1984

           Therewasanoutburstofsquealsfromthecage. ItseemedtoreachWinstonfromfaraway. Theratswerefighting;theyweretryingtogetateachotherthroughthepartition. Heheardalsoadeepgroanofdespair.That,too,seemedtocomefromoutsidehimself. 

           O’Brienpickedupthecage,and,ashedidso,pressedsomethinginit. Therewasasharpclick. Winstonmadeafranticefforttotearhimselfloosefromthechair. Itwashopeless; everypartofhim,evenhishead,washeldimmovably. O’Brienmovedthecagenearer. ItwaslessthanametrefromWinston’sface. 

           ‘Ihavepressedthefirstlever,’saidO’Brien. ‘Youunderstandtheconstructionofthiscage. Themaskwillfitoveryourhead,leavingnoexit. WhenIpressthisotherlever,thedoorofthecagewillslideup.Thesestarvingbruteswillshootoutofitlikebullets. Haveyoueverseenaratleapthroughtheair? Theywillleapontoyourfaceandborestraightintoit. Sometimestheyattacktheeyesfirst. Sometimestheyburrowthroughthecheeksanddevourthetongue.’ 

           Thecagewasnearer;itwasclosingin. Winstonheardasuccessionofshrillcrieswhichappearedtobeoccurringintheairabovehishead. Buthefoughtfuriouslyagainsthispanic. Tothink,tothink,evenwithasplitsecondleft—tothinkwastheonlyhope. Suddenlythefoulmustyodourofthebrutesstruckhisnostrils. Therewasaviolentconvulsionofnauseainsidehim,andhealmostlostconsciousness.Everythinghadgoneblack. Foraninstanthewasinsane,ascreaminganimal. Yethecameoutoftheblacknessclutchinganidea. Therewasoneandonlyonewaytosavehimself. Hemustinterposeanotherhumanbeing,theBODYofanotherhumanbeing,betweenhimselfandtherats.