1984

           WARISPEACE 

           FREEDOMISSLAVERY 

           IGNORANCEISSTRENGTH 

           ButthefaceofBigBrotherseemedtopersistforseveralsecondsonthescreen,asthoughtheimpactthatithadmadeoneveryone’seyeballswastoovividtowearoffimmediately. Thelittlesandy-hairedwomanhadflungherselfforwardoverthebackofthechairinfrontofher. Withatremulousmurmurthatsoundedlike’MySaviour!’sheextendedherarmstowardsthescreen. Thensheburiedherfaceinherhands. Itwasapparentthatshewasutteringaprayer. 

           Atthismomenttheentiregroupofpeoplebrokeintoadeep,slow,rhythmicalchantof’B-B!...B-B! ’—overandoveragain,veryslowly,withalongpausebetweenthefirst’B’andthesecond-aheavy, murmuroussound,somehowcuriouslysavage,inthebackgroundofwhichoneseemedtohearthestampofnakedfeetandthethrobbingoftom-toms. Forperhapsasmuchasthirtysecondstheykeptitup. Itwasarefrainthatwasoftenheardinmomentsofoverwhelmingemotion. PartlyitwasasortofhymntothewisdomandmajestyofBigBrother, butstillmoreitwasanactofself-hypnosis,adeliberatedrowningofconsciousnessbymeansofrhythmicnoise. Winston’sentrailsseemedtogrowcold. IntheTwoMinutesHatehecouldnothelpsharinginthegeneraldelirium,butthissub-humanchantingof’B-B!...B-B! ’alwaysfilledhimwithhorror. Ofcoursehechantedwiththerest: itwasimpossibletodootherwise. Todissembleyourfeelings,tocontrolyourface,todowhateveryoneelsewasdoing,wasaninstinctivereaction.