Book 3 Study Questions

1. Why are the political prisoners more terrified than the common criminals?

Common criminals were sent to forced-labor camps where the conditions were not so bad if one knew the ropes.  Dirty jobs were done by the political prisoners-but they were more likely to be vaporized because of their danger to the Party.  

2. Why was Ampleforth in prison?

He used the word “God” in a poem.

3. What role does Winston think O’Brien has been playing?

Directing his torture

4. According to O’Brien, why is Winston being tortured?

To cure his lunacy.

5. According to O’Brien, why does the Party want power?

It seeks power for its own sake.

6. Where does O’Brien think reality exists?

Only in the human mind.

7. What does Winston see when he looks in the mirror?

He sees himself, but as a skeleton starved to near death.

8. At the end of Chapter III, what has Winston NOT done that O’Brien wants him to do?

Betray Julia and says he love Big Brother.

9. What is in Room 101?

Everybody’s worst nightmare, in the case of Winston he is terrified of rats.

10. When and in what way does Winston betray Julia? Why is it significant?

Winston betrays Julia when he is in room 101.  He says to let the rats eat her instead of him.  This is significant because he has finally given up caring what happens to her and has disbanded his love for him.  

11. Why does O’Brien say prisoners are brought to the Ministry of Love?

To cure them of their insanity.

12. Was the Party successful in “getting inside” Winston?

yes

13. How do Winston and Julia now feel about one another?

Winston and Julia are cold and almost hateful toward one another

14. How does Winston ultimately feel about Big Brother?

He loves Big Brother.

15. What “victory over himself” has Winston won?  Do you think it’s a real victory?

Winston is able to hold his own opinions. I do believe this is a victory considering the party's immense power over his life.

16. What do you think the major theme of 1984 is?  Why?

It warns against the dangers of the government having too much control over people’s lives.

Book Two, Chapter 10

1. What understanding does Winston gain about the common people?

He learns that no matter what happens to them they are able to push on and make the most out of life, even though they have had a hard life they are still able to sing. Winston learns this from watching the red armed woman.

2. What is the significance of the glass paperweight here?

The paperweight symbolized Winston and Julia’s love and now that it has been shattered it means that it is all over and it can never be repaired.

Book 2, Chapter 8 & 9

1. Contrast the living quarters and style of the Inner Party members with those of the Outer Party members and proles.

The Inner party members have nice homes. good food, servants, and are capable of turning off their telescreens. Outer party members have none of these things and live in run down apartments.

2. How does O’Brien test Julia and Winston?

He asks them a series of questions to test the extent of their dedication, they answer all their questions willing except when he asked if they were willing to split up.

3. What information does O’Brien give them about the Brotherhood?

That they will never know how many people are in it, that Goldstein is in charge, and in they end they will be caught at some point and they will be killed.

4. How will O’Brien get The Book to Winston?

One day he is supposed to go to work without his briefcase and someone will discreetly give him another one with the book inside.

Book Two, Chapter 9

1. Why does Orwell include detailed passages from Goldstein’s Book in 1984?

To help reinforce Winston’s assumption that the Party is corrupt and why the major powers are a war.  

2. What three classes of people have always existed?

The three classes are the upper, middle, and lower classes.

3. In What ways have these three classes changed?

The only way these classes have changed over time are their names, in 1984 the classes are the inner party members, outer party members, and down to the lowest class the Proles.

4. What is the purpose of war in the world of 1984?

To gain resources from unclaimed territory, but mostly to keep the class system in place because there is more than enough resources everybody in Oceania but instead they put it towards the war so that the powerful stay in power.

5. What are the two aims of the Party?

To take control of the whole world and to eliminate free thought in it’s citizens.

6. What are the two problems with which the Party is concerned?

How they can keep people from thinking negatively against the thought police and how to wipe out millions of people without warning.

7. Why do all three superpowers forbid their citizens from associating with foreigners?

Because they would find out that they are no so different from each other and that their governments have been lying to them.

8. The governments of the three superpowers are alike in essence even though their forms of government have different names. Identify these similarities and explain why they exist?

