1984

           Didnotthestatement,‘Youdonotexist’,containalogicalabsurdity? Butwhatusewasittosayso? Hismindshrivelledashethoughtoftheunanswerable,madargumentswithwhichO’Brienwoulddemolishhim. 

           ‘IthinkIexist,’hesaidwearily. ‘Iamconsciousofmyownidentity. IwasbornandIshalldie. Ihavearmsandlegs. Ioccupyaparticularpointinspace.Noothersolidobjectcanoccupythesamepointsimultaneously. Inthatsense,doesBigBrotherexist?’ 

           ‘Itisofnoimportance. Heexists.’ 

           ‘WillBigBrothereverdie?’ 

           ‘Ofcoursenot. Howcouldhedie? Nextquestion.’ 

           ‘DoestheBrotherhoodexist?’ 

           ‘That,Winston,youwillneverknow. Ifwechoosetosetyoufreewhenwehavefinishedwithyou,andifyoulivetobeninetyyearsold,stillyouwillneverlearnwhethertheanswertothatquestionisYesorNo. Aslongasyouliveitwillbeanunsolvedriddleinyourmind.’ 

           Winstonlaysilent. Hisbreastroseandfellalittlefaster. Hestillhadnotaskedthequestionthathadcomeintohismindthefirst. Hehadgottoaskit,andyetitwasasthoughhistonguewouldnotutterit. TherewasatraceofamusementinO’Brien’sface. Evenhisspectaclesseemedtowearanironicalgleam. Heknows,thoughtWinstonsuddenly,heknowswhatIamgoingtoask! Atthethoughtthewordsburstoutofhim: