1984

           Orperhaps—whatwaslikeliestofall—thethinghadsimplyhappenedbecausepurgesandvaporizationswereanecessarypartofthemechanicsofgovernment. 

           Theonlyrealcluelayinthewords‘refsunpersons’,whichindicatedthatWitherswasalreadydead. Youcouldnotinvariablyassumethistobethecasewhenpeoplewerearrested. Sometimestheywerereleasedandallowedtoremainatlibertyforasmuchasayearortwoyearsbeforebeingexecuted. Veryoccasionallysomepersonwhomyouhadbelieveddeadlongsincewouldmakeaghostlyreappearanceatsomepublictrial wherehewouldimplicatehundredsofothersbyhistestimonybeforevanishing,thistimeforever. Withers,however,wasalreadyanUNPERSON. Hedidnotexist:hehadneverexisted. WinstondecidedthatitwouldnotbeenoughsimplytoreversethetendencyofBigBrother’sspeech. Itwasbettertomakeitdealwithsomethingtotallyunconnectedwithitsoriginalsubject. 

           Hemightturnthespeechintotheusualdenunciationoftraitorsandthought-criminals,butthatwasalittletooobvious, whiletoinventavictoryatthefront,orsometriumphofover-productionintheNinthThree-YearPlan,mightcomplicatetherecordstoomuch. Whatwasneededwasapieceofpurefantasy. Suddenlytheresprangintohismind,readymadeasitwere,theimageofacertainComradeOgilvy,whohadrecentlydiedinbattle,inheroiccircumstances. TherewereoccasionswhenBigBrotherdevotedhisOrderfortheDaytocommemoratingsomehumble,rank-and-filePartymemberwhoselifeanddeathheheldupasanexampleworthytobefollowed. TodayheshouldcommemorateComradeOgilvy. ItwastruethattherewasnosuchpersonasComradeOgilvy, butafewlinesofprintandacoupleoffakedphotographswouldsoonbringhimintoexistence.