1984 Chapter 2
1984
Chapter 2
The Spies
As he opens the door, Winston sees that he left the diary open on the table. DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER is written in it, in letters you can almost read across the room. But everything is alright. A small, sad-looking woman is standing outside.
"Oh, Comrade Smith," she says, in a low little voice, "do you think you could come across to my flat and help me with our kitchen sink? The water is filling up the sink and ..."
It is Mrs. Parsons, his neighbor. She is about thirty but looks much older. Winston follows her into her flat. These repairs happen almost daily. The Victory Mansions flats are old, built in about 1930, and they are falling to pieces. Unless you do the repairs yourself, the Party has to agree to them. It could take two years to get new glass in a window.
"Tom isn't home," Mrs. Parsons explains.
The Parsons’ flat is bigger than Winston's and unattractive in a different way. Everything is broken. There are sports clothes and sports equipment all over the floor, and dirty dishes on the table. On the walls are the red flags of the Young People's League and the Spies and a full-sized poster of Big Brother. There is the usual smell of old food, but also the smell of old sweat. In another room someone is singing with the marching music that is still coming from the telescreen.
"It's the children," says Mrs. Parsons, looking in fear at the door to the other room. "They haven’t been out of the flat today and of course…" She often stops without finishing her sentences.
In the kitchen, the sink is full of dirty, green water.
"Of course if Tom was home…" Mrs.. Parsons starts.
Tom Parsons works with Winston at the Ministry of Truth. He is a fat but active man who is unbelievably stupid and full of enthusiasm. He is a follower with no mind of his own - the type of follower that the Party needs even more than they need the Thought Police.
At thirty-five Tom Parsons was only recently dismissed from the Young People's League (desligado da Liga da Juventude), although he wanted to stay. Before that he continued in the Spies for a year beyond the official age. At the Ministry he has a job which needs no intelligence, but he works for the Party every evening, organizing walks and other activities. The smell of his sweat fills every room he is in and stays there after he leaves.
Winston repairs the sink, taking out the unpleasant ball of hair that is stopping the water from running away. He washes his hands and goes back to the other room.
"Put up your hands!" shouts a voice.
A big, handsome boy of nine is pointing a toy gun at him. His small sister, about two years younger, points a piece of wood. Both are dressed in the blue, gray and red uniforms of the Spies. Winston puts his hands up. The look of hate on the boy's face makes him feel that it is not quite a game.
"You're a Eurasian spy!" screams the boy. "You're a thoughtcriminal! I’ll shoot you, I'll vaporize you!"
Suddenly they are both running around him, shouting "Spy! Thoughtcriminal!" The little girl does everything seconds after her older brother. It is frightening, like the games of young, dangerous wild animals before they grow to be man-eaters. Winston can see that the boy really wants to hit or kick him, and is nearly big enough to do so. He is glad that the gun in the boy's hand is only a toy.
"They wanted to see the Eurasian prisoners hang. But I'm too busy to take them and Tom’s at…"
"We want to see them hang!" shouts the boy, and then the girl starts shouting it too.
Some Eurasian prisoners, guilty of war crimes against Oceania, are going to hang slowly in the park that evening. This happens every month or two and is a popular entertainment in the evening. Parents often take their children to see it.
Winston says goodbye to Mrs. Parsons and walks towards the door. He hears a loud noise as a bomb falls. About twenty or thirty of them are falling on London each week. Then he feels a terrible pain in the back of his neck. He turns and sees Mrs. Parsons trying to take some stones from her son's hand.
"Goldstein!" screams the boy.
But Winston is most shocked by the look of helpless terror on Mrs. Parsons’ grey face.
