English - 1984: Quotes

There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment

There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment

Highlights the omnipotent surveillance as the ubiquitous yet mysterious telescreens are an example of how government-enforced ignorance keeps people confused, terrified, and subservient.

The matter of fact tone shows the effect of a Foucauldian panopticon in action. Orwell's use of the phrase "from habit that became instinct" to describe people's self-policing is key, as it suggests that Outer Party members like Winston have been conditioned to suppress human nature itself. Living this way has robbed them of their humanity—their freedom to think, converse, and behave as they please. The effect of the panopticon results in "prisoners", or in this case citizens moderating their own behaviour, and conforming to the standards imposed by the "guards" or oppressors.

War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength

Capitalisation and the positioning of the tricolon as centred within the page in the books illustrates the importance of the party slogans. The Party's three slogans are also telling, as each one is an oxymoron — in reality, war is the opposite of peace, freedom is the opposite of slavery, and ignorance tends to make people vulnerable and weak rather than strong. Orwell uses parallel structure to remind us of the importance of the Party and shows that each repeated structure is of equal importance. Similarly, each aspect of Oceania is of equal importance to the Party’s stability and ability to maintain control.

By presenting these self-evidently false phrases as the irrefutable truth, the Party conditions its members to reject the logic they know to be true and instead to accept whatever the government tells them: that war and slavery benefit society, and that remaining ignorant is in people's best interests. In doing so, the Party is able to control reality: what's true becomes false, and what's false becomes true. And by pairing these phrases with Big Brother's face, the government sends the subliminal message that whoever dares to reject these logical fallacies and think for themselves will face dire consequences.

It was as though some huge force was pressing down upon you - something that penetrated inside your skull, battering against your brain

Plosive alliteration adds a sinister and harsh physical quality to the Party’s actions which ties in with their methods of torture in the Ministry of Love. Use of the verb “penetrated” and its negative connotations show the physical and brutal ways the Party infuses itself in every aspect of society. Similar to how a bullet penetrates the brain to the point of destruction, the Party makes itself so deeply ingrained within each individual’s brain that it dominates complete control, no matter how damaging or suppressive it may be. However, we consider the brain to be the roots of mental life, presenting how the Party not has full control on an individual’s physical and external life, but also exercises its control on their mental life.

Winston describes the pressure to conform to Party ideology at the expense of his own logic as a kind of physical force, so powerful that it could lead him to believe that 2+2=5. Indeed, this statement accurately foreshadows the moment when O'Brien eventually does convince Winston through torture that 2+2=5 at the end of the novel.

external reality was tacitly denied by their philosophy

Use of the adverb tacitly reminds the reader of how subtle the Party’s actions were

Through the idea of ‘external reality,’ Emmanuel Goldstein makes an important distinction between doublethink and lying or hypocrisy. Recall that doublethink is not saying one thing and believing another, but rather holding that two contradictory things as true at once. Again, the important thing to note here is that logic is a threat to the Party's power, and thus doublethink is necessary because it is a way of perceiving the world that is by definition illogical — it is completely incompatible with logic and thus, in Goldstein's words, can be considered a form of "controlled insanity.”

big brother is watching you

Big Brother’s name is just another example of the Party’s great way of using paradox to manipulate citizens.

He symbolizes the mixture of paternalism and fear that the Oceanic government uses to suppress its citizens. As his name suggests, he's a brotherly or fatherly figure who "restor[es] confidence," so brainwashed members of the Outer Party are inclined to trust him. But his face also appears on posters throughout London with the ominous caption "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU." Thus, Big Brother is a symbolic reminder that, although the Party claims to have its members' best interests in mind, in reality its purpose is to intimidate and instill fear. Party members forgo their individual freedoms in favor of obeying the regime that Big Brother represents. That Big Brother's words are able to pacify the audience, despite not being "distinguishable individually," suggests that the Party's actual ideology isn't important or even evident to Outer members. The mere presence of their leader and the implied threats associated with him are enough to inspire fervent loyalty.

the Party taught that the proles were natural inferiors who must be kept in subjection, like animals

The simile of comparing them to animals is, in reality, quite contradictory to the all-controlling system the party has set up. In reality, the proles had “remained human” while, Winston reflects, it was the party members who were subject to the general treatment of animals with the amount of restriction placed on them. By characterising the proletariat as an inherently weak class of people that must be simultaneously saved and subjugated, the Inner Party alienates Outer Party members from the proles. This ensures that these two groups can't relate to each other or unite in solidarity against the Inner Party, which Winston will later realise is the only effective means of overthrowing an oppressive regime.

Crimestop…means protective stupidity.

The statement “protective stupidity” is actually oxymoronic as stupidity is generally that which brings danger upon an individual but this concept is a direct contradiction to this idea which Orwell then ties in to the idea that “ignorance is bliss.”

