Essay Questions

What are some of the symbols and themesthe the story?

What are some key facts in the story?

How is the society of the book like that of it's time period?

How does the party function and what is it's purpose?

Appendix

The appendix talks about New Speak and some of its basic principles. It is Oceania’s official language and was mainly created to narrow the range of thought and reduce thought crime. The way it works is by using simple words such as good or bad and adding prefixes to determine its strength. And example of this for the phrase “really bad” one could say “plusungood” or if you want it stronger it could be “doubleplus ungood.” As you can see a whole range or synonyms for a word can be eliminated and the thought range decreases.

Key Facts

The whole saying that is in the book about St. Martin relates to the end of the book about how Julia and Winston sold eachother out as they confess to this in the Chestnut Tree Cafe.

Charaters

Winston Smith—He is the protagonist of the story. He is middle aged and in an unkempt state with a big ulcer on his leg. He is skinny and weak since he doesn’t get enough to eat. Winston is rebellious against the party internally but on the outside he is a loyal member. He is rebellious enough to test the powers of the party because he has hope that he can beat the system. Also his personality lets the reader into his world and how everything works. He explains things about the party through his eyes. From the beginning he foreshadows his capture. So it is his knowing of his capture that leads him to rebel further since he thinks of himself as a dead man. He also under estimates the power of the party and thinks that even if he is captured they won’t be able the change how he feels about certain things like his love for Julia. The party does however change him in the end and Winston is changed from being someone to being a cell in an organism which will never die in other words the party.

Julia—she is another rebel against the party much like Winston. She however has different views on the party and what it meant to rebel. She likes to live in the moment and not worry about the larger issues like what the future holds for mankind. Julia sees rebelling as private acts in which see doesn’t want to get caught. She lives her life on temporary highs and wants to keep it that way. The main thing that keeps her with Winston is their hate for the party and the sex. Aside from that they don’t have much else in common which is why maybe she betrayed him before he betrayed her. She thinks that the party will stay in power and that they can’t be defeated on a large scale. That is why she only rebels ona small scale.

O’Brian—He is an inner party member who betrays Winston. He is an example of double-think because he is Winston’s enemy and friend for some time in the story. Through him the audience of the book is able to see the inner party and its functions. Through him we learn how inner party members live and operate. By some of his actions it raises some questions about him and the story, like when O’Brian tells Winston that the party got him a long time ago. Does this mean that he was once rebellious like Winston and was tortured extensively and brain washed until he became true party member? Or that maybe he is sympathetic towards Winston to gain some trust and toy with him?

Emmanuel Goldstein—He is an enemy of the party which we don’t actually meet. Some think that he is a party invention along with others that are used to keep the people in line. It it’s something that the two lower classes can direct their anger and frustration at. He is also supposedly the leader of the Brotherhood and whatever else the party accuses him of. His is also that at times Winston looks up to as a rebel.

Big Brother—Another character that the reader doesn’t actually meet. He is the leader of the party and looked upon as a godly. He represents the party and his image is often used for propaganda. He is too an example of double-think since he is a leader but at the same time he is fictional to the main characters in the story.

Parsons—They are Winston’s neighbors and Mr. Parsons is his co-worker. They are an example of the supposedly middle class even though the live in inadequate conditions. Mr. Parsons is eventually caught for thought crime and ends up with Winston in the ministry of Love. His daughter hears him down talking big brother in his sleep so she reports him. This is an example of what sometimes happened in World War II in parts of Europe. Kids were often brain washed to spies on their parents and report them if they broke the law or committed act of treason.

Syme—He is an example to the reader of what happens when you get too smart within the party. He was really smart since he was working on the New Speak dictionary and Winston recognizes this and knows that he will eventually be vaporized. This is done to keep the people dumb so that they don’t realize what is going on and rebel on a large scale against the party.

Mr. Charrington—He is the person that owns the shop with all the antiques. He also owns the room above the shop where Winston and Julia meet. He is a spy working for the thought police and eventually helps with the capture of Winston and Julia. This is also related with World War II where people would help others by hiding them only to turn them into the authorities later.

