1984

           Youhavebeenkickedandfloggedandinsulted,youhavescreamedwithpain,youhaverolledonthefloorinyourownbloodandvomit. Youhavewhimperedformercy,youhavebetrayedeverybodyandeverything. Canyouthinkofasingledegradationthathasnothappenedtoyou?’ 

           Winstonhadstoppedweeping,thoughthetearswerestilloozingoutofhiseyes. HelookedupatO’Brien. 

           ‘IhavenotbetrayedJulia,’hesaid. 

           O’Brienlookeddownathimthoughtfully. ‘No,’hesaid;‘no;thatisperfectlytrue. YouhavenotbetrayedJulia.’ 

           ThepeculiarreverenceforO’Brien,whichnothingseemedabletodestroy,floodedWinston’sheartagain. Howintelligent,hethought,howintelligent! NeverdidO’Brienfailtounderstandwhatwassaidtohim. AnyoneelseonearthwouldhaveansweredpromptlythatheHADbetrayedJulia. Forwhatwastherethattheyhadnotscrewedoutofhimunderthetorture? Hehadtoldthemeverythingheknewabouther,herhabits,hercharacter,herpastlife; hehadconfessedinthemosttrivialdetaileverythingthathadhappenedattheirmeetings,allthathehadsaidtoherandshetohim,theirblack-marketmeals,theiradulteries,theirvagueplottingsagainsttheParty—everything. Andyet,inthesenseinwhichheintendedtheword,hehadnotbetrayedher. Hehadnotstoppedlovingher;hisfeelingstowardsherhadremainedthesame. O’Brienhadseenwhathemeantwithouttheneedforexplanation. 

           ‘Tellme,’hesaid,‘howsoonwilltheyshootme?’