They’re all similar because otherwise the other two superpowers could take them out, they are all similar in the way that they are all able to create more than enough resources to maintain themselves and they all have complete control over their citizens.

9.. What is the real "war" fought in each of the three governments? Your answer will explain the party slogan, "War is Peace."

The three governments never invade each other the “war” is used to unite the people against a common enemy so that they are less likely to act out against the party, which causes “peace” within the party..

10. What are the aims of the three groups?

The upper class wants to stay where they are, the middle class wants to switch with the upper class, and the lower class doesn’t want a class system in place at all.

11. What changes in the pattern occurred in the nineteenth century?

This pattern had become so obvious that some people said inequality was “the unalterable law of human life.”  The High had always claimed this, but now the Middle, looking forward to getting power, was saying the same thing and abandoning their claims that they were fighting for brotherhood.

12. How did socialism change in the twentieth century?

They stopped trying to establish liberty and freedom, and instead decided the government should have absolute power.

13. Why are the rulers in the twentieth century better at maintaining power than earlier tyrants?

Because previous tyrants didn’t have constant surveillance on their citizens and did not use brainwashing tactics.

14. What are the four ways an elite group falls from power?

It is conquered from without, it governs so inefficiently that the masses are stirred to revolt, it allows a strong and discontented Middle Group to come into being, and It loses its own self-confidence and willingness to govern.

15. How does the Inner Party make certain it will not fall from power?

The convince everyone to believe in Big Brother, they ration people the bare minimum, and the history records have been rewritten so there is nothing to compare their situation to.

16. How is a person’s class determined in the 1984 world?

By an examination at age sixteen.

17. What is doublethink and what is its purpose to the ruling class?

It’s the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously and accepting both of them. It allows them to erase history.

18. Why is the mutability of the past important to the ruling class?

Changing the past allows them to rewrite events to favor the party at all times.  Changing the past also takes away the people’s frame of reference, so they cannot study any other time or system when things were different, causing them to lose sight of the possibility that it could be different.

Book 2, Chapters 5 & 6

1.  Who has vanished?

Syme

2.  Describe the preparations for Hate Week?  In what ways does the Inner Party excel in building spirit?

Processions of enemies, meetings, military parades, lectures, waxwork displays, film shows, telescreen programs all had to be organized, stands had to be erected, effigies built, slogans coined, songs written, rumors circulated, photographs faked. Posters of Eurasian army men hung.

3. Julia and Winston have some differences?  Explain them.

Julia does not really care about the past, she falls asleep every time Winston starts talking about it. Winston is much older than she is. He deeply cares that the past is being changed. They have different ideas about how a rebellion should go, and Julia lives in the moment. Julia is more worried about herself. Winston is more worried about the society.

4. What finally convinces Winston that O'Brien is a member of the Brotherhood?

O'Brien stops Winston in a hallway in front of a telescreen at work. O'Brien tells Winston that he wants to give him a newer dictionary. O'Brien gives Winston his address and tells him to come over.

So Far In 1984

Book One:

Book one starts by introducing the protagonist, Winston, who works for the outer party. He lives in a very old apartment building that is literally falling apart. It is apparent that Winston does not like the Big and the Party, which is the government entity that controls London. Winston writes about how he dislikes the party and the way his society works. There are four different ministries that control the government: the Ministry of Truth which controls the news, entertainment, education, and the arts. The Ministry of Peace is in charge of war. The Ministry of Love controls law and order. Finally the Ministry of Plenty is responsible for all economic affairs.

Winston works for the Ministry of Truth, he rectifies “mistakes” that have been “proven” false, he rewrites historical documents to improve the Party’s appearance and strength. Winston knows that the Party lies about past events because three people were executed for treason even though they had been in a cafe during the time of their supposed crimes, Winston even had photographic evidence but he destroyed it out of fear.

