1984 Study Guide

Name: ______

Identify/define the following characters, terms, etc.:

Totalitarian/totalitarianism-

Propaganda-

Winston Smith-

The diary-

Big Brother-

Victory Mansions-

Oceania-

Eastasia, Eurasia-

Telescreen-

The Party-

The Thought Police-

Ministry of Truth-

Ministry of Peace-

Ministry of Love-

Ministry of Plenty-

Newspeak-

Doublethink-

Two Minutes Hate-

Emmanuel Goldstein-

The Brotherhood-

O’Brien-

Mrs. Parsons-

INGSOC-

The Golden Country-

The Physical Jerks-

Airstrip One-

Proles-

Comrade Ogilvy-

Syme-

Chestnut Tree Café-

Facecrime-

The dark haired girl/Julia-

Katharine-

Mr. Charrington-

The paperweight-

Room 101-

PART ONE

CHAPTER I

  1. What does the opening sentence suggest about the book? “… the clocks were striking thirteen”
  1. Describe the setting of chapter one. What does this reveal about the society of Oceania?
  1. Identify the three slogans (mottos) which appear on the face of the building:

A.

B.

C.

  1. What is ironic about these slogans?
  1. What are the four ministries which make up the government of Oceania?
  1. Who is Big Brother? What is significant about the name?
  1. What does Winston do that if caught is punished by death?
  1. Who is the primal traitor of the Party? What is the purpose of the Two Minutes Hate?
  1. What is The Brotherhood, and what is Goldstein’s role in this organization?
  1. Where is Winston’s allegiance? Big Brother OR The Brotherhood?
  1. What happens between O’Brien and Winston at the conclusion of the Two-Minutes Hate?

CHAPTER II

  1. What is a facecrime? Why is it so easy to commit?
  1. Who is Mrs. Parsons, and what happens in her apartment?
  1. In Winston’s opinion, what is wrong with the children of Oceania?
  1. What are child-heroes?
  1. What are Winston’s thoughts about O’Brien?

CHAPTERS IIIAND IV

  1. What is Winston’s dream about his mother, and how does he feel about himself in that dream?
  1. What is his dream about the “Golden Country”?
  1. What does Winston remember about the big events of the past?Bombs? Past Wars?
  1. Explain: “Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past.”
  1. Describe Winston’s job and how he feels about his work.
  1. What special literature, music, and entertainment is produced for the proletariat (proles)?
  1. What is the significance of Comrade Ogilvy?

CHAPTER V

  1. What is the problem with obtaining razor blades?
  1. Why does Winston feel that Syme will be vaporized?
  1. What is the purpose of Newspeak?
  1. What cheerful announcement is presented on the telescreen, and what is Winston’s response?
  1. According to Winston, which people will be vaporized and why?

CHAPTER VIII

  1. Why does Winston wander off on his own, and why is solitude forbidden by the Party?
  1. What is life like in the proles’ end of London?
  1. What does Winston think about after his conversation with the old man in the pub?
  1. What does Winston discover in Mr. Charrington’s shop?
  1. What does Winston think when he sees the dark haired girl outside Mr. Charrington’s shop?
  1. How does one’s own body betray a person?

PART TWO

CHAPTERS I & II

  1. How does Winston react to the note given to him by the dark-haired girl before reading it?
  1. What was written on the note?
  1. Where does Winston decide is the safest place to talk with the dark-haired girl?
  1. When they meet in the country, what does Julia bring with her that she obtained on the black market?
  1. What does Winston mean when he says that he loves Julia all the more because she has had numerous sexual encounters?

CHAPTER III

  1. What is Julia’s job, background, and attitude toward the Inner Party?
  1. Describe Winston’s marriage.
  1. What do Winston and Julia disagree about?

CHAPTER IV

  1. What is Winston’s reaction to the rats? Julia’s reaction?
  1. Winston is interested in church bells that once played in the city even though he is not religious. What do church bells mean to him?
  1. Winston sees the coral paper weight as a symbol of what?

CHAPTERS V & VI

  1. Who has vanished?
  1. Explain the differences between Winston and Julia.
  1. What finally convinces Winston that O’Brien is a member of the Brotherhood?

CHAPTER VII

  1. What does Winston remember about his family and his relationship with his mother?
  1. What is the difference between confession and betrayal?

CHAPTERS VIII-X

Explain the significance of the following quotes, including who said the quote and to whom was it said.

  1. “We shall meet again-if we do meet again… In the place where there is no darkness”(178).
  1. “You are the dead” (221).
  1. “It occurred to Winston that for the first time in his life he was looking, with knowledge, at a member of the Thought Police” (224).

PART THREE

CHAPTER II

  1. What sort of treatment does Winston receive?
  1. What is O’Brien attempting to teach Winston?
  1. How does the Inner Party avoid the mistakes of past totalitarian governments? State in your own words what O’Brien means.

CHAPTER III

  1. According to O’Brien, what are the three stages in Winston’s reintegration, and which stage is he about to enter?
  1. Who wrote Goldstein’s book? Is what the book says true?
  1. Why does the Inner Party seek power?
  1. How does one person assert their power over another?
  1. How does Winston feel about O’Brien? Why?
  1. What final question does Winston ask O’Brien?

CHAPTER IV

  1. How has Winston’s environment changed, and what does he do with his time?
  1. How does Winston feel about Big Brother?

CHAPTER V

  1. What happens in Room 101, and how does this “cure” Winston?

CHAPTER VI

  1. What is the setting, and what is Winston’s job?
  1. Describe his meeting with Julia.
  1. How is it evident that Winston is really a different person?