1984

           Itwasnotnecessarytoknowmuch. Solongastheycontinuedtoworkandbreed,theirotheractivitieswerewithoutimportance. Lefttothemselves,likecattleturnedlooseupontheplainsofArgentina,theyhadrevertedtoastyleoflifethatappearedtobenaturaltothem,asortofancestralpattern. Theywereborn,theygrewupinthegutters,theywenttoworkattwelve,theypassedthroughabriefblossoming-periodofbeautyandsexualdesire,theymarriedattwenty,theyweremiddle-agedatthirty,theydied,forthemostpart,atsixty. Heavyphysicalwork,thecareofhomeandchildren,pettyquarrelswithneighbours,films,football,beer,andaboveall,gambling,filledupthehorizonoftheirminds.Tokeepthemincontrolwasnotdifficult. AfewagentsoftheThoughtPolicemovedalwaysamongthem,spreadingfalserumoursandmarkingdownandeliminatingthefewindividualswhowerejudgedcapableofbecomingdangerous; butnoattemptwasmadetoindoctrinatethemwiththeideologyoftheParty. Itwasnotdesirablethattheprolesshouldhavestrongpoliticalfeelings. Allthatwasrequiredofthemwasaprimitivepatriotismwhichcouldbeappealedtowheneveritwasnecessarytomakethemacceptlongerworking-hoursorshorterrations. Andevenwhentheybecamediscontented,astheysometimesdid,theirdiscontentlednowhere,becausebeingwithoutgeneralideas,theycouldonlyfocusitonpettyspecificgrievances. Thelargerevilsinvariablyescapedtheirnotice. Thegreatmajorityofprolesdidnotevenhavetelescreensintheirhomes. Eventhecivilpoliceinterferedwiththemverylittle. TherewasavastamountofcriminalityinLondon,awholeworld-within-a-worldofthieves,bandits,prostitutes,drug-peddlers,andracketeersofeverydescription; butsinceitallhappenedamongtheprolesthemselves,itwasofnoimportance. Inallquestionsofmoralstheywereallowedtofollowtheirancestralcode.