1984 Surveillance Quotes

Inside the flat a fruity voice was reading out a list of figures which had something to do with the production of pig-iron. The voice came from an oblong metal plaque like a dulled mirror which formed part of the surface of the right-hand wall. Winston turned a switch and the voice sank somewhat, though the words were still distinguishable. The instrument (the telescreen, it was called) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely.

– George Orwell

1984. Part 1, Chapter 1. The people of Oceania are constantly being monitored by the Party.

‘You’re a traitor!’ yelled the boy. ‘You’re a thought criminal! You’re a Eurasian spy! I’ll shoot you, I’ll vaporize you, I’ll send you to the salt mines!’ Suddenly they were both leaping around him, shouting ‘Traitor!’ and ‘Thought-criminal!’, the little girl imitating her brother in every movement. It was somehow slightly frightening, like the gamboling of tiger cubs which will soon grow up into man-eaters.

– George Orwell

1984. Part 1, Chapter 2. Yes even kids can sometimes turn against their own parents. The children of Tom Parsons leap around the obnoxious Party member who works at the Ministry of Truth. Parsons’ ill-mannered kids are members of the Junior Spies and eventually betray him.

It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen. The smallest thing could give you away. A nervous tic, an unconscious look of anxiety, a habit of muttering to yourself – anything that carried with it the suggestion of abnormality, of having something to hide. In any case, to wear an improper expression on your face (to look incredulous when a victory was announced, for example) was itself a punishable offence.

– George Orwell

1984. Part 1, Chapter 5. Winston has a moment of fear as he realizes he is being watched.

It seemed to him that he knew exactly what it felt like to sit in a room like this, in an armchair beside an open fire with your feet in the fender and a kettle on the hob: utterly alone, utterly secure, with nobody watching you, no voice pursuing you, no sound except the singing of the kettle and the friendly ticking of the clock.

– George Orwell

1984. Part 1, Chapter 8. Winston’s feelings in the cozy, old-fashioned room above junk-shop in prole quarters, belonging to Mr. Charrington. But it is all a lie, as is in a property ofa member of the Thought Police and under surveillance from a hidden telescreen.

And do you know what I’m going to do next? I’m going to get hold of a real woman’s frock from somewhere and wear it instead of these bloody trousers. I’ll wear silk stockings and high-heeled shoes! In this room I’m going to be a woman, not a Party comrade.

– George Orwell

1984. Part 2, Chapter 4. Julia to Winston in their apartment. Julia has just put on makeup and perfume, which are both banned by the Party. Little do they know that they are being observed by the Thought Police via a telescreen hidden behind the painting on the wall.

They could do nothing except stand gazing into one another’s eyes. To run for life, to get out of the house before it was too late – no such thought occurred to them. Unthinkable to disobey the iron voice from the wall. There was a snap as though a catch had been turned back, and a crash of breaking glass. The picture had fallen to the floor uncovering the telescreen behind it.
‘Now they can see us,’ said Julia.
‘Now we can see you,’ said the voice.

– George Orwell

1984. Part 2, Chapter 10. For Winston and Julia the game is up. They have been under surveillance from a hidden telescreen all along and Big Brother has heard their every word.
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