1984

           Winstonthoughtforamoment,thenpulledthespeakwritetowardshimandbegandictatinginBigBrother’sfamiliarstyle: astyleatoncemilitaryandpedantic,and,becauseofatrickofaskingquestionsandthenpromptlyansweringthem (‘Whatlessonsdowelearnfromthisfact,comrades? Thelesson—whichisalsooneofthefundamentalprinciplesofIngsoc—that,’etc.,etc.),easytoimitate. 

           AttheageofthreeComradeOgilvyhadrefusedalltoysexceptadrum,asub-machinegun,andamodelhelicopter. Atsix—ayearearly,byaspecialrelaxationoftherules—hehadjoinedtheSpies,atninehehadbeenatroopleader. AtelevenhehaddenouncedhisuncletotheThoughtPoliceafteroverhearingaconversationwhichappearedtohimtohavecriminaltendencies. AtseventeenhehadbeenadistrictorganizeroftheJuniorAnti-SexLeague. Atnineteenhehaddesignedahand-grenadewhichhadbeenadoptedbytheMinistryofPeaceandwhich,atitsfirsttrial,hadkilledthirty-oneEurasianprisonersinoneburst. Attwenty-threehehadperishedinaction. PursuedbyenemyjetplaneswhileflyingovertheIndianOceanwithimportantdespatches, hehadweightedhisbodywithhismachinegunandleaptoutofthehelicopterintodeepwater,despatchesandall —anend,saidBigBrother,whichitwasimpossibletocontemplatewithoutfeelingsofenvy. BigBrotheraddedafewremarksonthepurityandsingle-mindednessofComradeOgilvy’slife. Hewasatotalabstainerandanonsmoker,hadnorecreationsexceptadailyhourinthegymnasium, andhadtakenavowofcelibacy,believingmarriageandthecareofafamilytobeincompatiblewithatwenty-four-hour-a-daydevotiontoduty. HehadnosubjectsofconversationexcepttheprinciplesofIngsoc, andnoaiminlifeexceptthedefeatoftheEurasianenemyandthehunting-downofspies,saboteurs,thought-criminals,andtraitorsgenerally.