There are frequent events called The Two Minutes of Hate where everybody chants and yells about how much everybody hates a traitor named Goldstein. Winston doesn’t agree with it but against his will he joins in with the chants. During one of the two minutes of hate Winston momentarily locked eyes with an inner party member named O’Brien, who was not chanting or yelling like everybody else, so Winston believes that they both think the same way and that the look they shared was some sort of confirmation of that thought.

One night Winston went on a soul searching walk through a part of town that is inhabited by the lowest social class. While on his walk he discovered that he was in the same area where he had bought his diary so he decided to go inside the store and look around. He started talking to Mr. Charrington, an old man who owns the store, who taught Winston a part of a song from before the party controlled the government which Winston very much enjoyed. Mr. Charrington also showed him the  upstairs, which was a small room some nice pre revolution furniture and a bed, Winston didn’t buy any of it because it would be too difficult to get back to his house.

On his way back home he noticed that he was being followed by a dark haired girl that he recognized and suspected as being a part of the thought police, which is a group that arrests and often kills people that think against the party.        

Character List:

Winston Smith -  A minor member of the ruling Party in near-future London, Winston Smith is a thin, frail, and intellectual thirty-nine-year-old. Winston hates the totalitarian control and enforced repression that are characteristic of his government. He harbors revolutionary dreams.

Julia -  Winston’s lover, a beautiful dark-haired girl working in the Fiction Department at the Ministry of Truth. Julia enjoys sex, and claims to have had affairs with many Party members. Julia is sensible and optimistic. Her rebellion against the Party is small and personal.

O’Brien -  A mysterious, powerful, and sophisticated member of the Inner Party whom Winston believes is also a member of the Brotherhood, the legendary group of anti-Party rebels.

Big Brother -  Big Brother, the perceived ruler of Oceania, is an extremely important figure. Everywhere Winston looks he sees posters of Big Brother’s face bearing the message “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU.” Big Brother’s image is stamped on coins and broadcast on the unavoidable telescreens; it haunts Winston’s life and fills him with hatred and fascination.

Mr. Charrington -  An old man who runs a secondhand store in the prole district. Kindly and encouraging, Mr. Charrington seems to share Winston’s interest in the past. He also seems to support Winston’s rebellion against the Party and his relationship with Julia, since he rents Winston a room without a telescreen in which to carry out his affair.

Syme -  An intelligent, outgoing man who works with Winston at the Ministry of Truth. Syme specializes in language. As the novel opens, he is working on a new edition of the Newspeak dictionary. Winston believes Syme is too intelligent to stay in the Party’s favor.

Parsons -  A fat, obnoxious, and dull Party member who lives near Winston and works at the Ministry of Truth. He has a dull wife and a group of suspicious, ill-mannered children who are members of the Junior Spies.

Emmanuel Goldstein -  According to the Party, Goldstein is the legendary leader of the Brotherhood. He seems to have been a Party leader who fell out of favor with the regime. In any case, the Party describes him as the most dangerous man in Oceania.

Book Two (So far):

One morning Winston saw the dark haired girl that had been following him, but has her arm in a sling and falls to the ground while walking. Winston went to go help her up and she discreetly gave him a note that, because he thought she was from the thought police, said to commit suicide. Unexpectedly the note said “I love you.”

Many days had gone by before Winston was actually able to speak with the woman, she told him that they would speak further in Victory square, where she had given him directions to meet her at a secluded area in the country, outside the city.

They both met at the predetermined location in the country, they talked for a while and Winston learned that her name was Julia and that she has had scores of sexual encounters with other party members. Winston viewed this as a good thing because he thought of it as a form of rebellion against the party because sex for pleasure was prohibited. They do the deed and then fall asleep.

After their first real encounter they met several times in an old abandoned church. Winston learned while talking with Julia that she doesn’t care about rebellion against the party just having a good time when she can. She also said that the party prohibits sex for pleasure so that the people will focus their frustration on the party’s enemies.

Winston told Julia about a hike he went on with his ex wife where he thought about pushing her off a cliff but didn’t because he doesn’t think that it would accomplish anything, Julia informed him that she would have done it.

