBs a ta-le over there0 )nder that telescreen0, said Sy"e! F>etBs pick )p a $in on the

way!,

.he $in was served o)t to the" in handleless china ")$s! .hey threaded their way across

the crowded roo" and )npacked their trays on to the "etal'topped ta-le0 on one corner of whichso"eone had left a pool of stew0 a filthy li


24/46

we shall "ake tho)$htcri"e literally i"possi-le0 -eca)se there will -e no words in which to e/press

it! &very concept that can ever -e needed0 will -e e/pressed -y e/actly one word0 with its "eanin$

ri$idly defined and all its s)-sidiary "eanin$s r)--ed o)t and for$otten! Already0 in the &leventh

&dition0 weBre not far fro" that point! 3)t the process will still -e contin)in$ lon$ after yo) and +

are dead! &very year fewer and fewer words0 and the ran$e of conscio)sness always a little s"aller!

&ven now0 of co)rse0 thereBs no reason or e/c)se for co""ittin$ tho)$htcri"e! +tBs "erely a


25/46

the s)rro)ndin$ din!

F.here is a word in Newspeak0, said Sy"e0 F+ donBt know whether yo) know it: duckspeak0

to


26/46

they are0 -oth of the"0 -)t talk a-o)t keennessH All they think a-o)t is the Spies0 and the war0 of

co)rse! DByo) know what that little $irl of "ine did last Sat)rday0 when her troop was on a hike o)t

3erkha"sted wayC She $ot two other $irls to $o with her0 slipped off fro" the hike0 and spent the

whole afternoon followin$ a stran$e "an! .hey kept on his tail for two ho)rs0 ri$ht thro)$h the

woods0 and then0 when they $ot into A"ersha"0 handed hi" over to the patrols!,

Fhat did they do that forC, said inston0 so"ewhat taken a-ack! *arsons went on

tri)"phantly:FMy kid "ade s)re he was so"e kind of ene"y a$ent "i$ht have -een dropped -y

parach)te0 for instance! 3)t hereBs the point0 old -oy! hat do yo) think p)t her on to hi" in the

first placeC She spotted he was wearin$ a f)nny kind of shoes said sheBd never seen anyone

wearin$ shoes like that -efore! So the chances were he was a forei$ner! *retty s"art for a nipper of

seven0 ehC,

Fhat happened to the "anC, said inston!

FAh0 that + co)ldnBt say0 of co)rse! 3)t + wo)ldnBt -e alto$ether s)rprised if, *arsons "ade

the "otion of ai"in$ a rifle0 and clicked his ton$)e for the e/plosion!

F#ood0, said Sy"e a-stractedly0 witho)t lookin$ )p fro" his strip of paper!

F%f co)rse we canBt afford to take chances0, a$reed inston d)tif)lly!

Fhat + "ean to say0 there is a war on0, said *arsons!As tho)$h in confir"ation of this0 a tr)"pet call floated fro" the telescreen j)st a-ove their

heads! 2owever0 it was not the procla"ation of a "ilitary victory this ti"e0 -)t "erely an

anno)nce"ent fro" the Ministry of *lenty!

Fo"radesH, cried an ea$er yo)thf)l voice! FAttention0 co"radesH e have $lorio)s news for

yo)! e have won the -attle for prod)ctionH 7et)rns now co"pleted of the o)tp)t of all classes of

cons)"ption $oods show that the standard of livin$ has risen -y no less than KE per cent over the

past year! All over %ceania this "ornin$ there were irrepressi-le spontaneo)s de"onstrations when

workers "arched o)t of factories and offices and paraded thro)$h the streets with -anners voicin$

their $ratit)de to 3i$ 3rother for the new0 happy life which his wise leadership has -estowed )pon

)s! 2ere are so"e of the co"pleted fi$)res! (oodst)ffs,

.he phrase Fo)r new0 happy life, rec)rred several ti"es! +t had -een a favo)rite of late with

the Ministry of *lenty! *arsons0 his attention ca)$ht -y the tr)"pet call0 sat listenin$ with a sort of

$apin$ sole"nity0 a sort of edified -oredo"! 2e co)ld not follow the fi$)res0 -)t he was aware that

they were in so"e way a ca)se for satisfaction! 2e had l)$$ed o)t a h)$e and filthy pipe which was

already half f)ll of charred to-acco! ith the to-acco ration at 1EE $ra""es a week it was seldo"

possi-le to fill a pipe to the top! inston was s"okin$ a ?ictory i$arette which he held caref)lly

hori=ontal! .he new ration did not start till to"orrow and he had only fo)r ci$arettes left! (or the

"o"ent he had sh)t his ears to the re"oter noises and was listenin$ to the st)ff that strea"ed o)t of

the telescreen! +t appeared that there had even -een de"onstrations to thank 3i$ 3rother for raisin$

the chocolate ration to twenty $ra""es a week! And only yesterday0 he reflected0 it had -een

anno)nced that the ration was to -e reducedto twenty $ra""es a week! as it possi-le that theyco)ld swallow that0 after only twenty'fo)r ho)rsC @es0 they swallowed it! *arsons swallowed it

easily0 with the st)pidity of an ani"al! .he eyeless creat)re at the other ta-le swallowed it

fanatically0 passionately0 with a f)rio)s desire to track down0 deno)nce0 and vapori=e anyone who

sho)ld s)$$est that last week the ration had -een thirty $ra""es! Sy"e0 too in so"e "ore

co"ple/ way0 involvin$ do)-lethink0 Sy"e swallowed it! as he0 then0 alonein the possession of a

"e"oryC

.he fa-)lo)s statistics contin)ed to po)r o)t of the telescreen! As co"pared with last year

there was "ore food0 "ore clothes0 "ore ho)ses0 "ore f)rnit)re0 "ore cookin$'pots0 "ore f)el0

"ore ships0 "ore helicopters0 "ore -ooks0 "ore -a-ies "ore of everythin$ e/cept disease0

cri"e0 and insanity! @ear -y year and "in)te -y "in)te0 every-ody and everythin$ was whi==in$

rapidly )pwards! As Sy"e had done earlier inston had taken )p his spoon and was da--lin$ in thepale'colo)red $ravy that dri--led across the ta-le0 drawin$ a lon$ streak of it o)t into a pattern! 2e

