1984 Notes By Andrew C. Jackson

How does it affect us today? Language Orwellian = regimented and dehumanized society Newspeak, unperson, doublethink and thoughtcrime are part of language “Big Brother is Watching You” = totalitarian state Published in 1948 (set in future—which is now our past)

List of characters Winston Smith Big Brother Thought Police O’Brien Julia Syme Mr. Charrington

Characters, cont. Ampleforth Tillotson Tom Parsons Mrs. Parsons Martin Emmanuel Goldstein Katharine Winston’s mother

Who was George Orwell? Born Eric Blair in India (1903) Educated in England (poor) Joined Indian Imperial Police Became a writer in late 1920’s Witness to Spanish Civil War (1936) Animal Farm Dealt with Tb while writing novel Died in 1950

Newspeak Principles Meets the specific needs of Ingsoc (English Socialism) When Oldspeak is obsolete, the past will be destroyed Inventing new words, eliminating old words, and stripping existing words of their finer shades of meaning

Newspeak, cont. “A”: Every day words “B”: Political words “C”: Supplementary (scientific and technical terms)

Newspeak Study Questions What is Newspeak? What is the purpose of Newspeak? What purpose will be served by cutting down the choice of words in the language?

Part 1, Chapter 1 Questions When does the novel begin? Where does the novel begin? Cite the caption on the posters in Winston’s building. What are the Party’s three slogans? Name the four ministries of the government. What is the purpose of the 2-minutes hate?

1.1 Quest., cont. What is thoughtcrime? What is the penalty for thoughtcrime?

Part 1, Chapter 2 questions What form of address has replaced “Mrs.”? What game are the Parson’ children playing? Give the crime the children accuse Winston of committing. What popular spectacle took place that afternoon?

1.2, cont. What is a “child hero”? Who speaks in Winston’s dream? What does the speaker in the dream tell Winston? What is the bad news delivered via the telescreen? Winston addresses his diary to whom or to what?

1.2, cont. Explain why Winston washes his hands before he returns to work.

1.3 Q and A How old was Winston when his mother disappeared? What is the only thing Winston remembers about his father? What does Winston surmise happened to his parents? Where are Winston’s mother and sister in his dream? Who appears in Winston’s second dream?

1.3, cont. What is Winston muttering as he awakens? What is Airstrip One? With whom is Oceania at war? What is the Party Slogan? What is Ingsoc?

1.4 and 1.5 Q and A What is the official phrase for altering records? What is the primary job of the Ministry of Truth? What is “Pornosec”? What is Winston’s greatest pleasure in life? Who is Comrade Ogilvy?

1.4 and 1.5, cont. What is Syme’s current project at the Records Department? According to Syme, what is the whole aim of Newspeak? What does Syme predict will have occurred by 2050? Tell why Winston believes Syme will disappear someday. Who does Winston believe is following him?

1.6 and 1.7 Q and A What does Winston believe is the most deadly danger of all? What is the unforgivable crime? What is the only recognized purpose of marriage? Why did Winston call Katharine the “human soundtrack”? Why does Winston believe a real love affair would be almost unthinkable?

1.6 and 1.7, cont. What percent of Oceania’s population is comprised of proles? What does Winston copy into his diary? What is Winston’s proof that the confessions of Jones, Aaronson, and Rutherford were lies? What happened to Winston’s proof? To whom is Winston writing the diary?

1.8 Q and A Instead of spending a night at the Community Center, where does Winston go? What does the Newspeak term “ownlife” imply? After the bombing, what does Winston see lying in the street? What is the one public event to which the proles pay attention? What does Winston learn from the old man in the bar?

1.8, cont. What does Winston buy at Charrington’s shop? What is different about the room above Charrington’s shop? Why does Winston plan to return to the shop? Who seems to be spying on Winston as he leaves Charrington’s shop? What is Winston’s current interpretation of the phrase “place where there is no darkness”?

2.1 Q and A How much time has passed since Winston spotted the girl from the Fiction Department outside the junk shop? What conflicting emotions does Winston feel before helping the girl? Give the possible sources of the note. Give the message on the note. Tell why Winston no longer believes the girl is an enemy.

2.1, cont. Where do Winston and the girl plan to meet? Tell what Winston and the girl witness in the square. When and where will the couple meet again? What emotion prevails when Party members see foreigners? What does the girl do right before she leaves?

2.2 Q and A Tell why a person is no safer in the countryside than in London. What does Winston confess? What is Winston’s immediate feeling as he holds Julia in his arms? What is Winston’s idea of a love offering? What is the emblem of the Junior Anti-Sex League?

2.2, cont. Where did Julia obtain the chocolate? What has attracted Julia to Winston? Why is Winston shocked at the coarseness of Julia’s language? What is Julia’s feeling about her many other lovers? What is the one act of rebellion that could ruin the Party?

2.3 Q and A Tell why Winston does not need to know Julia’s surname or address. What does Julia mean by “talking in installments?” How does Julia spend much of her free time? What does Julia do at the fiction department? What special job was Julia selected for at work?

2.3, cont. What is Julia’s only interest in Party doctrine? Give Julia’s opinion of revolt against the Party. What is Julia’s reaction when Winston tells her the details of his loveless marriage? According to Julia, what does sexual privation produce? What does Julia believe will help Winston and her to construct a secret world in which they can live?