To the party, crimestop represents the ideal state of mind for all citizens. It is not enough to have subversive thoughts occur but then to dismiss them, as this still involves the use of reason, which might then be used to criticise the party. What the Party requires in order to have ultimate control is for people to become so stupid that they lose the ability to imagine criticism or alternatives to Party ideology in the first place. Here Orwell shows that the suppression of politically subversive or "unpatriotic" thoughts inevitably equates to the suppression of thought in general, and that the ultimate result of this suppression would be a completely numb and idiotic population.

Even to understand the word "doublethink" involved the use of doublethink

Doublethink highlights the extent of the Party's control over the population. If doublethink is successful, there is no need for indoctrination, laws, or even punishment; people will simply believe whatever the Party tells them, even if this doesn't make sense, because they have given up the ability to logically interrogate whether things are true or just. This is part of the Party's larger tactic of reality control, a method of oppressing the population through altering the way people see and interpret the world around them.

Orthodoxy is unconsciousness

Ironic that this is described as orthodoxy as nothing about unconscious thought control is orthodox.

Don't you see the whole aim of newspeak is to narrow the range of thought

Party members fail to see that the Party is chipping away at one of the most fundamental and beautiful aspects of being human: the ability to communicate richly and poetically through nuanced language. This is yet another tactic that the totalitarian Party uses to dehumanise the population, robbing them of the ability to express or even think any idea that doesn't align with the Party's "reality-control." Orwell believes that when people willingly allow their language to be censored and controlled, they surrender their most basic rights to think and speak the truth.

The revolution will be complete when the language is perfect

This refers to the newspeak “revolution.” However, contradicts itself as the language is continuously being used to suppress human emotion, not allow it to become more free. A revolution is seen as the act of overthrowing a particular system in order to gain control. Here, it refers to the Party very much overthrowing an individual’s consciousness in order to control thoughts, ideas and beliefs.

For, after all, how do we know that two plus two makes four? or gravity works?

Repeated rhetorical questions show Winston questioning reality. In this passage, Orwell conveys the idea that reality control is even more horrifying than death. Perhaps because he has little to live for, Winston does not fear death; however, his words suggest that the ability to reason is the most important thing in life, and without that, he might as well be dead. With this in mind, Winston's eventual fate at the end of the novel is even more tragic than if he had been killed. At the same time, this passage shows that Winston knows such a fate is "inevitable.” He is also shown to already be questioning the only smidgens of fact he was holding on to, thus alluding to the idea that his transition to the all-obeying, unquestioning Party member he was meant to be had already begun

Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them

Comparing ‘doublethink’ to being a ‘power’ shows how it is an unnatural way of thought — reflecting the Party’s suppression of normal human instincts In essence, engaging in doublethink means that Party members must commit actions that they know are dishonest or illogical (such as altering the historical record, as Winston is required to do at work) while simultaneously convincing themselves that those actions did not occur. However, it isn't enough to hold contradictory thoughts—rather, it's necessary to truly believe in the Party's false narratives. This speaks to the Party's power to manipulate reality, as it conditions its members to condition themselves to believe the Party's lies. When doublethink is undertaken in this way, not even a person's mind is safe from the Party's influence. This idea connects to Winston's realisation at the end of the novel that the only way to survive under a totalitarian regime is to completely and utterly surrender to its narrative. The only option (other than death) is relinquishing one's individuality and truly believing in the Party's agenda — not merely obeying it.

We shall squeeze you empty, and then we shall fill you with ourselves.

Anaphora gives O’Brien’s words a sense of rhythm and cadence. Winston, having already developed an intellectual crush on O’Brien’s nature, is then inclined to believe this idea to be true. His statement that "we shall squeeze you empty, and then we shall fill you with ourselves" encapsulates the Party's ultimate goal: to eradicate any and all individuality within the population and to control reality within people's very minds. By deadening the populace so that they can no longer form relationships or experience emotions, the Party ensures that everything people do, say, and think is oriented toward political servitude. This, Orwell implies, is the hallmark of all totalitarian regimes: dehumanisation so thorough that life itself becomes unrecognisable, a "hollow" shell that serves no one but the political elite.

they can't get inside you

Winston and Julia believe that while the Party can disappear people and change public history by doctoring articles and photographs, that it can't interfere with the realities of their own heads. Factual tone which is ironic as the Party does the exact opposite, “fill[ing] you with [them]selves”. This shows the ignorance that even the most clever and understanding Party member, like Julia, has. The horror of Room 101 lies in the fact that, when faced with their greatest fear, a person will betray everything that is meaningful to them, thereby losing their sense of self. Winston knows he will never be able to "recover" from the moment when he betrayed Julia, and because of this will never have enough agency to be able to resist the Party again.

