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Who is the main character in 1984 and how would you describe them?
His name is Winston Smith. Winston is very paranoid of his surroundings starting out yet he is very gullible. Although he has friends, he is very judgemental and wary of them. Winston is 39 and has a varicose ulcer above his ankle.
Where does the novel take place? Can you name the country and city?
London(Airstrip One), Oceania
What are the three slogans of the Party? Can you write them as they appear in the novel?
War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength
What is written on the posters in 1984 and what purpose does it serve?
“Big Brother is Watching You” - the poster is designed to remind citizens of Oceania that the party/Big Brother is constantly watching and listening to their everyday lives
Can you name each Ministry and explain what each one does? Please include the Newspeak name for each.
Ministry of Truth (minitrue) - concerns itself with news, entertainment, education, and fine arts
Ministry of Peace (minipax) - concerns itself with war
Ministry of Love (miniluv) - concerns itself with maintaining law and order. Also responsible for torturing people and using fear tactics to keep people under the party’s grasp.
Ministry of Plenty (miniplenty) - responsible for economic affairs
On what date does the main character in record his thoughts?
April 4, 1984
Describe the two individuals the main character encounters before the Two Minutes Hate. What are his thoughts on each of them?
A girl who works in the fiction department. She’s about 27, with thick dark hair, a freckled face, and swift athletic movements. She’s a member of the Junior Anti-Sex league and she carried an atmosphere of hockey fields, cold baths, community hikes, and general clean mindedness. Winston feels as though she’s dangerous and believes she may be a member of the thought police.
O’Brien is a member of the inner party. He’s a large, burly man with a thick neck and coarse, humorous, brutal face. Obrien is charming. Winston feels deeply drawn to O’Brien.
Who is Emmanuel Goldstein and why is he important? How is his image described?
Emmanuel Goldstein is an enemy of the party. During the two minute hate, his face appears on the telescreens. At one point, Goldstein had been one of the leading fighters of the party but one day betrayed the party. He is believed to still be alive and hatching his conspiracies. He has a lean Jewish face, great fuzzy aureole of white hair and a small goatee beard - a clever face, and yet somehow inherently despicable. He’s an object of anger for the party. He’s also thought to be the leader of the Brotherhood, an underground organization committed to overthrowing the party.
Discuss the significance of Big Brother in and describe his appearance.
Big Brother is thought to be the all-seeing and all-knowing leader of the party. He’s described as being “... black-haired, black-mustachio’d, full of power and mysterious calm, and so vast that it almost filled the screen.”
What crime does the main character commit? How does he do it and what is his punishment?
The main character, Winston, commits Thoughtcrime. He does it by writing down his thoughts against the Party in a diary. He would vaporize and cease to exist as his punishment.
What is the telescreen and how is it utilized?
A telescreen is an instrument used by the Party to monitor the civilians of Oceania. It has the appearance of a two-way television that is located in every home and business, and it can not be turned off.
Define thoughtcrime and provide an example of it.
Thoughtcrime is the act of thinking any thoughts that go against the Party or Big Brother. It is essentially the act of committing a crime against the government within your thoughts. An example of Thoughtcrime is Winston writing in his diary. Before Winston had even written in his diary, he had committed Thoughtcrime, since he was already thinking about going against Big Brother and the Inner Party.
What happens to the rewritten news articles after Winston puts them into the pneumatic tube? Why is this significant?
Once Winston puts the articles in the pneumatic tube, they burn to dust. This is significant because it further illustrates how the ministry of truth has the ability to alter the truth and the past while also deleting the past by burning these articles of the past.
Is Winston's view that altering historical documents is not forgery but a form of rebellion accurate? What does he think it is?
No, he sees it as substituting one piece of nonsense for another, not as a form of rebellion.
What brings Winston the most joy in his life, and why is it so significant to him?
His greatest pleasure in life is his work. It’s important to him because he enjoys the complexity of having to rely on his knowledge and what the Party wants him to say. On top of that he’s good at it.
Can you describe the purpose of Newspeak and how it operates?
Newspeak is the official language of Oceania. It replaces complex words that would require thinking in order to use effectively. The purpose of NewSpeak is to eliminate the need for this thinking process for communication. For example, instead of saying something is “bad” or “terrible”, you would just use “ungood”.
According to Syme, what is his observation regarding Winston's attitude towards Newspeak?
Winston isn’t as enthusiastic about newspeak as Syme is. Even though Winston writes in newspeak, he still thinks in oldspeak when writing.
What is Winston thinking as he hears about the increased production and raised ration levels, including the chocolate ration, during lunch?
How the people were able to digest the fact that just the day before they had announced that the rations had been reduced by 20 grams a week.