2.4 Q and A What does Winston’s heart keep saying about the affair? What does Winston see and hear under the window? What is Winston thinking of as he awaits Julia? What has Julia brought? What does Winston see when he faces Julia?

2.4, cont. Why does Julia throw a shoe into the corner? What is Winston’s reaction when Julia describes the rat? What is Winston’s opinion of the paperweight? According to Winston, who might know the missing line to the nursery rhyme? What has the paperweight come to symbolize for Winston?

2.5 Q and A Who vanishes? How is Winston preparing for Hate Week at work? Who organizes the squads of volunteers? What is pictured on the new poster appearing all over London? What causes the proles to feel increasingly patriotic?

2.5, cont. How does Winston regard the room over Charrington’s shop? What does Julia take for granted? What does Julia believe about the stories of Goldstein and the underground? What is Julia’s impulse during the Two Minutes Hate? What is Julia’s interest in the next generation?

2.6 Q and A Where is Winston when O’Brien approaches him? How does O’Brien compliment Winston? Why does O’Brien turn Winston into his accomplice? What does O’Brien think is an ingenious development in the tenth edition of the Newspeak dictionary?

2.6, cont. What is O’Brien willing to lend Winston? What happens to the paper with the address? What prevents Winston from finding out O’Brien’s address on his own? What is the one thing of which Winston is now certain? What feeling does Winston experience as he talks with O’Brien?

2.7 Q and A What do the arm gestures made by Winston’s mother in the dreams have in common with one another? What does Winston remember in his dream? What does Winston believe the proles have retained, but Party members have lost? How did Winston spend many of his childhood afternoons? How did Winston’s mother react to her husband’s disappearance?

2.7, cont. What did Winston do with his sister’s portion of the chocolate ration? What did Winston find when he returned home? What is a Reclamation Center? In Winston’s mind, what would prove he had betrayed Julia? According to Julia what is the one thing the Party cannot do?

2.8 Q and A What does Winston fear as he travels to O’Brien’s apartment? What is the only evidence that suggests O’Brien is a political conspirator? Why can Winston not use the excuse that he had come for the dictionary? What privilege is reserved for Party members? To whom does the group drink a toast?

2.8 cont. According to O’Brien, what is the most Winston will ever know about the Brotherhood? What is Winston prepared to do for the Brotherhood? Why will the Brotherhood never be destroyed? What is in the book that O’Brien plans to send to Winston? Where will O’Brien and Winston meet again?

2.9 Q and A With what power is Oceania now at war? What has Winston been doing for the past six days at the Ministry of Truth? What is the title of Goldstein’s book? What are Goldstein’s three classes? What does Goldstein’s book claim is the primary aim of modern warfare?

2.9, cont. What is the only possible basis of a hierarchical society? What are the two aims of the Party? What happens to the most gifted proles? Why must the past be altered? Define doublethink.

2.10 Q and A What is the only way that the secret of the love affair would be passed on? What occurs to Winston as he thinks of all people? What doe Winston conclude is Goldstein’s final message? According to Winston, what kind of world would the proles create? What makes Winston believe that proles are immortal?

2.10, cont. How does Winston think he and Julia can share in the future? What is beyond the picture on the wall? What follows the voice? What happens to Winston’s paperweight? What occurs to Winston as he looks at Charrington?

3.1 Q and A Where does Winston presume he is when he awakens? What difference does Winston observe between Party prisoners and ordinary criminals? Who does all the dirty jobs in the prisons? Why does Winston think of O’Brien with hope? What is the “place with no darkness”?

3.1, cont. Why has Ampleforth been arrested? Who has denounced Parsons? What crime has Parsons committed? What does the chinless man offer the skull-faced man? Who is Winston’s surprise visitor?

3.2 Q and A What does Winston realize about his continuous beatings? What is the aim of the Party torturers? What becomes Winston’s only concern? Who is in charge of Winston’s torture? What does O’Brien think is wrong with Winston?

3.2, cont. What does O’Brien throw down the memory hole? What happens whenever Winston insists that O’Brien is holding up four fingers? What was the purpose in bringing Winston to the Ministry of Love? What does O’Brien predict will happen after Winston’s death? According to O’Brien, what is the information Winston will never know?

3.3 Q and A Give the three stages of Winston’s reintegration. What is O’Brien’s opinion of Goldstein’s book? Why does the Party seek power? What power is most important? Where does O’Brien believe reality exists?

3.3, cont. How does the Party exert its power over humans? What is the foundation of the Party’s world? What does Winston see when O’Brien forces him to look into the mirror? What is the only degradation that has not yet happened to Winston? What is the only certainty in Winston’s life?

3.4 and 3.5 Q and A What does Winston write on his slate? What does Winston think of his few remaining contrary flashbacks? Define “crimestop”. What is Winston’s hallucination? What is Winston’s immediate reaction after he cries out for Julia?

3.4 and 3.5, cont. How must Winston change his feelings toward Big Brother before he can be released? Where does Winston’s final torture occur? What is the worst thing in the world for Winston? What does Winston believe is the only way to save himself from his torture? Who is the only person to whom Winston can transfer his punishment?

3.6 Q and A What is Winston’s new hangout? What news is Winston awaiting? What is Winston’s usual routine? What does Julia’s body remind Winston of when they unexpectedly meet? What do Winston and Julia admit to each other?

3.6, cont. Why doesn’t Winston follow Julia through the streets? What is Winston’s latest false memory? What is the telescreen’s announcement? Whose picture hangs in the café? Whom does Winston now love?