"editated resentf)lly on the physical te/t)re of life! 2ad it always -een like thisC 2ad food always


27/46

tasted like thisC 2e looked ro)nd the canteen! A low'ceilin$ed0 crowded roo"0 its walls $ri"y fro"

the contact of inn)"era-le -odies5 -attered "etal ta-les and chairs0 placed so close to$ether that

yo) sat with el-ows to)chin$5 -ent spoons0 dented trays0 coarse white ")$s5 all s)rfaces $reasy0

$ri"e in every crack5 and a so)rish0 co"posite s"ell of -ad $in and -ad coffee and "etallic stew

and dirty clothes! Always in yo)r sto"ach and in yo)r skin there was a sort of protest0 a feelin$ that

yo) had -een cheated of so"ethin$ that yo) had a ri$ht to! +t was tr)e that he had no "e"ories of

anythin$ $reatly different! +n any ti"e that he co)ld acc)rately re"e"-er0 there had never -een


28/46

hi"C hy did she keep followin$ hi" a-o)tC nfort)nately he co)ld not re"e"-er whether she

had already -een at the ta-le when he arrived0 or had co"e there afterwards! 3)t yesterday0 at any

rate0 d)rin$ the .wo Min)tes 2ate0 she had sat i""ediately -ehind hi" when there was no apparent

need to do so! O)ite likely her real o-ject had -een to listen to hi" and "ake s)re whether he was

sho)tin$ lo)dly eno)$h!

2is earlier tho)$ht ret)rned to hi": pro-a-ly she was not act)ally a "e"-er of the .ho)$ht

*olice0 -)t then it was precisely the a"ate)r spy who was the $reatest dan$er of all! 2e did notknow how lon$ she had -een lookin$ at hi"0 -)t perhaps for as ")ch as five "in)tes0 and it was

possi-le that his feat)res had not -een perfectly )nder control! +t was terri-ly dan$ero)s to let yo)r

tho)$hts wander when yo) were in any p)-lic place or within ran$e of a telescreen! .he s"allest

thin$ co)ld $ive yo) away! A nervo)s tic0 an )nconscio)s look of an/iety0 a ha-it of ")tterin$ to

yo)rself anythin$ that carried with it the s)$$estion of a-nor"ality0 of havin$ so"ethin$ to hide!

+n any case0 to wear an i"proper e/pression on yo)r face to look incred)lo)s when a victory was

anno)nced0 for e/a"ple; was itself a p)nisha-le offence! .here was even a word for it in

Newspeak:facecrime0 it was called!

.he $irl had t)rned her -ack on hi" a$ain! *erhaps after all she was not really followin$

hi" a-o)t0 perhaps it was coincidence that she had sat so close to hi" two days r)nnin$! 2is

ci$arette had $one o)t0 and he laid it caref)lly on the ed$e of the ta-le! 2e wo)ld finish s"okin$ itafter work0 if he co)ld keep the to-acco in it! O)ite likely the person at the ne/t ta-le was a spy of

the .ho)$ht *olice0 and ove within three

days0 -)t a ci$arette end ")st not -e wasted! Sy"e had folded )p his strip of paper and stowed it

away in his pocket! *arsons had -e$)n talkin$ a$ain!

FDid + ever tell yo)0 old -oy0, he said0 ch)cklin$ ro)nd the ste" of his pipe0 Fa-o)t the ti"e

when those two nippers of "ine set fire to the old "arket'wo"anBs skirt -eca)se they saw her

wrappin$ )p sa)sa$es in a poster of 3!3!C Sneaked )p -ehind her and set fire to it with a -o/ of

"atches! 3)rned her ittle -e$$ars0 ehC 3)t keen as ")stardH .hatBs a first'

rate trainin$ they $ive the" in the Spies nowadays -etter than in "y day0 even! hat d,yo)

thinkBs the latest thin$ theyBve served the" o)t withC &ar tr)"pets for listenin$ thro)$h keyholesH

My little $irl -ro)$ht one ho"e the other ni$ht tried it o)t on o)r sittin$'roo" door0 and

reckoned she co)ld hear twice as ")ch as with her ear to the hole! %f co)rse itBs only a toy0 "ind

yo)! Still0 $ives ,e" the ri$ht idea0 ehC,

At this "o"ent the telescreen let o)t a piercin$ whistle! +t was the si$nal to ret)rn to work!

All three "en spran$ to their feet to join in the str)$$le ro)nd the lifts0 and the re"ainin$ to-acco

fell o)t of instonBs ci$arette!

inston was writin$ in his diary:

(or the "o"ent it was too diffic)lt to $o on! 2e sh)t his eyes and pressed his fin$ers a$ainst

the"0 tryin$ to s


29/46

-reathe a$ain the war" st)ffy odo)r of the -ase"ent kitchen0 an odo)r co"po)nded of -)$s and

dirty clothes and villaino)s cheap scent0 -)t nevertheless all)rin$0 -eca)se no wo"an of the *arty

ever )sed scent0 or co)ld -e i"a$ined as doin$ so! %nly the proles )sed scent! +n his "ind the s"ell

of it was ine/trica-ly "i/ed )p with fornication!

hen he had $one with that wo"an it had -een his first lapse in two years or therea-o)ts!

onsortin$ with prostit)tes was for-idden0 of co)rse0 -)t it was one of those r)les that yo) co)ld

occasionally nerve yo)rself to -reak! +t was dan$ero)s0 -)t it was not a life'and'death "atter! .o -eca)$ht with a prostit)te "i$ht "ean five years in a forced'la-o)r ca"p: not "ore0 if yo) had

co""itted no other offence! And it was easy eno)$h0 provided that yo) co)ld avoid -ein$ ca)$ht in

the act! .he poorer


30/46

that they sho)ld re"ain celi-ate! 3)t c)rio)sly eno)$h it was atharine who ref)sed this! .hey

")st0 she said0 prod)ce a child if they co)ld! So the perfor"ance contin)ed to happen0 once a week