No emotion was pure, because everything was mixed up with fear and hatred.

Contrast between pure and fear/hatred highlights how the feelings and ideas of party members were never truly their own, suppressed out of fear or ruined by feelings of hatred and lacking control. Because the Party controls citizens' actions and even emotions, simply the private act of expressing love and desire is subversive. However, although Winston is able to overcome the sadistic, violent urges he at first feels toward Julia, the Party still plays a role in their romantic encounter; indeed, what in a free society would be an ordinary private act becomes a major political gesture with very serious ramifications.

He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.

Anaphora and definite tone, mixed with a monotonous rhythm symbolises Winston's lost ability to sustain nuanced thoughts - his identity has been eradicated by the story Big Brother as a loving guardian figure who deserves complete loyalty and servitude. Winston has completely submitted to the Party, his death symbolising his ultimate devotion.

This is ironic as it suggests that his real struggle was his will to question/challenge the powers of the party. Objectively suggests that complete subservience to the modes of power of Big Brother is what really ends this text - the possibility for hope is revoked. Orwell ends the text on this note to shock his contemporary reader into awareness about the dangers of a human experience where our agency, autonomy and will to survive has been removed. Winston’s ability to think and feel autonomously has totally disappeared, and he is now simply a vehicle of obedience to the Party.

Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia!

Epizeuxis shows Winston’s fear and ties along with the idea of repetitive hypnosis woven throughout the text. He’s officially been caught and transformed. Winston's emotional outbursts also reveal the horrifying potential of the collective regime to bring about the fundamental baseness of humanity through its cynical betrayal of loved ones for self-preservation.

The goal wasn't merely to torture Winston, but to drive Winston to betray his highest values: love and loyalty. The Party views meaningful relationships as the foremost threat to its power, as people's strong bonds with one another could interfere with their devotion to the Party. In other words, individual relationships are what define the human experience—and relinquishing or betraying those bonds amounts to forfeiting one's humanity. Betraying Julia, then, seems to be the outcome that O'Brien intended for Winston, whether or not the Party is actually going to torture her in Winston's place. By essentially forcing Winston to wish harm on the person he values most, the Party destroys the essence of his humanity—doing as much damage to Winston's mind and soul as the rats would have done to his face.

2+2=5

The motif of the equation also marks the conversion of Winston to complete submission of the Party's values. The ability of the Party to figuratively "get inside you" shows the symbolic conversion of Winston's beliefs. Carried within this symbolic filling are homoerotic undertones of the torture Winston endures. 2+2=4 is an indicia of truth of objective reality that gives Winston some sense of his own intelligence and ability to interrogate those truths that he has been forced to accept. The quotes symbolises Winston actually having been brainwashed

who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past

Parallel structure ensures the message is remembered by the reader as it is an accurate representation of Orwell’s distinct representation of the full control imposed by authoritarian regimes. Helps to show that each aspect of this method is equally as important to the Party’s stability. It must maintain complete and utter control over every aspect of time otherwise, its entire structure would come to a startling halt. Through this slogan, Orwell poses the philosophical question of what, exactly, constitutes truth: if everyone in a society willingly deludes themselves into believing the same lie, does that lie become truth? Or does the objective truth remain, even when no one acknowledges it?

Day by day almost minute by minute, the past was brought up to date

Use of epanalepsis mirrors the way that the party changes the past so it is quite backwards. This is also a paradox of the way the past is brought up to date. We believe that the past is of its essence unalterable but when we look closer how can we believe that a fragment of anything is true? The very fact that Winston's role exists poses the question of whether or not objective truth still exists in the world of the novel — and, more generally, if objective truth is at all compatible with totalitarian regimes like the Ingsoc Party. If the Party can erase all records of any person or any event, who is to say that those things ever existed? This is another way in which authoritarian governments like the Party are able to control their populations: denying them the ability to access the truth, even within their own minds. In bringing the past "up to date," the Party effectively manipulates the past to suit their narrative and thereby shapes people's memories as well as their current realities.

the process of continuous alteration was applied not only to newspapers, but to books, periodicals, pamphlets, posters…

Plosive alliteration of the ‘p’ almost gives a chanting rhythm to it following along with the Party’s motives i.e. making it rhythmic and natural that this was to happen. The extensive listing which goes on and on and on shows the extensiveness of the Party’s control. Winston is essentially always undoing his own work. Because the Party's version of the truth is constantly changing and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future, there is a nightmarish sense of monotony to Winston's work, which will never be complete, but will simply go on and on, its only purpose to strengthen the Party's control over reality. Indeed, this sense of monotony characterises life in the world of 1984. Orwell shows that existence under a totalitarian regime is endlessly dull and repetitive, as the Party erases all differentiation between people and their experiences.

