Wednesday, February 14, 2018

As Winston waits in the jail cell in the Ministry of Love, he meets the poet Ampleforth and his neighbor Parsons. What are they in for?

When Ampleforth enters the prison cell, Winston asks what he is in for and Ampleforth replies "To tell you the truth—...There is only one offence, is there not?" (Orwell, 291). Ampleforth goes on to mention that he was helping produce a definitive edition of poems by Kipling and allowed the word "God" to remain at the end of a poem. Ampleforth laments that he had to use the word "God" because it was the only possible English word that rhymed with "rod," since there are only twelve words that rhyme with "rod" in the English language. In Oceania, God does not exist and is replaced by Big Brother and the Party, which demand everyone's complete loyalty and attention.
After Ampleforth is taken to Room 101, Parsons enters Winston's cell and says that he was arrested for thoughtcrime. Parsons goes on to mention that his daughter reported him to the patrols after she heard him say, "Down with Big Brother!" in his sleep. Despite being arrested, Parsons remains orthodox and tells Winston that he is glad his daughter turned him in.

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