Chapter 10
In the low‑ceilinged underground canteen, Winston lines up for the daily stew. He is approached by his colleague Syme, a diminutive philologist working on the Eleventh Edition of the Newspeak dictionary. Syme asks Winston for razor blades, revealing that they have been scarce for months; Winston admits he has none. Their trays are filled with the standard stew, bread, cheese, and Victory Coffee. The two discuss the recent public hangings, with Syme describing them in graphic detail and expressing a perverse fascination.
Winston inquires about the progress of the dictionary; Syme proudly explains that the Eleventh Edition will eliminate obsolete words, reducing the language to a handful of terms such as “good,” “ungood,” and “doubleplusgood.” He argues that this destruction of vocabulary will eventually make thoughtcrime impossible because there will be no words left to express dissent. Syme predicts that by 2050 no human will be able to understand conversations like theirs and that the proles will be considered non‑human.
A white‑aproned prole calls out “Nex!” and Winston and Syme finish their meals. The canteen’s noisy atmosphere is punctuated by a harsh, quacking voice from another table—an eyeless man in the Fiction Department who utters orthodoxy in a rapid, duck‑like rhythm. Syme mentions the Newspeak term “duckspeak,” noting its dual meaning as both abuse and praise.
Parsons, Winston’s neighbor, arrives cheerfully, greeting them with “Hul o, hul o!” and joining the table. He talks about his role as treasurer for the block’s Hate‑Week subscription, extracts two filthy notes from Winston, and boasts about his children’s zeal in reporting a presumed enemy agent. He also recounts a recent incident where children set fire to a marketwoman’s skirt and describes a new “ear trumpet” toy.
The telescreen interrupts the conversation with a Ministry of Plenty announcement proclaiming a 20 % rise in the standard of living, mass demonstrations, and an increase in chocolate rations—though the ration is later said to be reduced, illustrating the Party’s contradictory propaganda. Winston, Parsons, and the quacking voice each react to the broadcast in their own way.
After the announcement, Winston and Syme discuss the possibility of obtaining razor blades; Parsons asks again, and Winston repeats he has none. The quacking voice resumes. Winston becomes aware that the dark‑haired girl from the Fiction Department is watching him intently; he feels a pang of terror and recalls that she had sat behind him during the Two Minutes Hate. He fears she may be a Thought Police informant and worries about being observed for any sign of non‑orthodoxy.
The chapter ends with Winston noting that Syme, Parsons, the eyeless quacker, the beetle‑like men in the ministries, and the girl are all likely to survive, whereas Syme, Parsons’s wife, O’Brien, and himself are destined for vaporization, reinforcing his growing sense of impending doom.