Context

George Orwell’s real name is Eric Blair. Orwell was just a pen name he used and eventually just stuck. He was born in India in 1903 and later moved to England. During his education he considered himself an outsider. He was not poor but still struggled throughout his life. He felt as an outsider because in school he was there because of scholarships while other student’s parents could afford to pay for them. After his education he went out and lives with the lower classes for some time and wrote books about what he saw. In the mid 1930’s he went to Spain and observed the Spanish Civil War. In 1945 he wrote a book called Animal Farm which was his view on totalitarianism and politics. After that book in 1949 he wrote yet another novel 1984. Some saw this book a warning towards political authority in a nation. The book was based on what he observed in the lower classes, and in Spain during the war. He also got the idea for big brother form some of the evil leaders of the world which were in power at the time like Stalin or Hitler.

Settting

The setting that Orwell gives for this book is depressing and gray. It is set in what was considered future day London 1984 or as Winston refers to it Air Strip One. The world is also divided up into three super nations, Oceana where Winston lives, Eastasia and Eurasia. Winston lives in Victory Mansions which is a rundown apartment complex. We also learn that where ever Winston goes or anyone else for that matter they are monitored by things called telescreens. It allows for citizens to be view and recorded. Along with the telescreens being everywhere there are posters of Big Brother on almost every building. Under them is the famous caption “Big Brother Is Watching You”. Every so often rocket bombs from an enemy blow up. They keep the war real and at home for the people in the city. It could be best related to what an eastern European county might have been like during World War II. The setting is depressing because Orwell based it on some personal experience and his perspective on the time period. He makes the world be at war or seem that every place on earth in a similar state so that Winston can’t escape. This allows for the story to play out differently and with a different effect.

Synopsis

Winston is the main character who lives in a city called Air Strip One. This resides in one of three residing nations Oceana the other two are Eastasia and Eruasia. All three nations are at war with each other. The description that Winston gives of this world is cold, gray, hopeless and dark. The people that he works with at the ministry of truth are inhuman. The people in control are known as party members. The inner party members are like the government and the proles are the third class. He himself is an outer party member which is like the middle class. The party has various inventions that it uses to keep people in like. An example is Emmanuel Goldstein or double-think. Winston finds an empty Journal in a junk shop that he begins to write in. This is illegal since the party would consider it thought crim. Winston delays his punishment by doing it secretly in a part of his house that the telescreen can’t see. At his job Winston rewrites history to suit the party. One day Winston’s gaze meets with O’Brian an inner party member and fell that perhaps he too is against the party. After he gets a not from the girl that he thinks is with the thought police. It says that she loves him and it throws Winston off for a bit. We find out that her name is Julia and the two meet in various place like out in the country, in an old church and mainly in the room above the junk chop. As the story continues Winston rents the room and his feelings for Julia becomes love. This is when Winston gets a book from O’Brian and is initiated along with Julia into the Brotherhood. It is an underground organization that wants to overthrow the party. It works much like terrorist cells where each person only knows so much of the whole puzzle. Winston reads the book with Julia but find that it contains that about the party which he already knows. Julia and Winston are the captured in the room above the shop. There was a hidden telescreen behind a portrait which the party used to monitor them. We don’t know exactly what happens to Julia but the reader can only assume that she was taken to a different part of the ministry of love. This I like a correctional facility for dysfunctional party members. There Winston meets O’Brian again but it turns out he was a party member all along and had been watching Winston for some time. Here Winston is tortured and broke down both mentally and physically. There are three stages to Winston’s treatment and after he has completed the first three he moves on to the third. The last stage is room 101 where he is forced to betray Julia by being confronted with is deepest fear which is rats. After this Winston is let back into society not as himself but as a true party member. When he meets Julia again on the outside he no longer feels anything for her. She also doesn’t feel for him and they continue about their lives now fully accepting the party and Big Brother.

