1984

           Hewaswalkingupacobbledstreetoflittletwo-storeyhouseswithbattereddoorwayswhichgavestraightonthepavementandwhichweresomehowcuriouslysuggestiveofratholes. Therewerepuddlesoffilthywaterhereandthereamongthecobbles. Inandoutofthedarkdoorways,anddownnarrowalley-waysthatbranchedoffoneitherside,peopleswarmedinastonishingnumbers —girlsinfullbloom,withcrudelylipstickedmouths,andyouthswhochasedthegirls,andswollenwaddlingwomenwhoshowedyouwhatthegirlswouldbelikeintenyears’time, andoldbentcreaturesshufflingalongonsplayedfeet,andraggedbarefootedchildrenwhoplayedinthepuddlesandthenscatteredatangryyellsfromtheirmothers. Perhapsaquarterofthewindowsinthestreetwerebrokenandboardedup. MostofthepeoplepaidnoattentiontoWinston; afeweyedhimwithasortofguardedcuriosity. Twomonstrouswomenwithbrick-redforearmsfoldedacrosstheirapronsweretalkingoutsideadoorway. Winstoncaughtscrapsofconversationasheapproached. 

           ‘"Yes,"Isaysto’er,"that’sallverywell,"Isays. "Butifyou’dofbeeninmyplaceyou’dofdonethesameaswhatIdone. It’seasytocriticize,"Isays,"butyouain’tgotthesameproblemsaswhatIgot."’ 

           ‘Ah,’saidtheother,‘that’sjestit. That’sjestwhereitis.’ 

           Thestridentvoicesstoppedabruptly. Thewomenstudiedhiminhostilesilenceashewentpast. Butitwasnothostility,exactly;merelyakindofwariness,amomentarystiffening,asatthepassingofsomeunfamiliaranimal. TheblueoverallsofthePartycouldnotbeacommonsightinastreetlikethis. Indeed,itwasunwisetobeseeninsuchplaces,unlessyouhaddefinitebusinessthere.