Chapter 4

           Withthedeep,unconscioussighwhichnoteventhenearnessofthetelescreencouldpreventhimfromutteringwhenhisday’sworkstarted, Winstonpulledthespeakwritetowardshim,blewthedustfromitsmouthpiece,andputonhisspectacles. Thenheunrolledandclippedtogetherfoursmallcylindersofpaper whichhadalreadyfloppedoutofthepneumatictubeontheright-handsideofhisdesk. 

           Inthewallsofthecubicletherewerethreeorifices. Totherightofthespeakwrite,asmallpneumatictubeforwrittenmessages,totheleft,alargeronefornewspapers; andinthesidewall,withineasyreachofWinston’sarm,alargeoblongslitprotectedbyawiregrating. Thislastwasforthedisposalofwastepaper. Similarslitsexistedinthousandsortensofthousandsthroughoutthebuilding,notonlyineveryroombutatshortintervalsineverycorridor. Forsomereasontheywerenicknamedmemoryholes. Whenoneknewthatanydocumentwasduefordestruction,orevenwhenonesawascrapofwastepaperlyingabout,itwasanautomaticactiontolifttheflapofthenearestmemoryholeanddropitin, whereuponitwouldbewhirledawayonacurrentofwarmairtotheenormousfurnaceswhichwerehiddensomewhereintherecessesofthebuilding. 

           Winstonexaminedthefourslipsofpaperwhichhehadunrolled. Eachcontainedamessageofonlyoneortwolines,intheabbreviatedjargon —notactuallyNewspeak,butconsistinglargelyofNewspeakwords —whichwasusedintheMinistryforinternalpurposes. Theyran: 

           times17.3.84bbspeechmalreportedafricarectify 

           times19.12.83forecasts3yp4thquarter83misprintsverifycurrentissue