"There were times when it went on and on until the cruel, wicked, unforgivable thing seemed to him not that the guards continued to beat him but that he could not force himself into losing consciousness" (240).
I really like this quote, simply because it is a paradox. I find them really interesting and I love explaining them. So here I go: Usually it would seem that the beating would be the cruelest thing, but no. By slipping into unconsciousness, the pain would be gone. Therefore, the pain is not the cruelest thing, but the fact Winston couldn't, and possibly wasn't physically able, to leave his consciousness. Also, to contribute to the quote's significance, I think the Party uses this to their advantage. Maybe not just the Party, but it is the subconscious knowledge of any torturer in history. They all know that they are inflicting pain, but they know you cannot willfully escape it and are forced to be subjected to it until they make you unconscious.
Prevaricate-[Verb(used w/o object] To speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect; lie.
Despotism-[Noun] 1. The rule of a despot; the exercise of absolute authority. 2. Absolute power or control; tyranny. 3. An absolute or autocratic government. 4. A country ruled by a despot.
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