31/46

like the rever-eration of a -ell! 2is heart had leapt! +tBs startedH he had tho)$ht! A riotH .he proles

are -reakin$ loose at lastH hen he had reached the spot it was to see a "o- of two or three h)ndred

wo"en crowdin$ ro)nd the stalls of a street "arket0 with faces as tra$ic as tho)$h they had -een the

doo"ed passen$ers on a sinkin$ ship! 3)t at this "o"ent the $eneral despair -roke down into a

")ltit)de of individ)al


32/46

sleep under# &hildren no older than you had to work twelve hours a day for cruel masters who

floed them with whips if they worked too slowly and fed them on nothin but stale breadcrusts

and water# ut in amon all this terrible poverty there were (ust a few reat bi beautiful houses

that were lived in by rich men who had as many as thirty servants to look after them# These rich

men were called capitalists# They were fat" uly men with wicked faces" like the one in the picture

on the opposite pae# )ou can see that he is dressed in a lon black coat which was called a frock

coat" and a *ueer" shiny hat shaped like a stovepipe" which was called a top hat# This was theuniform of the capitalists" and no one else was allowed to wear it# The capitalists owned everythin

in the world" and everyone else was their slave# They owned all the land" all the houses" all the

factories" and all the money# !f anyone disobeyed them they could throw them into prison" or they

could take his (ob away and starve him to death# +hen any ordinary person spoke to a capitalist he

had to crine and bow to him" and take off his cap and address him as ,-ir.# The chief of all the

capitalists was called the /in" and 0

3)t he knew the rest of the catalo$)e! .here wo)ld -e "ention of the -ishops in their lawn

sleeves0 the j)d$es in their er"ine ro-es0 the pillory0 the stocks0 the tread"ill0 the cat'o,'nine tails0

the >ord MayorBs 3anife0 if yo) looked a-o)t yo)0 -ore no rese"-lance not only to the lies

that strea"ed o)t of the telescreens0 -)t even to the ideals that the *arty was tryin$ to achieve! #reat

areas of it0 even for a *arty "e"-er0 were ne)tral and non'political0 a "atter of slo$$in$ thro)$h

dreary jo-s0 fi$htin$ for a place on the .)-e0 darnin$ a worn'o)t sock0 cad$in$ a saccharine ta-let0

savin$ a ci$arette end! .he ideal set )p -y the *arty was so"ethin$ h)$e0 terri-le0 and $litterin$

a world of steel and concrete0 of "onstro)s "achines and terrifyin$ weapons a nation of warriors

and fanatics0 "archin$ forward in perfect )nity0 all thinkin$ the sa"e tho)$hts and sho)tin$ the

sa"e slo$ans0 perpet)ally workin$0 fi$htin$0 tri)"phin$0 persec)tin$ three h)ndred "illion

people all with the sa"e face! .he reality was decayin$0 din$y cities where )nderfed people

sh)ffled to and fro in leaky shoes0 in patched')p nineteenth'cent)ry ho)ses that s"elt always of

ca--a$e and -ad lavatories! 2e see"ed to see a vision of >ondon0 vast and r)ino)s0 city of a "illion

d)st-ins0 and "i/ed )p with it was a pict)re of Mrs! *arsons0 a wo"an with lined face and wispy

hair0 fiddlin$ helplessly with a -locked waste'pipe!

2e reached down and scratched his ankle a$ain! Day and ni$ht the telescreens -r)ised yo)r

ears with statistics provin$ that people today had "ore food0 "ore clothes0 -etter ho)ses0 -etterrecreations that they lived lon$er0 worked shorter ho)rs0 were -i$$er0 healthier0 stron$er0 happier0

"ore intelli$ent0 -etter ed)cated0 than the people of fifty years a$o! Not a word of it co)ld ever -e

proved or disproved! .he *arty clai"ed0 for e/a"ple0 that today 4E per cent of ad)lt proles were

literate: -efore the 7evol)tion0 it was said0 the n)"-er had only -een 1G per cent! .he *arty clai"ed

that the infant "ortality rate was now only 1IE per tho)sand0 whereas -efore the 7evol)tion it had

-een EE and so it went on! +t was like a sin$le e


33/46

atharine had parted! 3)t the really relevant date was seven or ei$ht years earlier!

.he story really -e$an in the "iddle si/ties0 the period of the $reat p)r$es in which the

ori$inal leaders of the 7evol)tion were wiped o)t once and for all! 3y 19JE none of the" was left0

e/cept 3i$ 3rother hi"self! All the rest had -y that ti"e -een e/posed as traitors and co)nter'

revol)tionaries! #oldstein had fled and was hidin$ no one knew where0 and of the others0 a few had

si"ply disappeared0 while the "ajority had -een e/ec)ted after spectac)lar p)-lic trials at which

they "ade confession of their cri"es! A"on$ the last s)rvivors were three "en na"ed ones0Aaronson0 and 7)therford! +t ")st have -een in 19IG that these three had -een arrested! As often

happened0 they had vanished for a year or "ore0 so that one did not know whether they were alive

or dead0 and then had s)ddenly -een -ro)$ht forth to incri"inate the"selves in the )s)al way! .hey

had confessed to intelli$ence with the ene"y at that date0 too0 the ene"y was &)rasia;0

e"-e==le"ent of p)-lic f)nds0 the ")rder of vario)s tr)sted *arty "e"-ers0 intri$)es a$ainst the

leadership of 3i$ 3rother which had started lon$ -efore the 7evol)tion happened0 and acts of

sa-ota$e ca)sin$ the death of h)ndreds of tho)sands of people! After confessin$ to these thin$s they

had -een pardoned0 reinstated in the *arty0 and $iven posts which were in fact sinec)res -)t which

so)nded i"portant! All three had written lon$0 a-ject articles in the Times0 analysin$ the reasons for

their defection and pro"isin$ to "ake a"ends!

