On page 36,is watching
the telescreen while his mind drifts. He begins to think about the way in which the Party has
erased the past while the instructor on the telescreen is forcing him to do exercises. Then, the
"shrewish voice" of the exercise instructor on the telescreen is directed at Winston.
The instructor calls him "6079 Smith W" and tells him to "bend lower!" Then,
there is the following description of Winston:
"A
sudden hot sweat had broken out all over Winston's body. His face remained completely
inscrutable. Never show dismay! Never show resentment! A single flicker of the eyes could give
you away" (page 36).
This quote is about the way in
which the media, including telescreens, prevent everyone in Oceania from doing anything
subversive. The media is part of the way in which Big Brother maintains total control. In fact,
the control of the media is so pervasive that the performers on screen can see the audience (the
people at home) and monitor what they are doing. The telescreen wakes Winston up, and he is
forced to do exercises against his will. This type of media surveillance prevents people from
having their own thoughts, as they are not allowed any private time. Just as Winston begins
thinking about the way in which the Party controls what people remember about the past, the
instructor on the telescreen notices that he is not doing his exercises correctly and tells him
to bend lower.
In the quote above, Winston feels incredibly nervous and
anxious because he knows he is being watched and that the instructor noticed he wasn't doing
what he was supposed to have been doing. However, he keeps his face "inscrutable,"
meaning that no one can understand what he is thinking. He can't give any indication that he
feels upset with the Party, as even one movement of his eyes could give away his resentment.
Even a small indication of resentment would receive retribution from the Party, showing that
there is no individual freedom in Oceania.
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