1984

Winston has lunch with his coworker Syme at the Ministry canteen. Syme’s job in the Ministry is to reduce the amount of words in the Eleventh Edition of the Newspeak Dictionary. He brags, “We’re destroying words—scores of them, hundreds of them, every day. We’re cutting the language down to the bone” (65). Syme is enthusiastic about his work for the Ministry, but Winston worries that Syme might someday be vaporized for seeing too clearly and speaking too plainly (68). Parsons joins Winston and Syme and apologizes to Winston for the way his children behaved when he visited to fix their plumbing, although Parsons is clearly proud of his children for their spy activities and Party loyalty.

Their conversation is interrupted by an announcement from the Ministry of Plenty on the canteen telescreen sharing news that the standard of living has risen by more than 20% over the past year. Rations are being adjusted accordingly, drawing approval from Parsons and fellow Party members. Winston, though, realizes that rations are being reduced, not increased as people are being told on the telescreen. Parsons doesn’t seem to notice, even as he asks Winston if he has any razor blades, and Syme seems to accept the unexplained alteration in the ration records.