1984

           ThesexualpuritanismofthePartywasnotimposeduponthem. Promiscuitywentunpunished,divorcewaspermitted. Forthatmatter,evenreligiousworshipwouldhavebeenpermittediftheproleshadshownanysignofneedingorwantingit. Theywerebeneathsuspicion. AsthePartysloganputit: ‘Prolesandanimalsarefree.’ 

           Winstonreacheddownandcautiouslyscratchedhisvaricoseulcer. Ithadbegunitchingagain. ThethingyouinvariablycamebacktowastheimpossibilityofknowingwhatlifebeforetheRevolutionhadreallybeenlike. Hetookoutofthedraweracopyofachildren’shistorytextbookwhichhehadborrowedfromMrsParsons,andbegancopyingapassageintothediary: 

           Intheolddays(itran),beforethegloriousRevolution,Londonwasnotthebeautifulcitythatweknowtoday. Itwasadark,dirty,miserableplacewherehardlyanybodyhadenoughtoeatandwherehundredsandthousandsofpoorpeoplehadnobootsontheirfeetandnotevenarooftosleepunder. Childrennoolderthanyouhadtoworktwelvehoursadayforcruelmasterswhofloggedthemwithwhipsiftheyworkedtooslowlyandfedthemonnothingbutstalebreadcrustsandwater. Butinamongallthisterriblepovertytherewerejustafewgreatbigbeautifulhousesthatwerelivedinbyrichmenwhohadasmanyasthirtyservantstolookafterthem. Theserichmenwerecalledcapitalists. Theywerefat,uglymenwithwickedfaces,liketheoneinthepictureontheoppositepage. Youcanseethatheisdressedinalongblackcoatwhichwascalledafrockcoat,andaqueer,shinyhatshapedlikeastovepipe,whichwascalledatophat. Thiswastheuniformofthecapitalists,andnooneelsewasallowedtowearit. Thecapitalistsownedeverythingintheworld,andeveryoneelsewastheirslave.