1984

           Alltheothers,eventhosewhoresembledourselves,werecowardsandhypocrites. TheGermanNazisandtheRussianCommunistscameveryclosetousintheirmethods,buttheyneverhadthecouragetorecognizetheirownmotives. Theypretended,perhapstheyevenbelieved,thattheyhadseizedpowerunwillinglyandforalimitedtime,andthatjustroundthecornertherelayaparadisewherehumanbeingswouldbefreeandequal. Wearenotlikethat. Weknowthatnooneeverseizespowerwiththeintentionofrelinquishingit. Powerisnotameans,itisanend. Onedoesnotestablishadictatorshipinordertosafeguardarevolution;onemakestherevolutioninordertoestablishthedictatorship. Theobjectofpersecutionispersecution. Theobjectoftortureistorture. Theobjectofpowerispower. Nowdoyoubegintounderstandme?’ 

           Winstonwasstruck,ashehadbeenstruckbefore,bythetirednessofO’Brien’sface. Itwasstrongandfleshyandbrutal,itwasfullofintelligenceandasortofcontrolledpassionbeforewhichhefelthimselfhelpless; butitwastired. Therewerepouchesundertheeyes,theskinsaggedfromthecheekbones. O’Brienleanedoverhim,deliberatelybringingthewornfacenearer. 

           ‘Youarethinking,’hesaid,‘thatmyfaceisoldandtired. YouarethinkingthatItalkofpower,andyetIamnotevenabletopreventthedecayofmyownbody. Canyounotunderstand,Winston,thattheindividualisonlyacell? Thewearinessofthecellisthevigouroftheorganism. Doyoudiewhenyoucutyourfingernails?’ 

           Heturnedawayfromthebedandbeganstrollingupanddownagain,onehandinhispocket.