Arrival at Victory Mansions

Winston Smith slips through the glass doors of Victory Mansions on a bright cold April day, trying to escape the gritty wind. The hallway smells of boiled cabbage and old rag mats, and an enormous poster of Big Brother stares down at him with the caption 'Big Brother is watching you.' He takes the stairs because the lift is not working and the electric current is cut off during daylight hours as part of the economy drive for Hate Week. On each landing the poster follows him with its eyes. The flat itself contains a telescreen that cannot be switched off completely. A fruity voice reads out pig-iron production figures. Winston looks out at the Ministry of Truth, the vast white pyramid carrying the Party slogans 'War is Peace', 'Freedom is Slavery' and 'Ignorance is Strength'. This opening scene establishes the surveillance, deprivation and ideological pressure that dominate his life.