So"e ti"e after their release inston had act)ally seen all three of the" in the hestn)t.ree afL! 2e re"e"-ered the sort of terrified fascination with which he had watched the" o)t of

the corner of his eye! .hey were "en far older than hi"self0 relics of the ancient world0 al"ost the

last $reat fi$)res left over fro" the heroic days of the *arty! .he $la"o)r of the )nder$ro)nd

str)$$le and the civil war still faintly cl)n$ to the"! 2e had the feelin$0 tho)$h already at that ti"e

facts and dates were $rowin$ -l)rry0 that he had known their na"es years earlier than he had known

that of 3i$ 3rother! 3)t also they were o)tlaws0 ene"ies0 )nto)cha-les0 doo"ed with a-sol)te

certainty to e/tinction within a year or two! No one who had once fallen into the hands of the

.ho)$ht *olice ever escaped in the end! .hey were corpses waitin$ to -e sent -ack to the $rave!

.here was no one at any of the ta-les nearest to the"! +t was not wise even to -e seen in the

nei$h-o)rhood of s)ch people! .hey were sittin$ in silence -efore $lasses of the $in flavo)red with

cloves which was the speciality of the cafL! %f the three0 it was 7)therford whose appearance had

"ost i"pressed inston! 7)therford had once -een a fa"o)s caricat)rist0 whose -r)tal cartoons

had helped to infla"e pop)lar opinion -efore and d)rin$ the 7evol)tion! &ven now0 at lon$

intervals0 his cartoons were appearin$ in the Times! .hey were si"ply an i"itation of his earlier

"anner0 and c)rio)sly lifeless and )nconvincin$! Always they were a rehashin$ of the ancient

the"es sl)" tene"ents0 starvin$ children0 street -attles0 capitalists in top hats even on the

-arricades the capitalists still see"ed to clin$ to their top hats an endless0 hopeless effort to $et -ack

into the past! 2e was a "onstro)s "an0 with a "ane of $reasy $rey hair0 his face po)ched and

sea"ed0 with thick ne$roid lips! At one ti"e he ")st have -een i""ensely stron$5 now his $reat

-ody was sa$$in$0 slopin$0 -)l$in$0 fallin$ away in every direction! 2e see"ed to -e -reakin$ )p

-efore oneBs eyes0 like a "o)ntain cr)"-lin$!+t was the lonely ho)r of fifteen! inston co)ld not now re"e"-er how he had co"e to -e

in the cafL at s)ch a ti"e! .he place was al"ost e"pty! A tinny ")sic was tricklin$ fro" the

telescreens! .he three "en sat in their corner al"ost "otionless0 never speakin$! nco""anded0

the waiter -ro)$ht fresh $lasses of $in! .here was a chess-oard on the ta-le -eside the"0 with the

pieces set o)t -)t no $a"e started! And then0 for perhaps half a "in)te in all0 so"ethin$ happened

to the telescreens! .he t)ne that they were playin$ chan$ed0 and the tone of the ")sic chan$ed too!

.here ca"e into it -)t it was so"ethin$ hard to descri-e! +t was a pec)liar0 cracked0 -rayin$0

jeerin$ note: in his "ind inston called it a yellow note! And then a voice fro" the telescreen was

sin$in$:

.he three "en never stirred! 3)t when inston $lanced a$ain at 7)therfordBs r)ino)s face0

he saw that his eyes were f)ll of tears! And for the first ti"e he noticed0 with a kind of inwardsh)dder0 and yet not knowin$ at whathe sh)ddered0 that -oth Aaronson and 7)therford had -roken

noses!


34/46

A little later all three were re'arrested! +t appeared that they had en$a$ed in fresh

conspiracies fro" the very "o"ent of their release! At their second trial they confessed to all their

old cri"es over a$ain0 with a whole strin$ of new ones! .hey were e/ec)ted0 and their fate was

recorded in the *arty histories0 a warnin$ to posterity! A-o)t five years after this0 in 19J0 inston

was )nrollin$ a wad of doc)"ents which had j)st flopped o)t of the pne)"atic t)-e on to his desk

when he ca"e on a fra$"ent of paper which had evidently -een slipped in a"on$ the others and

then for$otten! .he instant he had flattened it o)t he saw its si$nificance! +t was a half'pa$e torn o)tof the Timesof a-o)t ten years earlier the top half of the pa$e0 so that it incl)ded the date and

it contained a photo$raph of the dele$ates at so"e *arty f)nction in New @ork! *ro"inent in the

"iddle of the $ro)p were ones0 Aaronson0 and 7)therford! .here was no "istakin$ the"0 in any

case their na"es were in the caption at the -otto"!

.he point was that at -oth trials all three "en had confessed that on that date they had -een

on &)rasian soil! .hey had flown fro" a secret airfield in anada to a rende=vo)s so"ewhere in

Si-eria0 and had conferred with "e"-ers of the &)rasian #eneral Staff0 to who" they had -etrayed

i"portant "ilitary secrets! .he date had st)ck in instonBs "e"ory -eca)se it chanced to -e

"ids)""er day5 -)t the whole story ")st -e on record in co)ntless other places as well! .here was

only one possi-le concl)sion: the confessions were lies!

%f co)rse0 this was not in itself a discovery! &ven at that ti"e inston had not i"a$ined thatthe people who were wiped o)t in the p)r$es had act)ally co""itted the cri"es that they were

acc)sed of! 3)t this was concrete evidence5 it was a fra$"ent of the a-olished past0 like a fossil

-one which t)rns )p in the wron$ strat)" and destroys a $eolo$ical theory! +t was eno)$h to -low

the *arty to ato"s0 if in so"e way it co)ld have -een p)-lished to the world and its si$nificance

"ade known!

2e had $one strai$ht on workin$! As soon as he saw what the photo$raph was0 and what it

"eant0 he had covered it )p with another sheet of paper! >)ckily0 when he )nrolled it0 it had -een

)pside'down fro" the point of view of the telescreen!

2e took his scri--lin$ pad on his knee and p)shed -ack his chair so as to $et as far away

fro" the telescreen as possi-le! .o keep yo)r face e/pressionless was not diffic)lt0 and even yo)r

-reathin$ co)ld -e controlled0 with an effort: -)t yo) co)ld not control the -eatin$ of yo)r heart0

and the telescreen was


35/46

tro)-le hi": the horror was that he "i$ht also -e wron$!