Analysis of Themes

The slogan of the Party is explained in the pages between 152 and page 179 of chapter 9. Winston is given a book on oligarchical collectivism by Emmanuel Goldstein after Winston's meeting with O'brien. The parts of "Ignorance is Strength" and "War is Peace" are explained in chapter 9 while "Freedom is Slavery" is explained by O'brien later in the book.

"War is Peace" is a way to explain the economic stability of Oceania. As one of three powers, Oceania's industry produces so much of everything that it can produce a surplus. To counter this, Oceania, Eastasia, and Eurasia are at constant war in order to use up the surplus. As the book explains, the war is not meant to be won, it's endless so that the surplus is used and economic stability is achieved.

"Ignorance is Strength" is the means by which the Inner Party keeps a hold of their status. In history, there is always a lower class (the proletariats), a middle class (Outer Party), and an upper class (Inner Party). The lower class is the one that usually causes the revolt with some middle class members in tow. The reason for the upper class' fall is either because of their incompetence or the lower and middle class thinking in a political manner that leads them to revolt against their tyrannical rulers. By learning, they gain the intelligence necessary to overthrow tyranny, but by keeping them ignorant and having a hold on all education no one would bother rising up due to the futility or the lower classes being satisfied.

"Freedom is Slavery" is explained by O'brien as how the people are seen as a whole. The individual is just one person who will eventually die, but the entire community is a being in itself that will never die as it always gives birth to new members. Furthermore, if everyone's minds have the some ideas and by having people give up their freedom of thought, everyone will have one-like-mind and the people will only think of Big Brother as if they were all one working entity and will be immortal.

Symbols

The Paper Weight

In itself, the paperweight is a symbol of the past and a time that was different. You wouldn't find any coral in that regime so it's a rare find. It represents how Winston could break away from the control and think on his own. It could also symbolize Julia where you've got a delicate thing surrounded by glass in a way that Julia and Winston set up their love and protected themselves.

Important Quotes

"Big Brother is Watching You"

This one is pretty much self-explanatory as Big Brother has telescreens and microphone meant to keep an eye on you at all times. This the Inner Party and Big Brother can keep surveillance on everything everyone is doing.

"We are the Dead" pg 182

After reading Goldstein's book, Winston knows that his generation and class will never be able to rise up. The people who will are the proletariats of another generation, and even then Winston and Julia will be long dead. A revolt will never happen in their life-time so they are stuck in this regime.

Part Three- VI

Winston is at the Chestnut Tree Cafe where he meets Julia and they both confess that they betrayed on another. the telescreen announces that they made a tremendous victory and all the people are joyous. Whether he woke up from a dream or that was real, Winston is back at the Ministry of Love where he is shot as he loves Big Brother to the end.

Part Three- V

Winston is still captive but he finds that he is no longer tortured as extensively, seems to get regular interval meals, and his physique has improved. He also finds out that the party had been watching him for a long time and gathering information about him. After some time of this treatment O’Brian comes for him one day and takes him to the mysterious room 101. O’Brian tells Winston that in room 101 everyone is confronted with their deepest fear. Winston’s deepest fear is rats. They put a cage over his head it has a gate which separates the rats from his face. O’Brian slowly goes to open the gate and before he does Winston betrays Julia. His fear for the rats is greater than his love for Julia so he tells O’Brian to let the rats eat her instead of him. He would rather have Julia be devoured by the rats than to take the punishment himself. It is because Winston betrays Julia that he does not open the gate and let the rats eat him.

Part Three- IV

As he begins to recover, he begins to accept Big Brother but Winston still doesn't love him. O'brien states that he is ready for the next stage and will go to room 101 for the final treatment.