What is facecrime, and could you provide an example of it?
“It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen. The smallest thing could give you away. A nervous tic, an unconscious look of anxiety, a habit of muttering to yourself—anything that carried with it the suggestion of abnormality, of having something to hide. In any case, to wear an improper expression on your face (to look incredulous when a victory was announced, for example) was itself a punishable offence.”
Who is observing Winston during lunch, and how does this impact him?
The dark hair girl was watching him. Winston becomes paranoid because he does not know how long she’s been watching him as well as if she’ll tell on him as a supposed member of the thought police.
What is the Party's objective concerning male-female relationships and sex?
The party’s goal was to remove all pleasure from sex and make all citizens see sex and childbearing as their duty to the party.
How does the Party manage marriage, divorce, and children according to their policy?
Marriage is only allowed to couples who don’t give the impression that they’re attracted to each other. Divorce is permitted under no circumstance and seperation is only permitted when the couple has no kids. The purpose of marriage was for the purpose of begotting children.
Where does Winston believe hope lies, and why?
Winston believes that hope lies in the Proles because they aren’t constantly monitored and can think freely.
What is the Party's belief regarding the proles?
The party sees the proles as inferior, and could care less about them.
Can you describe the instance when Winston had concrete evidence of falsification by the Party?
He found a half-torn piece of a newspaper talking about Rutherford, Jones, and Aaronson’s crimes against the Party that confirmed that their confessions to their crimes were lies. Winston feared being caught by a telescreen though, and he threw it down the memory hole.
What troubles Winston the most, in addition to the feeling of being trapped in a never-ending nightmare?
Winston knows that he is living just to get caught and to never have existed.
What disturbs Winston more than the fear of being deemed insane?
The fear that some accident or unfortunate situation would betray him to the Thought Police. The fact that he knows things aren’t in their natural order and nobody else seems to notice. (kinda iffy on this one)
What is the "heresy of heresies," and why does it terrify Winston?
In 1984, 'the heresy of heresies' refers to challenging the party's orthodoxy which is terrifying to Winston as it is considered a punishable offense in Oceania. This fear also symbolizes Winston's desire for personal freedom.
Who does Winston realize he is writing his diary for, and what is the reason behind it?
Winston believes that he is writing his diary for O’Brien because he thinks O’Brien is on his side.
What is the ultimate and most crucial command of the Party?
Reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.
What does Winston document in his diary?
Winston documents his memories, thoughts, but also his hatred for the Party.
What occurs when Winston visits the antique shop, and whom does he encounter upon leaving?
Winston learns the history of an old rhyme (Chruch of St. Clements Song) and he buys a paperweight, on his way out he sees the dark haired girl.
Explain the aftermath of the girl with the dark hair falling to the ground.
Her arm is in a sling. She falls near Winston, and he helps her up. While he is helping her up, she slips a note in Winston's hand.
What is the content of the note given to Winston by the brown-hair girl?
The content says, "I Love You"
Analyze Winston's sentiments towards the message inscribed on the note.
He is stunned and finds it hard to concentrate on his work for part of the day. He feels a desire to stay alive. That night in the dark he thinks about ways to meet with the girl. Then he becomes afraid that he might lose her.
Detail the dynamics of Winston and Julia’s second face-to-face encounter.
It takes places at lunch time in the canteen a week later. Winston sits at her table and they are able to arrange a meeting in Victory Square for that night.
Elaborate on the interaction between the characters at Victory Square.
They stand next to eachother and watch a parade of prisoners go by. They do not look at eachother. The girl gives Winston directions for a place to meet the following Sunday. They manage to hold hands for about 10 Seconds.
Explore Winston's initial feelings when the girl embraces him. Which emotion does he not experience?
He feels incredulity and pride. He does not feel any physical desire.
Identify the name of the girl.
Julia
Delve into the response given by the girl when Winston inquires about what drew her to him.
She says there is something in his face that shows he does not belong. She knew right away that Winston was against the Party.
Describe the girl's stance on the party to Winston.
She hates the Party. She says the Party wants to stop people from having fun, so she breaks the rules whenever she can. She has no interest in Party doctrine. However, she always acts interested in the Party and participates in many activities.
Summarize Julia's interpretation of the Party's strict views on sexual behavior.
the Party prohibits sex in order to channel the sexual frustration of the citizens into fervent opposition to Party enemies and for passionate worship of Big Brother.
How has the Party manipulated the natural parental instinct according to Winston?
They have made it in a way where children are raised to be the watcher of their parents. If they make any deviations or commit any crimes then their children should report them. The kids were essentially an extension of the Thought Police.
What action does Winston take during his next visit to the small shop, and what is the reason behind it?
