1984

           ‘Whenyoumakeloveyou’reusingupenergy; andafterwardsyoufeelhappyanddon’tgiveadamnforanything. Theycan’tbearyoutofeellikethat. Theywantyoutobeburstingwithenergyallthetime. Allthismarchingupanddownandcheeringandwavingflagsissimplysexgonesour. Ifyou’rehappyinsideyourself,whyshouldyougetexcitedaboutBigBrotherandtheThree-YearPlansandtheTwoMinutesHateandalltherestoftheirbloodyrot?’ 

           Thatwasverytrue,hethought. Therewasadirectintimateconnexionbetweenchastityandpoliticalorthodoxy. Forhowcouldthefear,thehatred,andthelunaticcredulitywhichthePartyneededinitsmembersbekeptattherightpitch,exceptbybottlingdownsomepowerfulinstinctandusingitasadrivingforce? TheseximpulsewasdangeroustotheParty,andthePartyhadturnedittoaccount. Theyhadplayedasimilartrickwiththeinstinctofparenthood. Thefamilycouldnotactuallybeabolished,and,indeed,peoplewereencouragedtobefondoftheirchildren,inalmosttheold-fashionedway. Thechildren,ontheotherhand,weresystematicallyturnedagainsttheirparentsandtaughttospyonthemandreporttheirdeviations. ThefamilyhadbecomeineffectanextensionoftheThoughtPolice. Itwasadevicebymeansofwhicheveryonecouldbesurroundednightanddaybyinformerswhoknewhimintimately. 

           AbruptlyhismindwentbacktoKatharine. KatharinewouldunquestionablyhavedenouncedhimtotheThoughtPoliceifshehadnothappenedtobetoostupidtodetecttheunorthodoxyofhisopinions. Butwhatreallyrecalledhertohimatthismomentwasthestiflingheatoftheafternoon,whichhadbroughtthesweatoutonhisforehead.HebegantellingJuliaofsomethingthathadhappened,orratherhadfailedtohappen,onanotherswelteringsummerafternoon,elevenyearsago.