2e picked )p the childrenBs history -ook and looked at the portrait of 3i$ 3rother which

for"ed its frontispiece! .he hypnotic eyes $a=ed into his own! +t was as tho)$h so"e h)$e force

were pressin$ down )pon yo) so"ethin$ that penetrated inside yo)r sk)ll0 -atterin$ a$ainst yo)r

-rain0 fri$htenin$ yo) o)t of yo)r -eliefs0 pers)adin$ yo)0 al"ost0 to deny the evidence of yo)r

senses! +n the end the *arty wo)ld anno)nce that two and two "ade five0 and yo) wo)ld have to

-elieve it! +t was inevita-le that they sho)ld "ake that clai" sooner or later: the lo$ic of theirposition de"anded it! Not "erely the validity of e/perience0 -)t the very e/istence of e/ternal

reality0 was tacitly denied -y their philosophy! .he heresy of heresies was co""on sense! And what

was terrifyin$ was not that they wo)ld kill yo) for thinkin$ otherwise0 -)t that they "i$ht -e ri$ht!

(or0 after all0 how do we know that two and two "ake fo)rC %r that the force of $ravity worksC %r

that the past is )nchan$ea-leC +f -oth the past and the e/ternal world e/ist only in the "ind0 and if

the "ind itself is controlla-le what thenC

3)t noH 2is co)ra$e see"ed s)ddenly to stiffen of its own accord! .he face of %B3rien0 not

called )p -y any o-vio)s association0 had floated into his "ind! 2e knew0 with "ore certainty than

-efore0 that %B3rien was on his side! 2e was writin$ the diary for %B3rien to%B3rien: it was like

an inter"ina-le letter which no one wo)ld ever read0 -)t which was addressed to a partic)lar person

and took its colo)r fro" that fact!.he *arty told yo) to reject the evidence of yo)r eyes and ears! +t was their final0 "ost

essential co""and! 2is heart sank as he tho)$ht of the enor"o)s power arrayed a$ainst hi"0 the

ease with which any *arty intellect)al wo)ld overthrow hi" in de-ate0 the s)-tle ar$)"ents which

he wo)ld not -e a-le to )nderstand0 ")ch less answer! And yet he was in the ri$htH .hey were

wron$ and he was ri$ht! .he o-vio)s0 the silly0 and the tr)e had $ot to -e defended! .r)is"s are

tr)e0 hold on to thatH .he solid world e/ists0 its laws do not chan$e! Stones are hard0 water is wet0

o-jects )ns)pported fall towards the earthBs centre! ith the feelin$ that he was speakin$ to %B3rien0

and also that he was settin$ forth an i"portant a/io"0 he wrote:

(ro" so"ewhere at the -otto" of a passa$e the s"ell of roastin$ coffee real coffee0 not

?ictory offee ca"e floatin$ o)t into the street! inston pa)sed invol)ntarily! (or perhaps two

seconds he was -ack in the half'for$otten world of his childhood! .hen a door -an$ed0 see"in$ to

c)t off the s"ell as a-r)ptly as tho)$h it had -een a so)nd!

2e had walked several kilo"etres over pave"ents0 and his varicose )lcer was thro--in$!

.his was the second ti"e in three weeks that he had "issed an evenin$ at the o"")nity entre: a

rash act0 since yo) co)ld -e certain that the n)"-er of yo)r attendances at the entre was caref)lly

checked! +n principle a *arty "e"-er had no spare ti"e0 and was never alone e/cept in -ed! +t was

ass)"ed that when he was not workin$0 eatin$0 or sleepin$ he wo)ld -e takin$ part in so"e kind of

co"")nal recreation: to do anythin$ that s)$$ested a taste for solit)de0 even to $o for a walk -y

yo)rself0 was always sli$htly dan$ero)s! .here was a word for it in Newspeak: ownlife0 it was

called0 "eanin$ individ)alis" and eccentricity! 3)t this evenin$ as he ca"e o)t of the Ministry the

-al"iness of the April air had te"pted hi"! .he sky was a war"er -l)e than he had seen it thatyear0 and s)ddenly the lon$0 noisy evenin$ at the entre0 the -orin$0 e/ha)stin$ $a"es0 the lect)res0

the creakin$ ca"araderie oiled -y $in0 had see"ed intolera-le! %n i"p)lse he had t)rned away

fro" the -)s'stop and wandered off into the la-yrinth of >ondon0 first so)th0 then east0 then north

a$ain0 losin$ hi"self a"on$ )nknown streets and hardly -otherin$ in which direction he was $oin$!

F+f there is hope0, he had written in the diary0 Fit lies in the proles!, .he words kept co"in$

-ack to hi"0 state"ent of a "ystical tr)th and a palpa-le a-s)rdity! 2e was so"ewhere in the

va$)e0 -rown'colo)red sl)"s to the north and east of what had once -een Saint *ancras Station! 2e

was walkin$ )p a co--led street of little two'storey ho)ses with -attered doorways which $ave

strai$ht on the pave"ent and which were so"ehow c)rio)sly s)$$estive of ratholes! .here were

p)ddles of filthy water here and there a"on$ the co--les! +n and o)t of the dark doorways0 and

down narrow alley'ways that -ranched off on either side0 people swar"ed in astonishin$ n)"-ers $irls in f)ll -loo"0 with cr)dely lipsticked "o)ths0 and yo)ths who chased the $irls0 and swollen

waddlin$ wo"en who showed yo) what the $irls wo)ld -e like in ten years ti"e0 and old -ent


36/46

creat)res sh)fflin$ alon$ on splayed feet0 and ra$$ed -arefooted children who played in the p)ddles

and then scattered at an$ry yells fro" their "others! *erhaps a


37/46

of paper! + takes Be" down re$Blar as the clock! An + tell yo)0 no n)"-er endin$ in seven,

F@es0 a seven BaswonH + co)ld pretty near tell yo) the -leedin$ n)"-er! (o)r oh seven0 it

ended in! +t were in (e-r)ary second week in (e-r)ary!,

F(e-r)ary yo)r $rand"otherH + $ot it all down in -lack and white! An + tell yo)0 no n)"-er

,

F%h0 pack it inH, said the third "an!

