1984

           Theywerewretched,flimsythings,butcooking-potsofanykindwerealwaysdifficulttoget. Nowthesupplyhadunexpectedlygivenout. Thesuccessfulwomen,bumpedandjostledbytherest,weretryingtomakeoffwiththeirsaucepanswhiledozensofothersclamouredroundthestall,accusingthestall-keeperoffavouritismandofhavingmoresaucepanssomewhereinreserve. Therewasafreshoutburstofyells. Twobloatedwomen,oneofthemwithherhaircomingdown,hadgotholdofthesamesaucepanandweretryingtotearitoutofoneanother’shands. Foramomenttheywerebothtugging,andthenthehandlecameoff. Winstonwatchedthemdisgustedly. Andyet,justforamoment,whatalmostfrighteningpowerhadsoundedinthatcryfromonlyafewhundredthroats! Whywasitthattheycouldnevershoutlikethataboutanythingthatmattered? 

           Hewrote: 

           Untiltheybecomeconscioustheywillneverrebel,anduntilaftertheyhaverebelledtheycannotbecomeconscious. 

           That,hereflected,mightalmosthavebeenatranscriptionfromoneofthePartytextbooks. ThePartyclaimed,ofcourse,tohaveliberatedtheprolesfrombondage. BeforetheRevolutiontheyhadbeenhideouslyoppressedbythecapitalists,theyhadbeenstarvedandflogged,womenhadbeenforcedtoworkinthecoalmines(womenstilldidworkinthecoalmines,asamatteroffact),childrenhadbeensoldintothefactoriesattheageofsix. Butsimultaneously,truetothePrinciplesofdoublethink,thePartytaughtthattheproleswerenaturalinferiorswhomustbekeptinsubjection,likeanimals,bytheapplicationofafewsimplerules. Inrealityverylittlewasknownabouttheproles.