Page 118 - 1984

what you can remember, that life in 1925 was better than it
is now, or worse? If you could choose, would you prefer to
live then or now?’
The old man looked meditatively at the darts board. He
finished up his beer, more slowly than before. When he
spoke it was with a tolerant philosophical air, as though the
beer had mellowed him.
‘I know what you expect me to say,’ he said. ‘You expect
me to say as I’d sooner be young again. Most people’d say
they’d sooner be young, if you arst’ ‘em. You got your ‘ealth
and strength when you’re young. When you get to my time
of life you ain’t never well. I suffer something wicked from
my feet, and my bladder’s jest terrible. Six and seven times
a night it ‘as me out of bed. On the other ‘and, there’s great
advantages in being a old man. You ain’t got the same wor-
ries. No truck with women, and that’s a great thing. I ain’t
‘ad a woman for near on thirty year, if you’d credit it. Nor
wanted to, what’s more.’
Winston sat back against the window-sill. It was no use
going on. He was about to buy some more beer when the old
man suddenly got up and shuffled rapidly into the stink-
ing urinal at the side of the room. The extra half-litre was
already working on him. Winston sat for a minute or two
gazing at his empty glass, and hardly noticed when his feet
carried him out into the street again. Within twenty years
at the most, he reflected, the huge and simple question,
‘Was life better before the Revolution than it is now?’ would
have ceased once and for all to be answerable. But in effect
it was unanswerable even now, since the few scattered sur-

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