.hey were talkin$ a-o)t the >ottery! inston looked -ack when he had $one thirty "etres!.hey were still ar$)in$0 with vivid0 passionate faces! .he >ottery0 with its weekly pay'o)t of

enor"o)s pri=es0 was the one p)-lic event to which the proles paid serio)s attention! +t was

pro-a-le that there were so"e "illions of proles for who" the >ottery was the principal if not the

only reason for re"ainin$ alive! +t was their deli$ht0 their folly0 their anodyne0 their intellect)al

sti")lant! here the >ottery was concerned0 even people who co)ld -arely read and write see"ed

capa-le of intricate calc)lations and sta$$erin$ feats of "e"ory! .here was a whole tri-e of "en

who "ade a livin$ si"ply -y sellin$ syste"s0 forecasts0 and l)cky a")lets! inston had nothin$ to

do with the r)nnin$ of the >ottery0 which was "ana$ed -y the Ministry of *lenty0 -)t he was aware

indeed everyone in the party was aware; that the pri=es were lar$ely i"a$inary! %nly s"all s)"s

were act)ally paid o)t0 the winners of the -i$ pri=es -ein$ non'e/istent persons! +n the a-sence of

any real interco"")nication -etween one part of %ceania and another0 this was not diffic)lt toarran$e!

3)t if there was hope0 it lay in the proles! @o) had to clin$ on to that! hen yo) p)t it in

words it so)nded reasona-le: it was when yo) looked at the h)"an -ein$s passin$ yo) on the

pave"ent that it -eca"e an act of faith! .he street into which he had t)rned ran downhill! 2e had a

feelin$ that he had -een in this nei$h-o)rhood -efore0 and that there was a "ain thoro)$hfare not

far away! (ro" so"ewhere ahead there ca"e a din of sho)tin$ voices! .he street took a sharp t)rn

and then ended in a fli$ht of steps which led down into a s)nken alley where a few stall'keepers

were sellin$ tired'lookin$ ve$eta-les! At this "o"ent inston re"e"-ered where he was! .he

alley led o)t into the "ain street0 and down the ne/t t)rnin$0 not five "in)tes away0 was the j)nk'

shop where he had -o)$ht the -lank -ook which was now his diary! And in a s"all stationerBs shop

not far away he had -o)$ht his penholder and his -ottle of ink!

2e pa)sed for a "o"ent at the top of the steps! %n the opposite side of the alley there was a

din$y little p)- whose windows appeared to -e frosted over -)t in reality were "erely coated with

d)st! A very old "an0 -ent -)t active0 with white "o)staches that -ristled forward like those of a

prawn0 p)shed open the swin$ door and went in! As inston stood watchin$0 it occ)rred to hi" that

the old "an0 who ")st -e ei$hty at the least0 had already -een "iddle'a$ed when the 7evol)tion

happened! 2e and a few others like hi" were the last links that now e/isted with the vanished world

of capitalis"! +n the *arty itself there were not "any people left whose ideas had -een for"ed

-efore the 7evol)tion! .he older $eneration had "ostly -een wiped o)t in the $reat p)r$es of the

fifties and si/ties0 and the few who s)rvived had lon$ a$o -een terrified into co"plete intellect)al

s)rrender! +f there was any one still alive who co)ld $ive yo) a tr)thf)l acco)nt of conditions in theearly part of the cent)ry0 it co)ld only -e a prole! S)ddenly the passa$e fro" the history -ook that

he had copied into his diary ca"e -ack into instonBs "ind0 and a l)natic i"p)lse took hold of hi"!

2e wo)ld $o into the p)-0 he wo)ld scrape ac


38/46

standin$ at the -ar0 havin$ so"e kind of altercation with the -ar"an0 a lar$e0 sto)t0 hook'nosed

yo)n$ "an with enor"o)s forear"s! A knot of others0 standin$ ro)nd with $lasses in their hands0

were watchin$ the scene!

F+ arst yo) civil eno)$h0 didnBt +C, said the old "an0 strai$htenin$ his sho)lders

p)$nacio)sly! F@o) tellin$ "e yo) ainBt $ot a pint ")$ in the Bole -leedin$ -oo=erC,

FAnd what in hellBs na"e isa pintC, said the -ar"an0 leanin$ forward with the tips of his

fin$ers on the co)nter!FArk at Bi"H alls Bisself a -ar"an and donBt know what a pint isH hy0 a pintBs the Balf of a

et

alone the price!,

F@o) ")st have seen $reat chan$es since yo) were a yo)n$ "an0, said inston tentatively!

.he old "anBs pale -l)e eyes "oved fro" the darts -oard to the -ar0 and fro" the -ar to the

door of the #ents0 as tho)$h it were in the -ar'roo" that he e/pected the chan$es to have occ)rred!

F.he -eer was -etter0, he said finally! FAnd cheaperH hen + was a yo)n$ "an0 "ild -eer

wallop we )sed to call it was fo)rpence a pint! .hat was -efore the war0 of co)rse!,

Fhich war was thatC, said inston!

F+tBs all wars0, said the old "an va$)ely! 2e took )p his $lass0 and his sho)lders strai$hteneda$ain! FB&reBs wishin$ yo) the very -est of BealthH,

+n his lean throat the sharp'pointed Ada"Bs apple "ade a s)rprisin$ly rapid )p'and'down

"ove"ent0 and the -eer vanished! inston went to the -ar and ca"e -ack with two "ore half'litres!

.he old "an appeared to have for$otten his prej)dice a$ainst drinkin$ a f)ll litre!

F@o) are very ")ch older than + a"0, said inston! F@o) ")st have -een a $rown "an

-efore + was -orn! @o) can re"e"-er what it was like in the old days0 -efore the 7evol)tion! *eople

of "y a$e donBt really know anythin$ a-o)t those ti"es! e can only read a-o)t the" in -ooks0 and

what it says in the -ooks "ay not -e tr)e! + sho)ld like yo)r opinion on that! .he history -ooks say

that life -efore the 7evol)tion was co"pletely different fro" what it is now! .here was the "ost

terri-le oppression0 inj)stice0 poverty worse than anythin$ we can i"a$ine! 2ere in >ondon0 the

$reat "ass of the people never had eno)$h to eat fro" -irth to death! 2alf of the" hadnBt even -ootson their feet! .hey worked twelve ho)rs a day0 they left school at nine0 they slept ten in a roo"! And

at the sa"e ti"e there were a very few people0 only a few tho)sands the capitalists0 they were


39/46

called who were rich and powerf)l! .hey owned everythin$ that there was to own! .hey lived in

$reat $or$eo)s ho)ses with thirty servants0 they rode a-o)t in "otor'cars and fo)r'horse carria$es0

they drank cha"pa$ne0 they wore top hats,

.he old "an -ri$htened s)ddenly!

