1984

           AndtheRecordsDepartment,afterall,wasitselfonlyasinglebranchoftheMinistryofTruth, whoseprimaryjobwasnottoreconstructthepastbuttosupplythecitizensofOceaniawithnewspapers,films,textbooks,telescreenprogrammes,plays,novels —witheveryconceivablekindofinformation,instruction,orentertainment,fromastatuetoaslogan,fromalyricpoemtoabiologicaltreatise,andfromachild’sspelling-booktoaNewspeakdictionary. AndtheMinistryhadnotonlytosupplythemultifariousneedsoftheparty,butalsotorepeatthewholeoperationatalowerlevelforthebenefitoftheproletariat. Therewasawholechainofseparatedepartmentsdealingwithproletarianliterature,music,drama,andentertainmentgenerally. Herewereproducedrubbishynewspaperscontainingalmostnothingexceptsport,crimeandastrology, sensationalfive-centnovelettes,filmsoozingwithsex,andsentimentalsongs whichwerecomposedentirelybymechanicalmeansonaspecialkindofkaleidoscopeknownasaversificator. Therewasevenawholesub-section—Pornosec,itwascalledinNewspeak—engagedinproducingthelowestkindofpornography, whichwassentoutinsealedpacketsandwhichnoPartymember,otherthanthosewhoworkedonit,waspermittedtolookat. 

           ThreemessageshadslidoutofthepneumatictubewhileWinstonwasworking, buttheyweresimplematters,andhehaddisposedofthembeforetheTwoMinutesHateinterruptedhim. WhentheHatewasoverhereturnedtohiscubicle,tooktheNewspeakdictionaryfromtheshelf,pushedthespeakwritetooneside, cleanedhisspectacles,andsettleddowntohismainjobofthemorning. 

           Winston’sgreatestpleasureinlifewasinhiswork. Mostofitwasatediousroutine,butincludedinittherewerealsojobssodifficultandintricatethatyoucouldloseyourselfinthemasinthedepthsofamathematicalproblem —delicatepiecesofforgeryinwhichyouhadnothingtoguideyouexceptyourknowledgeoftheprinciplesofIngsocandyourestimateofwhatthePartywantedyoutosay.