1984

           Thestreetintowhichhehadturnedrandownhill. Hehadafeelingthathehadbeeninthisneighbourhoodbefore,andthattherewasamainthoroughfarenotfaraway. Fromsomewhereaheadtherecameadinofshoutingvoices. Thestreettookasharpturnandthenendedinaflightofstepswhichleddownintoasunkenalleywhereafewstall-keepersweresellingtired-lookingvegetables. AtthismomentWinstonrememberedwherehewas. Thealleyledoutintothemainstreet,anddownthenextturning,notfiveminutesaway,wasthejunk-shopwherehehadboughttheblankbookwhichwasnowhisdiary. Andinasmallstationer’sshopnotfarawayhehadboughthispenholderandhisbottleofink. 

           Hepausedforamomentatthetopofthesteps. Ontheoppositesideofthealleytherewasadingylittlepubwhosewindowsappearedtobefrostedoverbutinrealityweremerelycoatedwithdust. Averyoldman,bentbutactive,withwhitemoustachesthatbristledforwardlikethoseofaprawn,pushedopentheswingdoorandwentin. AsWinstonstoodwatching,itoccurredtohimthattheoldman,whomustbeeightyattheleast,hadalreadybeenmiddle-agedwhentheRevolutionhappened. Heandafewotherslikehimwerethelastlinksthatnowexistedwiththevanishedworldofcapitalism. InthePartyitselftherewerenotmanypeopleleftwhoseideashadbeenformedbeforetheRevolution. Theoldergenerationhadmostlybeenwipedoutinthegreatpurgesofthefiftiesandsixties,andthefewwhosurvivedhadlongagobeenterrifiedintocompleteintellectualsurrender. Iftherewasanyonestillalivewhocouldgiveyouatruthfulaccountofconditionsintheearlypartofthecentury,itcouldonlybeaprole. SuddenlythepassagefromthehistorybookthathehadcopiedintohisdiarycamebackintoWinston’smind,andalunaticimpulsetookholdofhim.