Week 3!

Winston could not definitely remember a time when his country had not been at war, but it was evident that there had been fairly long interval of peace during his childhood, because one of his early memories was of an air raid which appeared to take everyone by surprise. Perhaps it was the time when the atomic bomb had fallen on Colchester. He did not remember the raid itself, but he did remember his father's hand clutching his own as they hurried down, down, down into some place deep in the earth, round and round a spiral staircase . . . (pg 32-33)

So far, the overall mood of this novel has been dismal and dark. Every page is filled with terrible stories and descriptions of what life is like in this negative utopia. This passage continues that trend, as Winston discusses how he does not remember a time in his life that there was not fighting in his lifetime. This description of atomic bombs being dropped gives the passage a violent tone that gives the reader a feel for what it is like to be Winston, living in this violent world. Also, imagery is used to give the reader a view of how Winston survived this atomic bomb falling on Colchester. The author repeats "down, down, down . . . " to emphasize that Winstons life is going down hill, just like the stair case. The events in his life are going round and round like a spiral staircase. He saw his parents suffer and die because of Big Brother, and similar to them, he is going around and followin their path. This foreshadows that Winston one day will also be running around in circles, not knowing where to go in this life.