1984

           Thebarreloftheribswasasnarrowasthatofaskeleton:thelegshadshrunksothatthekneeswerethickerthanthethighs. HesawnowwhatO’Brienhadmeantaboutseeingthesideview. Thecurvatureofthespinewasastonishing.Thethinshoulderswerehunchedforwardsoastomakeacavityofthechest,thescraggyneckseemedtobebendingdoubleundertheweightoftheskull. Ataguesshewouldhavesaidthatitwasthebodyofamanofsixty,sufferingfromsomemalignantdisease. 

           ‘Youhavethoughtsometimes,’saidO’Brien,‘thatmyface—thefaceofamemberoftheInnerParty—looksoldandworn. Whatdoyouthinkofyourownface?’ 

           HeseizedWinston’sshoulderandspunhimroundsothathewasfacinghim. 

           ‘Lookattheconditionyouarein!’hesaid. ‘Lookatthisfilthygrimealloveryourbody. Lookatthedirtbetweenyourtoes. Lookatthatdisgustingrunningsoreonyourleg. Doyouknowthatyoustinklikeagoat? Probablyyouhaveceasedtonoticeit. Lookatyouremaciation. Doyousee? Icanmakemythumbandforefingermeetroundyourbicep. Icouldsnapyournecklikeacarrot. Doyouknowthatyouhavelosttwenty-fivekilogramssinceyouhavebeeninourhands? Evenyourhairiscomingoutinhandfuls. Look!’HepluckedatWinston’sheadandbroughtawayatuftofhair. ‘Openyourmouth. Nine,ten,eleventeethleft. Howmanyhadyouwhenyoucametous? Andthefewyouhaveleftaredroppingoutofyourhead. Lookhere!’ 

           HeseizedoneofWinston’sremainingfrontteethbetweenhispowerfulthumbandforefinger. AtwingeofpainshotthroughWinston’sjaw. O’Brienhadwrenchedtheloosetoothoutbytheroots.Hetosseditacrossthecell.