Chapter 1
The chapter opens with the striking of thirteen on the clocks and a bitter April wind. Winston Smith, bracing against the wind, pushes through the glass doors of Victory Mansions, bringing in a swirl of gritty dust. The hallway smells of boiled cabbage and old rag mats. On one wall hangs a massive, coloured poster—an enlarged portrait of a middle‑aged man with a black moustache, whose eyes seem to follow the viewer. Winston decides to take the stairs because the lift rarely works, and the building’s electricity has been shut off during daylight as part of an economy drive gearing up for Hate Week. He must climb seven flights; at thirty‑nine years old he is slowed by a varicose ulcer above his right ankle and must rest several times. Each landing mirrors the first, with the BIG BROTHER poster staring from the wall, its eyes tracking his movement. The chapter ends with the caption “BIG BROTHER IS” appearing beneath the face.