Wednesday, 24 December 2008

1984(17): Learning to love Big Brother

"I saw them gradually worn down, whimpering, grovelling, weeping - and in the end it was not with pain or fear, only with penitence. By the time we had finished with them they were only the shells of men. There was nothing left in them except sorrow for what they had done, and love of Big Brother. It was touching to see how they loved him."

... He
[Winston Smith] gazed up at the enormous face. Forty years it had taken him to learn what kind of smile was hidden beneath the dark moustache. O cruel, needless misunderstanding! O stubborn, self-willed exile from the loving breast! Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.

From Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell.

"Tony Blair used to say his mission would be complete when the Labour Party learned to love Peter [Mandelson]"

From an interview with Peter Mandelson in last weekend's FT.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who's William Smith?

Mark Wadsworth said...

The central character in the book.

Anonymous said...

Really? I'm sure he was called Winston Smith when I read it last... :)

Mark Wadsworth said...

My bad, I have amended.

William Smith was the chap who first postulated evoltion and single handedly invented geology. I always get them mixed up.

Nick von Mises said...

Easily done.

Mac the Knife said...

Hm. It's a tall order Wadders, from several perspectives, not least of all:

"Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Fucking Evil Piss Weasel." just doesn't sound right...