Winston rented the room above Mr. Charrington’s shop for his meet up with Julia, when she arrived she had brought sugar, coffee, and bread. All of these items were incredibly difficult to obtain but she purchased them off the black market. While in bed Julia sees a rat and Winston was terrified for some reason, after julia had left Winston thought about living inside the glass paperweight with julia undisturbed forever.

Symbols:  

Big Brother represents the totalitarian government which controls Oceania and the party a person who probably isn’t even real. On posters he is seen with a large mustache which resembles Stalin, who controlled communist Russia.

The glass paperweight in Mr. Charrington’s spare room and Winston and Julia are the coral, unfortunately the paperweight translucent the coral can clearly be seen, therefore it is only a matter of time before someone notices what Winston and Julia are doing.

1984 Book 2 Chapters 3&4 Study Questions

Book Two, Chapter 3

1. How and where do Julia and Winston meet?

They met again in the bombed ruins of an old church

2. What is Julia’s job?

She runs the novel writing machine in the fiction department.

3. What is her background?

She is twenty-six years old, doesn't remember much of the early sixties, lives in a hostile with other women, is a member of the anti-sex league, and has had scores of sexual encounters with other party members the first of which was when she was sixteen.     

4. What is her attitude toward the Party?

She thinks that the party’s main goal is to stop people from having fun and that's why she has had so many sexual encounters because it was her way of having a good time and to rebel against the party.

5. Describe the quote “ With Julia, everything came back to her own sexuality. As soon as this was touched upon in any way she was capable of great acuteness”. What does Winston think about Julia?

Her main reason for living is for her sexual side, it is the only reason she commits so much time and effort towards volunteer work and her job, so that nobody would suspect her of being capable of having so many love affairs.

6. Why does the Party think the sexual impulse as well as the familial love dangerous?

The Party doesn't want people putting their time and energy into sexual relationships or any for that matter because they think the energy could be put to better use such as supporting and getting involved in hate week or focusing on work.

Book Two, Chapter 4

1. How does Winston react to the singing Prole woman?

He thought that she sang the song beautifully even though the lyrics were not good.

2. What pleasures of the senses are mentioned in this chapter? What is Orwell’s point in mentioning them?

Hearing woman singing beautifully, smelling good coffee, tasting the sugar in the coffee, and seeing how pretty Julia is are all things that are impossible experience as a normal party member and only by breaking these life threatening laws are they able to live in a way that most people in real life would view as basic liberties.  

3. What is Winston’s reaction to rats? Julia’s reaction?

Winston was scared or the rat whereas Julia was not and shooed it away.  

4. Winston is interested in the church bells that once played in the city even though he is not religious.

What do church bells mean to him?

It reminds him of a time before the revolution which makes him feel good.

5. Winston sees the coral paperweight as a symbol of what?

The paperweight is Mr. Charrington’s spare room and Winston and Julia are the coral, unfortunately the paperweight translucent the coral can clearly be seen, therefore it is only a matter of time before someone notices what Winston and Julia are doing.

1984 Book 2 Chapter 2 Study Questions

1. Why is Winston ill at ease once he is alone with Julia?

Because he is so much older than her, he is worried that Julia will relise that she made a mistake by choosing Winston.

2. What does Julia bring with her that she has obtained on the black market?

Chocolate

3. What are Julia’s ideas about the Party?

She hates the party.

4. What familiar sign does Winston find?

A A hill and trail reminded him of the Golden Country

5. What is the significance of the thrush music?

It shows Winston the natural beauty of the county outside the dark oppressive city that is overwhelmingly controlled by the party.  

6. What does Winston mean when he says that he loves Julia all the more because she has had scores of sexual encounters?

He views each one of her sexual encounters as a protest against the party, so the more that she has done this the more he respects her.

1984 Book 2 Chapter 1 Study Questions

Book Two, Chapter 1

1. How does Winston react to the note from Julia before he reads it?

He was scared that it was a note from the thought police saying they want him to kill himself.

2. How does Winston react to the note after he reads it?

He was surprised because just the other day he wanted to bash her face in but now he is infatuated with her.

