Orwell, George — Nineteen eighty-four [929]

‘And if the Party says that it is not four but five – then how many?’ … The word ended in a gasp of pain. The needle of the dial had shot up to fifty-five. The sweat had sprung out all over Winston’s body. The air tore into his lungs and issued again in deep groans which even by clenching his teeth he could not stop. O’Brien watched him, the four fingers still extended. He drew back the lever. This time the pain was only slightly eased. — Orwell, George, Nineteen eighty-four, 929

Note

The hinge where the epistemological question (how many) turns into a mechanical question (how much pain) — testing the limit where sense-perception can be made to yield to the will of the state. The two text segments juxtapose the pure philosophical prompt with its somatic enforcement.