1984
Chapter 4
Bywhatexternalstandardcouldyoucheckitsjudgements? Sanitywasstatistical. Itwasmerelyaquestionoflearningtothinkastheythought.Only——
Thepencilfeltthickandawkwardinhisfingers. Hebegantowritedownthethoughtsthatcameintohishead. Hewrotefirstinlargeclumsycapitals:
FREEDOMISSLAVERY
Thenalmostwithoutapausehewrotebeneathit:
TWOANDTWOMAKEFIVE
Butthentherecameasortofcheck. Hismind,asthoughshyingawayfromsomething,seemedunabletoconcentrate. Heknewthatheknewwhatcamenext,butforthemomenthecouldnotrecallit. Whenhedidrecallit,itwasonlybyconsciouslyreasoningoutwhatitmustbe:itdidnotcomeofitsownaccord.Hewrote:
GODISPOWER
Heacceptedeverything. Thepastwasalterable. Thepastneverhadbeenaltered. OceaniawasatwarwithEastasia. OceaniahadalwaysbeenatwarwithEastasia. Jones,Aaronson,andRutherfordwereguiltyofthecrimestheywerechargedwith. Hehadneverseenthephotographthatdisprovedtheirguilt. Ithadneverexisted,hehadinventedit. Herememberedrememberingcontrarythings,butthosewerefalsememories,productsofself-deception. Howeasyitallwas! Onlysurrender,andeverythingelsefollowed.
