In Chapter 3 of Book 1, Winston says his mother’s death was tragic in a way no longer possible. Tragedy, he says, belongs to an ancient time. What does he mean?

Reflecting on his mother’s death, Winston says it was tragic and sorrowful in a way that is no longer possible. Tragedy belongs to an ancient time when there was love and when family members stayed together. It is also the case that the very words used to describe the relationship with his mother, and his feelings about losing her, either no longer exist or soon will not exist. The novel poses the questions: If there is no word for love or sorrow, can those emotions exist? If the Party vaporizes people and turns them into unpersons, how can people experience loss when there’s nothing there to lose?