Part Three- III

Winston has been in this place for an unknown amount of time. He has been tortured extensively, however he has learned that if he gives the right answers he won’t be hurt. He makes progress and goes through some sessions without being hurt. O’Brian thinks that he has completed the first phase of his treatment and can move on to the second. O’Brian mentions that there are three phases learning, Understanding, and acceptance. Winston learns the O’Brian and others wrote the book that Winston thought was written by Goldstein. O’Brian and Winston argue about power, control over people, how and why the party functions the way it does. O’Brian explains that by controlling the human mind they control reality. Winston still has hope that one day they party will be defeated by the people. O’Brian says that the only image of the future for mankind is a boot smashing a face. Winston then gets to see himself in a long time and thinks that he is looking at someone else for a second. He finds his current condition repulsive and thinks that it was the party and O’Brian who did it to him. But O’Brian says that it was he who brought it upon himself when he started his diary and his relationship with Julia. Winston tells O’Brian that he has still not betrayed Julia. Winston comments that he just wants o be shot and O’Brian responds that he will be treated then eventually shot.

Part Three- II

Winston is tortured by O'brien as he explains the reasoning behind "Ignorance is Strength" and how two plus two equals five.

Part Three- I

Winston finds himself in a prison cell. He is watched by telescreens all the time. Since there are no windows he doesn’t know exactly where he is or how long he has been there. He has not been feed and is really hungry. There he meets a woman who shares his last name and she tells him that she could be his mother. Winston thinks that perhaps she could be because she looks the right age. As he sits there his mind starts to wonder, he tries to think about Julia and then about the brotherhood. He has some hope that the brotherhood will send him a razor so that he can kill himself. Prisoners come and go one of them is parsons. Parsons tells Winston that his daughter heard him down talking Big Brother in his sleep. He also mentions that he is very proud of her and is glad she turned him in. He now knows for sure that he raised her well. After their conversation parson is taken away by the guards. Winston also sees guards come in and take some prisoners to a room called 101. They are all terrified of this place yet no one really knows what is in room 101. After some time O’Brian come into the cell. Winston initially thinks that O’Brian was also captured but soon realizes that he had always been with the party. Then one of the guards that came in with O’Brian smashes Winston’s arm.

Part Two- X

After a brief discussion about the book and a few observations about the woman singing, Winston and Julia say that they are the dead. Just then, the telescreen reveals itself from behind the picture and they are caught with them being separated and the paperweight being smashed to pieces as Charrington reveals himself to be part of the Thought Police.

Part Two- IX

In the middle of hate week the party switches sides on the war they are no longer fighting Eurasia but is and was engaged with Eastasia. This caused Winston to work a rigorous week at his job changing history to match the present situation. Amazingly enough the people just accept the change in that war and believe it was Goldstein and his spies who switched all the posters and banners that are displayed. Hate week continues and the people express their hatred towards Eastasia. After the long week Winston goes back to the room above Mr. Charrington’s shop. He has now obtained the book that O’Brian said he would discretely give him. Winston cannot wait for Julia to arrive so that they can read it together so he starts it without her. He starts with chapter one which is called Ignorance is Strength. It talks about how society has always had three classes. Winston reads a little bit before skipping to chapter three. Later Winston returns to chapter one when Julia arrives. In brief the book talks about the structure of the society in which they live in. Winston soon realizes that the book tells him that which he already knows. He was expecting It to tell him why things are the way they are. The book explains to the reader how the three super powers came about. They are all strong enough so that no two allies can over through the third. All three are at war not to conquer each other but to preserve power among the ruling class. This is explains the party’s slogan “WAR IS PEACE.” The book also explains how those who control the present control the past which in effect control the future. This is an essential aspect of the party which along with doublethink helps them keep the war going. This ultimately allows for them to stay in power over the people. At this point Julia has grown board and fallen asleep. When Winston realizes this he too decides to go to sleep.

Part Two- VIII

O'brien and Winston finally meet, with Julia they both meet O'brien in his home. There Winston finds out, to his surprise, that O'brien can turn off his telescreen. He then tells Winston and Julia how Goldstein's book will arrive to Winston, how he will return it, and what will happen if he is caught.