And when memory failed and written records falsified - the claim of the party to have improved the conditions of human life had to be accepted

Imperative of “had” shows how they had little to no choice, in turn, emphasising the party’s control over human understanding and the information fed to society. Winston recognises that ordinary people tend to remember small things about their personal lives but aren't able to formulate cohesive narratives of the past. Orwell thus implicitly argues that preserving historical artifacts and accurate records is of the utmost importance, even — and especially — if they contradict a given society's dominant political narrative. The Party doesn't just exert power over its citizens, it makes it so that the citizens are unable to think for themselves or recognise that the government is not helping them live better lives. The Party does everything it can to eliminate any reference point against which citizens can measure the quality of their lives, and, further, trains its citizens so that they are bad at recognising any reference points that do get through the Party's control.

The room was a world, a pocket of the past where extinct animals could walk

Uses a synecdoche to describe the room. Describing it as a world/pocket of the past but it is essentially a symbol of freedom and represents a whole different existence in which the way society worked was very much different to what they do now. Orwell's description of the room as "a pocket of the past where extinct animals could walk" is important, as this calls back to when Julia's love of sex was described as an "animal instinct." The room's role as a place where "extinct animals could walk" thus suggests that under the Party's regime, human instincts and inclinations have been so thoroughly repressed that people are now shells of their natural selves. The room is "a pocket of the past" in that it allows Winston and Julia to feel human again by experiencing what's been lost: the ability to think, speak, and act as they please.

Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until they have rebelled they will never become conscious

Orwell uses an antimetabole to demonstrate that reality is not always what it seems by using the reversal of words. Similar to the way the Party twists its own words to show their falsities as truth, Winston manages to convince himself that the proles will be the ‘saviours’ of the all-controlling regime he has grown up in. Party propaganda is swallowed up by citizens with no question. Similarly, Winston is so entrenched in his fantasy that he becomes completely oblivious to the way he has fallen into the carefully curated trap laid out for him. He is now just another victim of the Party’s manipulation.

freedom is the freedom to say two plus two makes four. If that is granted, all else follows

Winston writes that the very essence of freedom is contained in the objective fact that two plus two equals four—"if that is granted, all else follows." What he means is that the truth rests in people's ability to openly express it—after all, if objectively true principles only exist in a person's mind and are essentially illegal to express, do those principles still exist? By outlawing facts (facts that Orwell's audience will almost certainly consider to be irrefutable), the Party asserts its authority to shape and redefine not only social norms, but the very essence of reality within people's minds.

To die hating them, that was freedom.

Ironic that he now calls death freedom. Originally, Winston’s idea of freedom was reduced to the idea that 2+2=4. Now, he understands that true freedom is simply the ability to die with your own mind still intact. This presents the manifestation of dualism, as showing the belief that the destruction of your body need not be the destruction of you because you are not your body. Winston realises that he wants to die hating the Party and Big Brother, because even if the Party controls every other aspect of his life, this hatred will prove that he died a person with at least a tiny modicum of dignity and agency.

If there is hope, it must lie in the proles

Imperative of “must” presents Winston’s hope. Winston accepts that he is doomed as an individual rebelling by himself but sees the proletariat as holding a significant amount of power. This ties in with the Party’s linguistic control and the way they issue commands and orders to control citizens and their actions — the proles ‘must’ do this but it is useless because the proles are kept in the dark for this very reason. This passage stands in contrast to the rest of the novel, which stresses the inevitability of the Party's total power over the population. Winston's belief that hope "lay in the proles" reflects Karl Marx's theory that revolution would be achieved through a temporary "dictatorship of the proletariat," meaning a period of time when working-class wage labourers took control of political power, overthrowing the bourgeoisie.

How small…how small it always was!

Epizeuxis of how small emphasises the expansiveness of his rebellion in contrast to The Party’s control.

Throughout the novel, the paperweight has symbolised Winston and Julia's relationship: like the beautiful piece of coral encased in glass, Winston's and Julia's bond has been safely concealed in their rented room—until now. Winston marvels at "how small [the coral] always was," which is to say that the glass distorted his perception of it. This parallels his view of himself and Julia: up until this point, he viewed their relationship as a more formidable act of resistance against the Party than it really was. Owning the paperweight and visiting the room were both small acts of rebellion that allowed Winston to feel like he had a modicum of privacy and control over his own life — things that were normal prior to the Revolution but became impossible under the Party's regime. The paperweight shattering thus coincides with the Party's ability to shatter the room's façade of safety in an instant, severing Winston and Julia's connection to each other and to their little slice of the past.

in the place where there is no darkness

The "place where there is no darkness" could be a positive or negative: on the one hand, darkness is usually associated with evil or terror or other bad things. On the other hand, darkness provides privacy, and a place with no darkness is similar, then, to a place under constant surveillance.