1984

           Ishouldlikeyouropiniononthat. ThehistorybookssaythatlifebeforetheRevolutionwascompletelydifferentfromwhatitisnow. Therewasthemostterribleoppression,injustice,povertyworsethananythingwecanimagine. HereinLondon,thegreatmassofthepeopleneverhadenoughtoeatfrombirthtodeath. Halfofthemhadn’tevenbootsontheirfeet. Theyworkedtwelvehoursaday,theyleftschoolatnine,theysleptteninaroom. Andatthesametimetherewereaveryfewpeople,onlyafewthousands—thecapitalists,theywerecalled—whowererichandpowerful. Theyownedeverythingthattherewastoown. Theylivedingreatgorgeoushouseswiththirtyservants,theyrodeaboutinmotor-carsandfour-horsecarriages,theydrankchampagne,theyworetophats——’ 

           Theoldmanbrightenedsuddenly. 

           ‘Top’ats!’hesaid. ‘Funnyyoushouldmention’em. Thesamethingcomeintomy’eadonlyyesterday,Idonowhy. Iwasjestthinking,Iain’tseenatop’atinyears. Gornrightout,they’ave. ThelasttimeIworeonewasatmysister-in-law’sfuneral. Andthatwas—well,Icouldn’tgiveyouthedate,butitmust’abeenfiftyyearsago. Ofcourseitwasonly’iredfortheoccasion,youunderstand.’ 

           ‘Itisn’tveryimportantaboutthetophats,’saidWinstonpatiently. ‘Thepointis,thesecapitalists—theyandafewlawyersandpriestsandsoforthwholivedonthem—werethelordsoftheearth. Everythingexistedfortheirbenefit. You—theordinarypeople,theworkers—weretheirslaves.Theycoulddowhattheylikedwithyou.TheycouldshipyouofftoCanadalikecattle. Theycouldsleepwithyourdaughtersiftheychose. Theycouldorderyoutobefloggedwithsomethingcalledacat-o’-ninetails. Youhadtotakeyourcapoffwhenyoupassedthem. Everycapitalistwentaboutwithagangoflackeyswho——’ 

           Theoldmanbrightenedagain.