1984

           ‘Youarethinking,’hesaid,‘thatsinceweintendtodestroyyouutterly,sothatnothingthatyousayordocanmakethesmallestdifference—inthatcase,whydowegotothetroubleofinterrogatingyoufirst? Thatiswhatyouwerethinking,wasitnot?’ 

           ‘Yes,’saidWinston. 

           O’Briensmiledslightly. ‘Youareaflawinthepattern,Winston. Youareastainthatmustbewipedout. DidInottellyoujustnowthatwearedifferentfromthepersecutorsofthepast? Wearenotcontentwithnegativeobedience,norevenwiththemostabjectsubmission. Whenfinallyyousurrendertous,itmustbeofyourownfreewill. Wedonotdestroythehereticbecauseheresistsus: solongasheresistsusweneverdestroyhim. Weconverthim,wecapturehisinnermind,wereshapehim. Weburnallevilandallillusionoutofhim;webringhimovertoourside,notinappearance,butgenuinely,heartandsoul. Wemakehimoneofourselvesbeforewekillhim. Itisintolerabletousthatanerroneousthoughtshouldexistanywhereintheworld,howeversecretandpowerlessitmaybe. Evenintheinstantofdeathwecannotpermitanydeviation. Intheolddaysthehereticwalkedtothestakestillaheretic,proclaiminghisheresy,exultinginit. EventhevictimoftheRussianpurgescouldcarryrebellionlockedupinhisskullashewalkeddownthepassagewaitingforthebullet. Butwemakethebrainperfectbeforeweblowitout. Thecommandoftheolddespotismswas "Thoushaltnot". Thecommandofthetotalitarianswas"Thoushalt". Ourcommandis"THOUART". Noonewhomwebringtothisplaceeverstandsoutagainstus. Everyoneiswashedclean. Eventhosethreemiserabletraitorsinwhoseinnocenceyouoncebelieved—Jones,Aaronson,andRutherford—intheendwebrokethemdown.