He buys further beautiful scraps from Mr. Charrington, and his reason was to drag the rest of a poem out of his mind. The poem is about the church of St. Clements.
What does Julia bring along to their rendezvous?
Chocolate from the black market
How does Winston respond upon encountering the rat?
He exclaimed and squealed like a child. Winston has a fear of rats.
Winston also throws a shoe at the rat
Who has disappeared in George Orwell's novel 1984?
Syme
How has Winston's character evolved since he began frequenting the secret room with Julia?
Winston had dropped his habit of drinking gin at all hours. He seemed to have lost the need for it. He had grown fatter, his varicose ulcer had subsided, leaving only a brown stain on the skin above his ankle, his fits of coughing in the early morning had stopped. The process of life had ceased to be intolerable, he had no longer any impulse to make faces at the telescreen or shout curses at the top of his voice.
What realization dawns upon Winston and Julia concerning their forbidden relationship?
They know it cannot last.
What crucial insight does Winston gain from discussing his past memories with Julia?
He realizes that it is easy to look like one was supporting the Party when one has no idea what was really going on.
Narrate the first encounter between Winston and O'Brien in Orwell's 1984.
O’Brien compliments Winston’s article that was featured in the times. Within Winston’s article, he uses two words which have now become obsolete in the Newspeak language. O’Brien notices this and asks Winston if he’s read the new Newspeak dictionary. Winston has not so O’Brien invited Winston to his house to read it since he already owns a copy.
What significance does Winston attribute to his meeting with O'Brien?
Winston sees his meeting O’Brien as another step in Winston’s involuntary plan, the first step being thoughtcrime and the second being the use of Winston’s journal.
He thinks the meeting means that the conspiracy against The Party is real and he has reached it. He also thinks it will mean his death.
What does Winston warn Julia about in terms of the ultimate betrayal if they get caught?
if they can be made to stop loving each other
According to Winston, what strategy can they employ to overcome the Party's oppression?
Winston believed that the party could never truly grab hold of them because they could never tamper with their heart.
Paint a picture of the meeting at O'Brien's residence involving O'Brien, Julia, and Winston.
After O'Brien turns off his telescreen, they tell him they are there to join the Brotherhood. After doing so, O’Brien breaks down all the rules. Winston and Julia have to be willing to do anything no matter what even if it means hurting children. If they’re caught, they’re expected to tell all of the Brotherhood’s secrets. O’Brien will try to sneak a razor blade into their prison to allow them to kill themselves. He mentions that Julia and Winston may be separated but Winston and Julia are not willing to do so. O’Brien also mentions that if Winston and Julia are caught, there’s a chance that the Brotherhood may be able to grab ahold of them and provide surgery that will change their identities. O’Brien will send someone to give Winston Goldstien’s book where he will learn of the Brotherhood’s ideals and the inner workings of the party.
What surprising knowledge does O'Brien possess that leaves Winston shocked in 1984?
O’Brien knows the St. Clements song
Why is Winston working such long hours?
Because the party is preparing for hate week
What is the aim of modern warfare according to The Book and the principles of doublethink?
is to use up the products of the machine without raising the general standard of living. Ever since the end of the nineteenth century, the problem of what to do with the surplus of consumption goods has been latent in industrial society. At present, when few human beings even have enough to eat, this problem is obviously not urgent, and it might not have become so, even if no artificial processes of destruction had been at work.
What does The Book reveal about the true nature of the war and its purpose?
The aim of modern warfare is to establish world peace by constantly participating in a war that never progresses or regresses.
Why does Winston pause while reading Chapter 1 of The Book?
Winston stops reading to appreciate how he’s able to read without fear of a telescreen or someone watching him
How does the current government differ from previous ones, and what technological innovation facilitates this difference?
The current government is able to watch all the citizens all the time because of the invention of the two-way telescreen. Previous governments were not able to watch the citizens all of the time.
Break down the structure of the Party in detail.
Three class make up Oceania society: The Inner Party, which is the ruling class, and it communicates Big Brother's message to the lower classes. The Outer Party, which hold positions of trust, but they aren't decision makers in the government. The proles, short for proletariat and the working class.
Define the concept of doublethink and its significance in the novel.
Doublethink, as described in "1984," is the act of holding two contradictory beliefs simultaneously and accepting both of them. In the context of the novel, the Party employs doublethink as a means of maintaining its iron grip on the thoughts and actions of its citizens.
What is the one act that Winston and Julia acknowledge they will never perform together?
They would never have a child together.
After uttering "We are the dead," what transpires between Winston and Julia?
A telescreen within Mr. Charington’s attic room repeats the quote and the secret police invade the area and arrest Julia and Winston.
