1984 Winston Smith Quotes

Winston Smith

Quote 34

"They can’t get inside you. If you can feel that staying human is worth while, even when it can’t have any result whatever, you’ve beaten them."

He thought of the telescreen with its never-sleeping ear. They could spy upon you night and day, but if you kept your head you could still outwit them. (2.7.30-31)

Winston believes that as long as his rebellious spirit is intact, the Party can not triumph.

Winston Smith

Quote 35

"We believe that there is some kind of conspiracy, some kind of secret organization working against the Party, and that you are involved in it. We want to join it and work for it. We are enemies of the Party. We disbelieve in the principles of Ingsoc. We are thought-criminals. We are also adulterers. I tell you this because we want to put ourselves at your mercy. If you want us to incriminate ourselves in any other way, we are ready." (2.8.16)

Winston and Julia profess their devotion and loyalty to the ultimate force of rebellion – the Brotherhood.

"If you are a man, Winston, you are the last man. Your kind is extinct; we are the inheritors. Do you understand that you are alone? You are outside history, you are non-existent." His manner changed and he said more harshly: "And you consider yourself morally superior to us, with our lies and our cruelty?" "Yes, I consider myself superior." (3.3.58-59, O’Brien and Winston)

Winston’s belief in his moral superiority to the Party’s lies and cruelty is indispensable to his rebellious spirit.