1984

           allsurfacesgreasy,grimeineverycrack; andasourish,compositesmellofbadginandbadcoffeeandmetallicstewanddirtyclothes. Alwaysinyourstomachandinyourskintherewasasortofprotest,afeelingthatyouhadbeencheatedofsomethingthatyouhadarightto. Itwastruethathehadnomemoriesofanythinggreatlydifferent. Inanytimethathecouldaccuratelyremember,therehadneverbeenquiteenoughtoeat, onehadneverhadsocksorunderclothesthatwerenotfullofholes, furniturehadalwaysbeenbatteredandrickety,roomsunderheated,tubetrainscrowded,housesfallingtopieces, breaddark-coloured,teaararity,coffeefilthy-tasting,cigarettesinsufficient— nothingcheapandplentifulexceptsyntheticgin. Andthough,ofcourse,itgrewworseasone’sbodyaged, wasitnotasignthatthiswasNOTthenaturalorderofthings,ifone’sheartsickenedatthediscomfortanddirtandscarcity,theinterminablewinters, thestickinessofone’ssocks,theliftsthatneverworked,thecoldwater,thegrittysoap,thecigarettesthatcametopieces, thefoodwithitsstrangeeviltastes? Whyshouldonefeelittobeintolerableunlessonehadsomekindofancestralmemorythatthingshadoncebeendifferent? 

           Helookedroundthecanteenagain. Nearlyeveryonewasugly,andwouldstillhavebeenuglyevenifdressedotherwisethanintheuniformblueoveralls. Onthefarsideoftheroom,sittingatatablealone,asmall,curiouslybeetle-likeman wasdrinkingacupofcoffee,hislittleeyesdartingsuspiciousglancesfromsidetoside. Howeasyitwas,thoughtWinston,ifyoudidnotlookaboutyou,tobelievethatthephysicaltypesetupbythePartyasanideal— tallmuscularyouthsanddeep-bosomedmaidens,blond-haired,vital,sunburnt,carefree—existedandevenpredominated. Actually,sofarashecouldjudge,themajorityofpeopleinAirstripOneweresmall,dark,andill-favoured.