1984 - AP English Lit Summer Reading Notes (QA Flashcards)

A set of Question-and-Answer flashcards covering key people, terms, symbols, themes, and plot points from the Notes on 1984.

Where is the setting of 1984 and what larger entity does it belong to?

London, in Airstrip One, part of the nation of Oceania.

Who is the protagonist of 1984 and what is his party affiliation?

Winston Smith; Outer Party member who works at the Ministry of Truth.

What is the Ministry of Truth (Minitrue) responsible for?

contrôling information: news, entertainment, education, fine arts; rewriting the past to fit the Party.

Name the four Ministries and their primary functions in Oceania.

Ministry of Truth (Minitrue) - information control; Ministry of Peace (Minipax) - war; Ministry of Love (Miniluv) - law and order; Ministry of Plenty (Miniplenty) - economy.

What are the Party slogans and what do they imply about the regime?

War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength; they reflect the Party’s control over reality.

What is Newspeak?

An official language designed to narrow thought and eliminate dissent by reducing vocabulary.

Define Doublethink.

The ability to hold two contradictory beliefs at the same time and accept both as true.

What is Oldthink?

Illegal memories from before the Revolution; the past that the Party rewrites.

What is a Thoughtcrime?

Any dissenting thought against the Party; thinking against Big Brother.

What is an unperson?

Someone who has been vaporized and erased from records and history.

What is the Memory Hole?

A chute/incinerator used to destroy old documents and alter history.

What does the Glass Paperweight symbolize?

Beauty of the past and Winston’s early memory; the coral inside represents a fragile connection to Julia; shattered by the Thought Police.

What does the Telescreen symbolize?

The Party’s omnipresent surveillance, watching and broadcasting into private spaces.

What does 2+2=5 symbolize in the novel?

The Party’s power to dictate truth and Winston’s eventual capitulation to lies.

Who is Emmanuel Goldstein?

The Enemy of the People; symbol of revolt against the Party; possibly a fictional construct.

What is the Brotherhood?

A supposed underground resistance against the Party; its existence is doubtful and used to test rebels.

What is the Two Minutes Hate?

A daily ritual channeling citizens’ hatred toward enemies like Goldstein to solidify loyalty to the Party.

Who is Julia?

A dark-haired young woman who works in the Fiction Department; Winston’s lover and fellow dissenter.

Who is O’Brien?

An Inner Party member who appears supportive but ultimately embodies the Party’s power and torture apparatus.

Who is Mr. Charrington?

Owner of the junk shop; hosts the room above his shop; revealed to be a Thought Police informant.

What is Room 101?

The place where a person’s worst fear is realized; Winston’s fear is rats.

What is the significance of the term 'Duckspeak'?

Speaking without thought; parroting the Party’s propaganda.

What does 'Ownlife' mean in the novel?

Emphasis on individuality and eccentricity; discouraged by the Party.

Who are the Proles and why are they important?

The working class; largely free from surveillance and potential source of rebellion; 85% of the population.

What is the significance of the Golden Country?

A dreamlike, hopeful landscape Winston imagines; symbol of sincere human longing and freedom.

What is the significance of Winston’s diary?

A private, illegal record of his thoughts; a tool to preserve memory against Party revision.

Who are Jones, Aaronson, and Rutherford?

Early Revolution figures whose alleged treachery is proven false by a historical photograph, illustrating Party manipulation.

What does Ingsoc stand for?

English Socialism, the official ideology of Oceania.

What is the role of the Dark-Haired Girl (Julia) in Part 2?

A fellow dissenter whose relationship with Winston becomes a political act against the Party.

What is the function of the memory of Shakespeare and old literature in the story?

Represents Oldspeak and cultural memory that the Party seeks to erase; Winston’s longing for past truths.

What is the significance of the Goldstein book (The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism)?

Outlines the structure of the Party, perpetual war, and the manipulation of society; explains why power is the end goal.

What does the line 'The struggle was finished. He loved Big Brother' imply?

Winston’s final surrender to the Party and loss of individual autonomy; the ultimate tragedy of the novel.