Summary

The action is continuous. As John keeps trying to quiet him, Winston calls for the guard, Hodosh. John urges him to let Hodoshe be. Winston keeps calling, but suddenly falls silent. He examines an injury to John’s ear, and starts to clean it with his shirt.

John makes a joking, metaphoric reference in the style of a weather forecast to how their situation has not changed, and is not likely to change. Winston talks about how the sand they moved was the same sand as was on the beach he played on during holidays when he was young. John has similar memories, but then returns to the thought of how hard Hodoshe made them work. He references how worn down he felt and became after hearing the sound of Winston’s wheelbarrow again and again. Winston says he felt the same...