1984

           YetshehadonlythedimmestideaofwhoGoldsteinwasandwhatdoctrineshewassupposedtorepresent. ShehadgrownupsincetheRevolutionandwastooyoungtoremembertheideologicalbattlesofthefiftiesandsixties. Suchathingasanindependentpoliticalmovementwasoutsideherimagination: andinanycasethePartywasinvincible. Itwouldalwaysexist,anditwouldalwaysbethesame. Youcouldonlyrebelagainstitbysecretdisobedienceor,atmost,byisolatedactsofviolencesuchaskillingsomebodyorblowingsomethingup. 

           InsomewaysshewasfarmoreacutethanWinston,andfarlesssusceptibletoPartypropaganda. OncewhenhehappenedinsomeconnexiontomentionthewaragainstEurasia,shestartledhimbysayingcasuallythatinheropinionthewarwasnothappening. TherocketbombswhichfelldailyonLondonwereprobablyfiredbytheGovernmentofOceaniaitself,‘justtokeeppeoplefrightened’. Thiswasanideathathadliterallyneveroccurredtohim. ShealsostirredasortofenvyinhimbytellinghimthatduringtheTwoMinutesHatehergreatdifficultywastoavoidburstingoutlaughing. ButsheonlyquestionedtheteachingsofthePartywhentheyinsomewaytoucheduponherownlife. Oftenshewasreadytoaccepttheofficialmythology,simplybecausethedifferencebetweentruthandfalsehooddidnotseemimportanttoher. Shebelieved,forinstance,havinglearntitatschool,thatthePartyhadinventedaeroplanes. (Inhisownschooldays,Winstonremembered,inthelatefifties,itwasonlythehelicopterthatthePartyclaimedtohaveinvented; adozenyearslater,whenJuliawasatschool,itwasalreadyclaimingtheaeroplane; onegenerationmore,anditwouldbeclaimingthesteamengine.)