1984

           Itwasabsurd,sincethewritingofthoseparticularwordswasnotmoredangerousthantheinitialactofopeningthediary, butforamomenthewastemptedtotearoutthespoiledpagesandabandontheenterprisealtogether. 

           Hedidnotdoso,however,becauseheknewthatitwasuseless. WhetherhewroteDOWNWITHBIGBROTHER,orwhetherherefrainedfromwritingit,madenodifference. Whetherhewentonwiththediary,orwhetherhedidnotgoonwithit,madenodifference. TheThoughtPolicewouldgethimjustthesame. Hehadcommitted—wouldstillhavecommitted,evenifhehadneversetpentopaper—theessentialcrimethatcontainedallothersinitself. Thoughtcrime,theycalledit. Thoughtcrimewasnotathingthatcouldbeconcealedforever. Youmightdodgesuccessfullyforawhile,evenforyears,butsoonerorlatertheywereboundtogetyou. 

           Itwasalwaysatnight—thearrestsinvariablyhappenedatnight. Thesuddenjerkoutofsleep,theroughhandshakingyourshoulder,thelightsglaringinyoureyes,theringofhardfacesroundthebed. Inthevastmajorityofcasestherewasnotrial,noreportofthearrest. Peoplesimplydisappeared,alwaysduringthenight. Yournamewasremovedfromtheregisters,everyrecordofeverythingyouhadeverdonewaswipedout,yourone-timeexistencewasdeniedandthenforgotten. Youwereabolished,annihilated: vaporizedwastheusualword. 

           Foramomenthewasseizedbyakindofhysteria. Hebeganwritinginahurrieduntidyscrawl: 

           theyllshootmeidon’tcaretheyllshootmeinthebackoftheneckidontcare downwithbigbrothertheyalwaysshootyouinthebackoftheneckidontcaredownwithbigbrother