F.op BatsH, he said! F()nny yo) sho)ld "ention Be"! .he sa"e thin$ co"e into "y Bead only

yesterday0 + dono why! + was jest thinkin$0 + ainBt seen a top Bat in years! #orn ri$ht o)t0 they Bave!

.he last ti"e + wore one was at "y sister'in'lawBs f)neral! And that was well0 + co)ldnBt $ive yo)the date0 -)t it ")stBa -een fifty years a$o! %f co)rse it was only Bired for the occasion0 yo)

)nderstand!,

F+t isnBt very i"portant a-o)t the top hats0, said inston patiently! F.he point is0 these

capitalists they and a few lawyers and priests and so forth who lived on the" were the lords

of the earth! &verythin$ e/isted for their -enefit! @o) the ordinary people0 the workers were

their slaves! .hey co)ld do what they liked with yo)! .hey co)ld ship yo) off to anada like cattle!

.hey co)ld sleep with yo)r da)$hters if they chose! .hey co)ld order yo) to -e flo$$ed with

so"ethin$ called a cat'oB'nine tails! @o) had to take yo)r cap off when yo) passed the"! &very

capitalist went a-o)t with a $an$ of lackeys who,

.he old "an -ri$htened a$ain!

F>ackeysH, he said! FNow thereBs a word + ainBt Beard since ever so lon$! >ackeysH .hat re$Blartakes "e -ack0 that does! + recollect oh0 donkeyBs years a$o + )sed to so"eti"es $o to B@de *ark

of a S)nday afternoon to Bear the -lokes "akin$ speeches! Salvation Ar"y0 7o"an atholics0 ews0

+ndians all sorts there was! And there was one -loke well0 + co)ldnBt $ive yo) Bis na"e0 -)t a

real powerf)l speaker Be was! B& didnBt Balf $ive it Be"H 6>ackeysH Be says0 6lackeys of the

-o)r$eoisieH (l)nkies of the r)lin$ classH *arasites that was another of the"! And Byenas Be

definitely called Be" Byenas! %f co)rse Be was referrin$ to the >a-o)r *arty0 yo) )nderstand!,

inston had the feelin$ that they were talkin$ at cross'p)rposes!

Fhat + really wanted to know was this0, he said! FDo yo) feel that yo) have "ore freedo"

now than yo) had in those daysC Are yo) treated "ore like a h)"an -ein$C +n the old days0 the rich

people0 the people at the top,

F.he B%)se of >ords0, p)t in the old "an re"iniscently!

F.he 2o)se of >ords0 if yo) like! hat + a" askin$ is0 were these people a-le to treat yo) as

an inferior0 si"ply -eca)se they were rich and yo) were poorC +s it a fact0 for instance0 that yo) had

to call the" 6Sir and take off yo)r cap when yo) passed the"C,

.he old "an appeared to think deeply! 2e drank off a-o)t a


40/46

-een alive a very lon$ ti"e5 yo) lived half yo)r life -efore the 7evol)tion! +n 19KG0 for instance0

yo) were already $rown )p! o)ld yo) say fro" what yo) can re"e"-er0 that life in 19KG was

-etter than it is now0 or worseC +f yo) co)ld choose0 wo)ld yo) prefer to live then or nowC,

.he old "an looked "editatively at the darts -oard! 2e finished )p his -eer0 "ore slowly

than -efore! hen he spoke it was with a tolerant philosophical air0 as tho)$h the -eer had

"ellowed hi"!

F+ know what yo) e/pect "e to say0, he said! F@o) e/pect "e to say as +Bd sooner -e yo)n$a$ain! Most peopleBd say theyBd sooner -e yo)n$0 if yo) arst ,e"! @o) $ot yo)r ,ealth and stren$th

when yo)Bre yo)n$! hen yo) $et to "y ti"e of life yo) ainBt never well! + s)ffer so"ethin$ wicked

fro" "y feet0 and "y -ladderBs jest terri-le! Si/ and seven ti"es a ni$ht it ,as "e o)t of -ed! %n the

other ,and0 thereBs $reat advanta$es in -ein$ a old "an! @o) ainBt $ot the sa"e worries! No tr)ck

with wo"en0 and thatBs a $reat thin$! + ainBt ,ad a wo"an for near on thirty year0 if yo)Bd credit it!

Nor wanted to0 whatBs "ore!,

inston sat -ack a$ainst the window'sill! +t was no )se $oin$ on! 2e was a-o)t to -)y so"e

"ore -eer when the old "an s)ddenly $ot )p and sh)ffled rapidly into the stinkin$ )rinal at the side

of the roo"! .he e/tra half'litre was already workin$ on hi"! inston sat for a "in)te or two

$a=in$ at his e"pty $lass0 and hardly noticed when his feet carried hi" o)t into the street a$ain!

ithin twenty years at the "ost0 he reflected0 the h)$e and si"ple


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F+ was passin$0, said inston va$)ely! F+ j)st looked in! + donBt want anythin$ in partic)lar!,

F+tBs j)st as well0, said the other0 F-eca)se + donBt s)ppose + co)ld have satisfied yo)!, 2e

"ade an apolo$etic $est)re with his softpal"ed hand! F@o) see how it is5 an e"pty shop0 yo) "i$ht

say! 3etween yo) and "e0 the anti


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wild0 i"possi-le notion0 to -e a-andoned as soon as tho)$ht of5 -)t the roo" had awakened in hi"

a sort of nostal$ia0 a sort of ancestral "e"ory! +t see"ed to hi" that he knew e/actly what it felt

like to sit in a roo" like this0 in an ar"'chair -eside an open fire with yo)r feet in the fender and a

kettle on the ho-5 )tterly alone0 )tterly sec)re0 with no-ody watchin$ yo)0 no voice p)rs)in$ yo)0

no so)nd e/cept the sin$in$ of the kettle and the friendly tickin$ of the clock!

