1984

           Whydidyouhavetoendureit,sincetheendwasalwaysthesame? Whywasitnotpossibletocutafewdaysorweeksoutofyourlife? Nobodyeverescapeddetection,andnobodyeverfailedtoconfess. Whenonceyouhadsuccumbedtothoughtcrimeitwascertainthatbyagivendateyouwouldbedead. Whythendidthathorror,whichalterednothing,havetolieembeddedinfuturetime? 

           HetriedwithalittlemoresuccessthanbeforetosummonuptheimageofO’Brien. ‘Weshallmeetintheplacewherethereisnodarkness,’O’Brienhadsaidtohim. Heknewwhatitmeant,orthoughtheknew. Theplacewherethereisnodarknesswastheimaginedfuture,whichonewouldneversee,butwhich,byforeknowledge,onecouldmysticallysharein. Butwiththevoicefromthetelescreennaggingathisearshecouldnotfollowthetrainofthoughtfurther. Heputacigaretteinhismouth. Halfthetobaccopromptlyfelloutontohistongue,abitterdustwhichwasdifficulttospitoutagain. ThefaceofBigBrotherswamintohismind,displacingthatofO’Brien. Justashehaddoneafewdaysearlier,heslidacoinoutofhispocketandlookedatit. Thefacegazedupathim,heavy,calm,protecting:butwhatkindofsmilewashiddenbeneaththedarkmoustache? Likealeadenknellthewordscamebackathim: 

           WARISPEACE 

           FREEDOMISSLAVERY 

           IGNORANCEISSTRENGTH