What unsettling realization does Winston make about Mr. Charrington?
Mr Charrington is a member of the secret police
Where is Winston located at the beginning of part 3?
In a prison cell within the ministry of love
What is Winston Smith's assigned number within the society?
6079
Who is introduced into Winston's cell, and why does he believe he's been arrested?
Ampleforth - He allowed the the word God to remain at the end of a line of one of Rudyard Kiplings poems.
Describe the arrival of the 2nd important individual into the cell, the reason behind their arrest, the identity of the accuser, and their reaction to the situation.
Parsons - He was arrested for saying “down with big brother” in his sleep. His daughter overheard him through the keyhole in his bedroom and reported him to the patrols the next day.
What is the number associated with the room where certain prisoners are taken, and how do they respond to this relocation?
Room 101, most prisoners freak out while others become so afraid that the color leaves their skin and they become too afraid to speak
Who enters the room subsequently, and what revelation does Winston uncover about this person?
O’Brien, is a member of the party who has betrayed him
Detail the events unfolding in Three: II involving Winston and the individual responsible.
Winston is taken to a room where he’s layed out on a table. Attached to the table is a dial that O’Brien controls. The higher the dial is turned up, the more pain Winston feels. During part 2 of chapter three, O’Brien attempts to convince Winston that 2+2=5, that Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia, and that the evidence that Winston had of Rutherford Jones and Aaronson being innocent never existed.
Share O'Brien's disclosures about Big Brother, the Party, and the Brotherhood to Winston.
He says that Big Brother and the Party are forever and will never die. He also denies the fact that the Brotherhood even exists but also admits that it will always be a part of the peoples lives as it has always been.
What inquiry does Winston pose to O'Brien in Three: II, and how does O'Brien address it?
Winston asks what is room 101, O’Brien responds by saying that Winston already knows
Does Winston betray Julia within the chapters Three: III, IV, V, VI?
Yes, he does it at the end of chapter 3 part 5.
Identify the three stages of Winston's reintegration as outlined by O'Brien.
Learning, Understanding, Acceptance
What crucial information does Winston uncover regarding the Book?
O’Brian was a part of writing it.
Why does the Party relentlessly pursue power, as revealed to Winston?
It is to have raw power. Power to control people’s minds and matter because if the mind and material proof is all that survives of the past, then to control the past they must control those. If they control people’s minds they can make sure that they never can understand the material proof. Unrestricted power and the promise that it will last forever is what Big Brother is after.
How has Winston physically transformed during his imprisonment, and what action does he take after observing his appearance?
He becomes extremely skinny and malnourished. Specifically his knees become wider than his thighs, his hair falls out of his head, his spine has curved unnaturally, and his skin has turned gray.
As a result, Winston breaks down and begins to cry next to his prison bed.
When queried about any degradation he hasn't endured, how does Winston respond to O'Brien, and what is O'Brien's retort?
Winston responds that he still hasn’t betrayed Julia and O'Brien retorts that he soon will.
Analyze Winston's outburst during his exercise routine and its consequences, including the subsequent interaction with O'Brien.
Winston wakes up from a dream and screams the word “Julia”. This shows O’Brien that Winston still feels attached to her despite the torture.
His outward showing that he really hasn’t suppressed his emotions leads to O’Brien realizing that the slow way to being “cured” is not going to work. This leads O’Brien to take Winston to room 101.
Discuss the general contents found within Room 101, particularly its impact on Winston.
It is everyone’s worst nightmare. Whatever you fear the most is what is in that room. It is so horrible to everyone that it strips them bare so that they abandon everything else that they are holding onto. For Winston, his worst fear was rats which led him to betray the one thing he hadn’t yet, Julia.
Recount the unsettling scene involving the cage, its contents, and the aftermath.
The cage was a mask that had 2 compartments. One compartment was filled with ravenous rats made to attack and eat a person's face out if it was in range. The other compartment was fitted for Winston’s head. O’Brien explained this and then started to bring that mask to Winston’s face. Winston yelled out to take Julia instead and O’Brien stopped as he had finally broken Winston’s final barricade to Big Brother.
Describe the poignant reunion between Winston and Julia after their release, including the verse heard by Winston.
The verse that he heard was “Under the spreading chestnut tree, I sold you and you sold me–”. This was just after he found Julia and they both confessed that they betrayed one another. They don’t love or even really interest each other anymore.
Delve into Winston's contemplations at the conclusion of the novel.
He has been completely and totally transformed to Big Brother. His mind is blank and constantly being molded by whatever lie that Big Brother tells it. His life feels joyless and pointless. His only happiness comes from the lies that he is told by Big Brother which he, very deep down, knows is wrong but he also knows it doesn’t matter.
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