3. Where do they manage to talk for the first time?

They first talked at a lunch table, but only for a moment.

4. Where do they plan to meet?

They planned to meet in victory square when it was too crowded to tell that they are talking to eachother.

5. What do Winston and Julia do before they part?

The briefly held hands for ten seconds.

1984 Chapter 8 Study Questions

1. Why does Winston go off on his own? What activities is he missing out on?

He went for a walk through a prole neighborhood, when he was supposed to be at the community center.

2. What is life like in the proles’ end of London?

It is the slums of London where they have different rules than the citizens because of how little they are thought of, also bombs are a regular occurrence.

3. What does Winston think about after his conversation with the old man in the pub?

He didn’t get any useful information about what life was like before the revolution.

4. What does Winston discover at Mr. Charrington’s shop?

A glass paperweight with coral inside of it, a picture of St. Clements church, and a room above the shop that Winston briefly thought about renting.

5. What is Mr. Charrington like?

He runs a second hand store he is also widowed, Mr. Charrington’s business seems to be failing because all the good antiques are getting destroyed.

6. What does Winston think when he sees the dark-haired girl outside Mr. Charrington’s shop?

He thinks that she is following him because she might be a part of the thought police.

7. How does one’s own body betray a person?

the fight or flight response shoots you with adrenalin which and make you do things without thinking.

8. Why does Winston wonder about church bells ringing in London?

He isn’t sure if he had ever actually heard church bells before but he feels like he might have

1984 Chapters 5-7 Study Questions

1. What is the problem with obtaining razor blades?

There is a shortage of razors and so they are hard to come by.

2. What is revealed about Inner Party philosophy in the discussion between Winston and Syme?

That the Inner Party is trying to limit people's ability  to form complex thought by reducing the number of words in the standardized language, newspeak.

3. Why does Winston feel that Syme will be vaporized?

Because Winston thinks that Syme is too smart and people who are smart usually disappear.

4. Parsons brags about his children for doing what?

He said that his daughter followed a strange man and then turned him into the police for wearing different shoes than everyone else.

5. What is the significance of the telescreen announcement?

It shows how much control big brother has over the people and how little the people pay attention to what’s going on around them.

6. What are Winston’s feelings about the present time after he hears the cheerful announcement on the telescreen?

He knows that it is all untrue but nobody else sees it.

7. Winston predicts that certain people will be vaporized and that certain people will never be vaporized. Who? Why?

Vaporized:

Syme, because he is too smart

O’Brien, he might think the same way as winston.

Winston, he keeps a diary.

Mrs. Parson, her own kids will probably turn her in.

Safe:

Mr. Parson, he isn’t very smart and is proud to live under the party.

Julia, Winston suspects he of working for the thought police.

The Parson children, they love the spies program they are apart of and the daughter has already turnd someone into the police.

8. What is the purpose of marriage in the state?

To create children for the party.

9. What do Winston’s memories about visiting a prostitute reveal about his attitudes towards sex in Oceania?

He enjoys it but he hasn’t had any positive relationships.

10. How does Winston view the proles?

They are the only group of people with enough power to overthrow the party, but are too ignorant and unorganized to do anything.

11. How are the proles controlled (prole control)?

They don’t have many rules and mostly live for the party controlled lottery, which is riged.

12. What lies/half-truths does the Party teach about history?

They say that they party had been in power longer than they have been, they also say that life was more difficulf before the revolution even thought there is no evidence to support that claim.

13. Winston suspects that the Party lies about progress made since the war. What Party claims does he doubt?

That overall living conditions is better under the control of the party than it was before hand.

14. What is the story of Aaronson, Jones and Rutherford?

They were men that were arrested, then they confessed to crimes they probably never did, were released, and soon after were killed.

15. Why is this story so meaningful for Winston?

He just so happened to have found a picture of the men that was taken during the time of their accused crimes. It was also the only time that Winston had evidence disproving claims made by the party.

16. What is Winston’s unanswered question?

He did not understand why, but he did understand how.