The Man in the Pub

Winston comes across this Prole man in a pub, and wants to talk to him to find out about life before the Party had taken control over everyone. It seems that the man is not particularly cognitive – he had little control over his own thought processes, isn’t fully aware of who he actually is, and couldn’t remember much from his time living in freedom. The man simply has become accustomed to a life of oppression. His speech is distinct due to his accent and colloquial vernacular. The only thing that he’s able to tell Winston for sure is that “the beer was better.” He turns out to be a pretty poor source of information, but highlights the extent to which government control has subjugated the natural human experience in Oceania.