won’t they? YOU know what kind of chap I was. Not a bad chap in my way. Not brainy, of course, but keen. I tried to do my best for the Party, didn’t I? I’ll get off with five years, don’t you think? Or even ten years? A chap like me could make himself pretty useful in a labour camp. They wouldn’t shoot me for going off the rails just once?’

‘Are you guilty?’ said Winston.

‘Of course I’m guilty!’ cried Parsons with a servile glance at the telescreen. ‘You don’t think the Party would arrest an innocent man, do you?’ His frog-like face grew calmer and even took on a slightly sanctimonious expression.

‘Thoughtcrime is a dreadful thing, old man,’ he said sententiously. ‘It’s insidious. It can get hold of you without you even knowing it. Do you know how it got hold of me? In my sleep! Yes, that’s a fact. There I was, working away, trying to do my bit—never knew I had any bad stuff in my mind at all. And then I started talking in my sleep. Do you know what they heard me saying?’ He sank his voice, like someone who is obliged for medical reasons to utter an

obscenity. ‘’Down with Big Brother!’ Yes, I said that! Said it over and over again, it seems. Between you and me, old man, I’m glad they got me before it went any further. Do you know what I’m going to say to them when I go up before the tribunal? ‘Thank you,’ I’m going to say, ‘thank you for saving me before it was too late.‘‘

‘Who denounced you?’ said Winston.

‘It was my little daughter,’ said Parsons with a sort of doleful pride. She listened at the keyhole. Heard what I was saying and nipped off to the patrols the very next day. Pretty smart for a nipper of seven, eh? I don’t bear her any grudge for it. In fact, I’m proud of her. It shows I brought her up in the right spirit, anyway.’ “

Commentary: This extract, written by George Orwell, captures the extent of the Party’s psychological control through the act of thoughtcrime. Thoughtcrime is highly punished by the Party, even more than committing murder, showing the disturbing side of the Party, of thinking that the ability to think is the most threatening to the benefit of the Party.  The tone is desperate but disturbingly calm, Parson doesn't express anger about his arrest, instead, he talks about the gratitude he has for the Party, as when he claimed, “glad they got me before it went any further”. This reaction shows how the Party has deeply internalized its ideology to make people believe that thinking or having an opinion is a subconscious rebellion that needs immediate correction. Moreover, the characterization of Parsons as an average obedient man, as mentioned: “Not brainy, of course, but keen,” emphasizes that even the most loyal or exemplary citizens aren't safe from the Party’s orders. Also, Orwell reinforces this by showing how Parson accepts full guilt and regret for committing thoughtcrime, portraying the Party not only thrives for fear but for the destruction of personal independent thoughts as well. As a literary device, the author uses irony throughout the whole passage. The absurd mindset of Parson to be thankful for the absurd reason to be arrested for a crime committed unconsciously during his sleep demonstrates that the concept of thoughtcrime has widely reshaped reality and surveillance extent. Additionally, the symbolism of the telescreens reinforces the idea that there is no escape from surveillance; every time you mention or do something, the Party is ready to take over and intervene in your reality and personal life. Through irony, tone, and characterization, Orwell can reveal the terrifying success of the Party to control the mind, even the unconscious thoughts are crimes, and even if all your life you have been an exemplary citizen, opposition to the Party is never forgiven.

Literary elements:

• Literary device: Irony --> Parsons' attitude towards committing thoughtcrime

• Symbolisms: Telescreens --> Related to the main theme of the passage, thoughtcrime

• Motifs: Surveillance

• Character trait: Naive obedience and indoctrinated loyalty.

• Themes: Thoughtcrime (main one)