1984

           Theyownedalltheland,allthehouses,allthefactories,andallthemoney. Ifanyonedisobeyedthemtheycouldthrowthemintoprison,ortheycouldtakehisjobawayandstarvehimtodeath. Whenanyordinarypersonspoketoacapitalisthehadtocringeandbowtohim,andtakeoffhiscapandaddresshimas‘Sir’. ThechiefofallthecapitalistswascalledtheKing,and—— 

           Butheknewtherestofthecatalogue. Therewouldbementionofthebishopsintheirlawnsleeves,thejudgesintheirerminerobes,thepillory,thestocks,thetreadmill,thecat-o’-ninetails,theLordMayor’sBanquet,andthepracticeofkissingthePope’stoe. TherewasalsosomethingcalledtheJUSPRIMAENOCTIS,whichwouldprobablynotbementionedinatextbookforchildren. Itwasthelawbywhicheverycapitalisthadtherighttosleepwithanywomanworkinginoneofhisfactories. 

           Howcouldyoutellhowmuchofitwaslies? ItMIGHTbetruethattheaveragehumanbeingwasbetteroffnowthanhehadbeenbeforetheRevolution. Theonlyevidencetothecontrarywasthemuteprotestinyourownbones,theinstinctivefeelingthattheconditionsyoulivedinwereintolerableandthatatsomeothertimetheymusthavebeendifferent. Itstruckhimthatthetrulycharacteristicthingaboutmodernlifewasnotitscrueltyandinsecurity,butsimplyitsbareness,itsdinginess,itslistlessness. Life,ifyoulookedaboutyou,borenoresemblancenotonlytotheliesthatstreamedoutofthetelescreens,buteventotheidealsthatthePartywastryingtoachieve. Greatareasofit,evenforaPartymember,wereneutralandnon-political,amatterofsloggingthroughdrearyjobs,fightingforaplaceontheTube,darningaworn-outsock,cadgingasaccharinetablet,savingacigaretteend.