This passage captures one of my favourite ideas explored in the novel. The idea that time is subjective, and that history only exists due to our having documented it is explored throughout the novel, and the passage above is merely a summary of the concept. In 1984, Orwell makes the argument for learning and remembering our past, by showing us a society where the past does not exist. Many students doubt the importance of history lessons, as we take for granted our ability to know with certainty anything beyond what we ourselves have witnessed. It is often forgotten that learning from our past allows us to improve the future, and in 1984 we can see a world where such learning is impossible, and thus the future stagnates. Winston himself