F.hereBs no telescreenH, he co)ld not help ")r")rin$!

FAh0, said the old "an0 F+ never had one of those thin$s! .oo e/pensive! And + never see"edto feel the need of it0 so"ehow! Now thatBs a nice $atele$ ta-le in the corner there! .ho)$h of co)rse

yo)Bd have to p)t new hin$es on it if yo) wanted to )se the flaps!,

.here was a s"all -ookcase in the other corner0 and inston had already $ravitated towards

it! +t contained nothin$ -)t r)--ish! .he h)ntin$'down and destr)ction of -ooks had -een done with

the sa"e thoro)$hness in the prole aw o)rts! +t was -o"-ed in oh0 "any years a$o! +t was a

ch)rch at one ti"e0 St! le"entBs Danes0 its na"e was!, 2e s"iled apolo$etically0 as tho)$h

conscio)s of sayin$ so"ethin$ sli$htly ridic)lo)s0 and added: F6%ran$es and le"ons0 say the -ells

of St! le"entBsH,

FhatBs thatC, said inston!

F%h 6F%ran$es and le"ons0, say the -ells of St! le"entBs! .hat was a rhy"e we had

when + was a little -oy! 2ow it $oes on + donBt re"e"-er0 -)t + do know it ended )p0 62ere co"es a

candle to li$ht yo) to -ed0 2ere co"es a chopper to chop off yo)r head! +t was a kind of a dance!

.hey held o)t their ar"s for yo) to pass )nder0 and when they ca"e to 62ere co"es a chopper to

chop off yo)r head they -ro)$ht their ar"s down and ca)$ht yo)! +t was j)st na"es of ch)rches!

All the >ondon ch)rches were in it all the principal ones0 that is!,

inston wondered va$)ely to what cent)ry the ch)rch -elon$ed! +t was always diffic)lt to

deter"ine the a$e of a >ondon -)ildin$! Anythin$ lar$e and i"pressive0 if it was reasona-ly new in

appearance0 was a)to"atically clai"ed as havin$ -een -)ilt since the 7evol)tion0 while anythin$

that was o-vio)sly of earlier date was ascri-ed to so"e di" period called the Middle A$es! .he

cent)ries of capitalis" were held to have prod)ced nothin$ of any val)e! %ne co)ld not learnhistory fro" architect)re any "ore than one co)ld learn it fro" -ooks! Stat)es0 inscriptions0

"e"orial stones0 the na"es of streets anythin$ that "i$ht throw li$ht )pon the past had -een

syste"atically altered!

F+ never knew it had -een a ch)rch0, he said!

F.hereBs a lot of the" left0 really0, said the old "an0 Ftho)$h theyBve -een p)t to other )ses!

Now0 how did that rhy"e $oC AhH +Bve $ot itH

there0 now0 thatBs as far as + can $et! A farthin$0 that was a s"all copper coin0 looked

so"ethin$ like a cent!,

Fhere was St! MartinBsC, said inston!

FSt! MartinBsC .hatBs still standin$! +tBs in ?ictory S


43/46

ene"y atrocities0 and the like!

FSt! MartinBs'in'the'(ields it )sed to -e called0, s)pple"ented the old "an0 Ftho)$h + donBt

recollect any fields anywhere in those parts!,

inston did not -)y the pict)re! +t wo)ld have -een an even "ore incon$r)o)s possession

than the $lass paperwei$ht0 and i"possi-le to carry ho"e0 )nless it were taken o)t of its fra"e! 3)t

he lin$ered for so"e "in)tes "ore0 talkin$ to the old "an0 whose na"e0 he discovered0 was not

eeks as one "i$ht have $athered fro" the inscription over the shop'front -)t harrin$ton!Mr! harrin$ton0 it see"ed0 was a widower a$ed si/ty'three and had inha-ited this shop for thirty

years! .hro)$ho)t that ti"e he had -een intendin$ to alter the na"e over the window0 -)t had never


44/46

co)ld not r)n0 he co)ld not strike a -low! 3esides0 she was yo)n$ and l)sty and wo)ld defend

herself! 2e tho)$ht also of h)rryin$ to the o"")nity entre and stayin$ there till the place closed0

so as to esta-lish a partial ali-i for the evenin$! 3)t that too was i"possi-le! A deadly lassit)de had

taken hold of hi"! All he wanted was to $et ho"e


45/46

Dystopias: Definition an, Characteristics ( DefinitionCharacteristics-p,f

readwritethink!or$

Dystopias: Definition and haracteristics topia:A place0 state0 or condition that is ideally perfect

in respect of politics0 laws0 c)sto"s0 and conditions! Dystopia: A f)t)ristic0 i"a$ined )niverse in

which oppressive societal control and the ill)sion of a perfect society are "aintained thro)$h

corporate0 -)rea)cratic0 technolo$ical0 "oral0 or totalitarian control! Dystopias0 thro)$h an

e/a$$eratedworst'case scenario0 "ake a criticis" a-o)t a c)rrent trend0 societal nor"0 or political

syste"! haracteristics of a Dystopian Society*ropa$anda is )sed to control the citi=ens of

society!+nfor"ation0 independent tho)$ht0 and freedo" are restricted! A fi$)rehead or concept is

worshipped -y the citi=ens of the society! iti=ens are perceived to -e )nder constant s)rveillance!

iti=ens have a fear of the o)tside world! iti=ens live in a deh)"ani=ed state! .he nat)ral world

is -anished and distr)sted! iti=ensconfor" to )nifor" e/pectations!+ndivid)ality and dissent are

-ad! .he society is an ill)sion of a perfect )topian world!.ypes of Dystopian ontrols Most

dystopian works present a world in which oppressive societal control and theill)sion of a perfectsociety are "ainta

Documents

Dystopia 1984_ Thursday, Jan. 1 - Laura Diana