Chapter 5-6
Chapter 5
Info
- page: 51-66
- place: Canteen at the "Ministry of Truth" (p. 45, l. 28)
- time: lunchtime
- people: Winston, Syme, Mr Parsons, Julia
Content
- During the lunch break, Winston meets Syme, a friend who works in the "Research Department" (p. 51, l. 12) as a "philologist" (p. 51, l. 15). Syme's task is to rephrase the existing Old Speak into "Newspeak" (p. 51, l. 16)
- The point behind "Newspeak" (p. 51, l. 16) is to stop free-spirited thinking by eliminating significant words marked with autonomous meanings from the vocabulary. According to the motto: If words are not used, their meaning slowly but surely disappears from the minds of the population
- Although Winston finds Syme sympathetic, he also fears Syme's intelligence could mean that Syme may be a member of the "Thought Police" (p. 5, l. 4)
- Winston also suspects Mr Parsons, who joins the two gentlemen a little later, of possible membership in a secret alliance of the system
- It disgusts Winston when Parsons tells how committed and enthusiastic his children are to the "Ingsoc" (p. 4. l. 25 f.) party at a young age
- Winston feels less observed than spied on by Julia, who also eats lunch in the canteen
Chapter 6
Info
- page: 67-73
- place: Winston's flat on the seventh floor of the tenement "Victory Mansions" (p. 3, l. 5)
- time: in the evening
- people: Winston
Content
- When Winston returns to his flat in the evening, he is preoccupied with thoughts about intimacy and sex. He writes in his diary about sexual intercourse with a prostitute, which happened three years ago
- Even though sexual intercourse with prostitutes is generally forbidden, the penalties for it are relatively low. The state is primarily concerned with the fact that sex is purely for procreation and must never be a source of pleasure
- Winston immediately thinks of his former partner Katherine, but he cannot divorce her because divorce is forbidden in Oceania
- He remembers the unsatisfactory relationship with Katherine, who hated sex and was also a fanatical supporter of the "Ingsoc" (p. 4, l. 25 f.) party
- For Winston, the path to having fulfilling sex with a new woman would be a welcome opportunity to rebel against the system