1984

Tell me, what did you think of me before that day I gave you the note?” He did not feel any temptation to tell lies to her. “I hated the sight of you,” he said. “I wanted to rape you and then murder you afterwards. Two weeks ago I thought seriously of smashing your head in with a cobblestone.

On each landing, opposite the lift-shaft, the poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, ran the caption beneath it.

The great mass of human beings who are normally stupefied by poverty would become literate and would learn to think for themselves; and when once they had done this, they would sooner or later realize that the privileged minority had no function, and they would get rid of it.

They can make you say anything—ANYTHING—but they can’t make you believe it. They can’t get inside you.”

Inside the flat a voice was reading out a list of figures which had something to do with the production of pigiron. The voice came from an oblong metal plaque which formed part of the surface of the wall. Winston turned a switch and the voice became quieter, though the words were