Part Two- VII

Winston wakes up from a bad dream next to Julia in the room above Mr. Charrington’s shop. He remembers a memory from his childhood and his life underground. At the time he was fatherless and hungry all the time. The only family he talks about is his sister and mother. He remembers feeling so hungry that it was the only thing he felt, this drove him to steal some chocolate from his sister. He then ran away to eat it but when he came back to where they were, they were gone. It was the last time he say them. He comments on how the proles still have some emotions which they can express, and that makes them more human than the party members. The party members suppress their feeling so much that they are no longer considered human according to Winston. Julia now fully awake and Winston both agree that is would be wise for them to separate and never see each other again. They however can’t do this because of their emotions for each other. They know that they will eventually be captured and separated. They agree they will be tortured and forced to confess, that the party won’t be able to get inside of them and change how they feel on the inside.

Part Two- VI

O'brien arranges a meeting with Winston at the Ministry of Truth as he disguises it as a conversation about the new Newspeak dictionary edition. By making the visit look like a way for O'brien to give Winston the dictionary, they actually set up too meet about the Brotherhood, the radical group against Big Brother.

Part Two- V

During the preparation for hate week Winston barely notices that Syme has vanished because of all his work. The people and city seem more alive in anticipation for hate week. Winston and Julia meet in the room above Mr. Charrington’s store. We can now see that the relationship has been beneficial for Winston. He has gained some healthy weight and the ulcer on his leg has subsided. They have sex and after talk about their lives. They both know that what they have won’t last long. Winston daydreams about getting married and finding a way so that they can live together of maybe they can kill themselves and die together. Winston hopes that Katharine, his wife, will die so that he can marry Julia. The conversation then switches over to them rebelling against the party and seeking out the Brotherhood. Winston mentions his encounter with O’Brian and how when their eyes met he felt that perhaps O’Brian was against the party. Julia tells Winston about her opinion on the party and how it works. She thinks that the only real rebellion happens under the radar. She believes that the party created the war and enemies like Goldstein to give the people something to direct the people’s feelings toward.

Part Two- IV

Winston and Julia decide to meet in Charrington's antique shop after multiple arranged meetings. Since it would be suspicious that they would go anywhere for an extended period of time in a routine they needed a new place. Since Charrington's room doesn't have a telescreen it was the perfect spot. Julia brings with her contraband from the Inner Party of real food such as coffee, sugar, and bread. Julia even took a dress from the Inner Party.

Part Two- III

The next morning they make a plan on how to get back to the city without the suspicion of others. The next few weeks they agree on meeting locations where they see each other for small periods of time. When they meet at one of their locations which the old crumbling church they have sex. After intercourse, Julia talks about herself, and her life among the other girls in the hostel. She tells him about her job at the Fiction Department and how all the workers in the pornography section are girls. She explains that this is so because they are still pure and won’t be tuned by what they do. They talk about rebellion against the party and the Brotherhood, which Julia has never heard of. Julia also explains to Winston why that party is against sex. She says that it is because relationships take energy which could instead be used for the benefit of the party. When people are deprived of sex it makes them edgy and more prone to outbursts so then the party gives them an outlet which is the party’s enemies and the worship of Big Brother. Winston talks about his ex-wife and how one time he almost pushed her off a cliff. He thinks that if he had it wouldn’t have made a difference since in this live they are already dead. Julia disagrees and tells him that they are not dead yet.

Part Two- II

After Julia confesses her love for Winston, they meet in a clearing in the grassy knolls. They come here because they suspect that they won't be watched as far as they could see because there was nowhere they could hide a microphone or camera. Here they meet for the first time and express their love.

Part Two- I

Winston sees Julia fall outside the junk shop. She falls on her arm which is in a sling. Winston stops to help her even though he is certain that she is with the thought police. When he reaches out and helps her up she slips him a note. Winston initially thinks it is from the thought police but out rules it and then suspects that maybe she is perhaps part of the brotherhood. Later when he opens it, it says “I love you”. After reading it he slips it into a memory hole. About a week later Winston again sees Julia alone at a table, at lunch. He starts to walk over when he notices that another guy is going to sit with her so he trips him. He sits next to her and they are alone at the table. They talk a little and decide they will meet at Victory Square. When they meet Julia tells Winston of another place where they can meet out in the country. She gives him directions on how to get there.

