In 1984 Orwell uses artifacts from
the past to layer his dystopian novel with verisimilitude. Namely, he quotes old poems
and nursery rhymes, both symbolic language of a past that no longer exists. In this
way, the truth seems but a distant memory, like the blurry face of Winston's
mother.
Here are two quotes as
examples:
[Charrington and Winston look at an old
sketch of a church]
href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0159258/">Charrington:
Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clements...
href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000457/">Winston Smith:
What was that?
href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0159258/">Charrington:
Something old...
This is a nursery rhyme that children used
to know:
readability="21">Oranges and lemons,
Say the bells of
St. Clement'sYou owe me five farthings,
Say the bells of
St. Martin'sWhen will you pay me?
Say the bells of Old
Bailey.When I grow rich,
Say the bells of
Shoreditch.When will that be?
Say the bells of
StepneyI do not know,
Says the great bell of
BowHere comes a candle to light you to bed
And here comes a
chopper to chop off your
head!href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000457/">Winston Smith:
[reciting poem] Under the spreading chestnut tree / I sold you /
You sold meThis is Orwell's take on a poem by Longfellow
called "The Village Blacksmith":readability="8">Under a spreading chestnut-tree
The
village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and
sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron
bands.
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