1984

           WinstoncouldnotevenrememberatwhatdatethePartyitselfhadcomeintoexistence. HedidnotbelievehehadeverheardthewordIngsocbefore1960, butitwaspossiblethatinitsOldspeakform—‘EnglishSocialism’,thatistosay—ithadbeencurrentearlier. Everythingmeltedintomist. Sometimes,indeed,youcouldputyourfingeronadefinitelie. Itwasnottrue,forexample,aswasclaimedinthePartyhistorybooks,thatthePartyhadinventedaeroplanes. Herememberedaeroplanessincehisearliestchildhood. Butyoucouldprovenothing. Therewasneveranyevidence. Justonceinhiswholelifehehadheldinhishandsunmistakabledocumentaryproofofthefalsificationofanhistoricalfact. Andonthatoccasion—— 

           ‘Smith! ’screamedtheshrewishvoicefromthetelescreen. ‘6079SmithW.! Yes,YOU! Bendlower,please! Youcandobetterthanthat. You’renottrying. Lower,please! THAT’Sbetter,comrade. Nowstandatease,thewholesquad,andwatchme.’ 

           AsuddenhotsweathadbrokenoutalloverWinston’sbody. Hisfaceremainedcompletelyinscrutable. Nevershowdismay! Nevershowresentment! Asingleflickeroftheeyescouldgiveyouaway. Hestoodwatchingwhiletheinstructressraisedherarmsaboveherheadand —onecouldnotsaygracefully,butwithremarkableneatnessandefficiency—bentoverandtuckedthefirstjointofherfingersunderhertoes. 

           ‘THERE,comrades! THAT’ShowIwanttoseeyoudoingit. Watchmeagain. I’mthirty-nineandI’vehadfourchildren. Nowlook. ’Shebentoveragain. ‘YouseeMYkneesaren’tbent. Youcanalldoitifyouwantto,’sheaddedasshestraightenedherselfup. ‘Anyoneunderforty-fiveisperfectlycapableoftouchinghistoes.