Part One- VII-VIII

Chapter VII
Winston talks about the proles being the only hope against the party. He talks about how if they rose up together they could over through the party without much trouble. But he and the reader both know that this will not happen. The cannot rise up because they worry so much about the daily things like food and shelter that they don’t have enough time or energy to question things and ultimately rebel. So if you think about it there is no real hope for the future. So then Winston begins to question the pastas the party explains it and how he remembers it. He recalls some memories where the party lied like when the parties tell him about the criminals in Eurasia but finds photograph showing them in New York. He knows that the past has been altered but he still questions why and what the purpose of it.

Chapter VIII
Winston goes for a walk in the prole section of town. He observes there simple lives and envies them a little since they are so simple. He then goes into a pup and gets a drink. He thinks about the past and how is no one remembers it and history says otherwise then how does he know it really happened? After a while he leaves and walks down the street to discover that the shop where he got his diary is still open. He goes in and finds that though the stuff may not have much value it is connected to the past. He sees a paper weight and decides to buy it since it is the thing that stands out the most to him. After Mr. Charrington the shop owner offers to show hip a private room upstairs that doesn’t have a telesreen. Winston looks at the room and then leaves.

Part One- VI

During lunch Winston sits with Syme. Syme asks for a razor blade, but Winston lies and says he doesn’t have any spare ones. They talk about the hanging which Winston didn’t attend. They have a cruddy lunch and get some gin on the way to the table. When they sit down Syme starts to talk about the new edition of the New Speak dictionary. He also talks about how New Speak is supposed to use less vocabulary and limit the range of thought. This will make thought crime nearly impossible since there will be no way to express it. After a bit Parsons sees them and joins them at the table. They talk about hate week. Parson apologizes to Winston for his kids attacking him when he was over. Winston says it’s ok. Parson proceeds to talk about how his kids have the right intensions towards the party.

Part One- V

During lunch Winston sits with Syme. Syme asks for a razor blade, but Winston lies and says he doesn’t have any spare ones. They talk about the hanging which Winston didn’t attend. They have a cruddy lunch and get some gin on the way to the table. When they sit down Syme starts to talk about the new edition of the New Speak dictionary. He also talks about how New Speak is supposed to use less vocabulary and limit the range of thought. This will make thought crime nearly impossible since there will be no way to express it. After a bit Parsons sees them and joins them at the table. They talk about hate week. Parson apologizes to Winston for his kids attacking him when he was over. Winston says it’s ok. Parson proceeds to talk about how his kids have the right intensions towards the party.

Part One- IV

While working at the Ministry of Truth, Winston makes up the person Ogilvy and creates an entire background for him. Winston is in charge of making stories to put into the news and he makes up any article that would support Big Brother. As his story about Ogilvy, which is entirely fabricated, is played on the telescreen the people instantly believe it and it shows how easy it is to manipulate the people.

Part One- III

Winston dreams of his mother and father when he was ten or eleven. He also dreams of his sister during this time and remembers his family's features. Then he suddenly starts to dream about Julia and having her strip. Winston is suddenly awaken by the alarm for the daily "Jerk" for his exercises. Being in bad shape, Winston has difficulty with this as he coughs and barely does the exercises. What startles him is that the person leading the exercises calls out to him specifically to confront him about his poor performance.

Part One- II

Winston visits the Parsons in order to help Mrs. Parsons with a sink. Winston sees the kids playing as if they were the Thought Police and the son shoots him in the ear with a load from a toy catapult. The chapter comes to an end when the telescreen strikes fourteen and he realizes that he has to be at work soon.

Part One-I

The story opens with Winston entering his room of the Victory mansion on a cold day. Winston takes out a diary that he had bought from an antique shop and began writing his thoughts down as he accounts his entire day. As he writes, he writes about how cruel the world is now and the story begins to explain the political system of the setting. He remembers the reaction of all the people when they saw all the helpless escapees get shot and how they looked coldly at the image. Winston then writes, multiple times and in bold letters, "DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER" and as he does he realizes he could get shot but doesn't care.