1984 (Chapter 1) Read the first chapter and answer the following questions. 1. When does the novel begin? 2. Where does the novel begin? 3. Cite the caption on the posters in Winston’s building. 4. What is Newspeak? 5. What does a telescreen do? 6. What are the Party’s three slogans? 7. Name the four Ministries of the government. 8. What is the purpose of the Two Minutes Hate? 9. What is thoughtcrime? 10. What is the penalty for thoughtcrime?

ANSWERS 1. The novel begins at 13 o’clock on a day in April The novel begins at Victory Gardens. 3. The caption on the posters reads “Big Brother Is Watching You.” 4. Newspeak is the official language of Oceania. 5. A telescreen monitors one’s every motion and sound. 6. The Party’s three slogans are: War Is Peace, Freedom Is Slavery and Ignorance Is Strength. 7. The four Ministries are Truth, Peace, Love, and Plenty. 8. The purpose of the Two Minutes Hate is to increase hatred of Emmanuel Goldstein, Enemy of the People. 9. Thought crime is an all-inclusive crime. 10. The penalty for thought crime is extermination.

ANALYSIS Winston's dream foreshadows what will take place later on in the book. The use of the phrase, "a place where there is no darkness," another recurring image in the novel, takes an ironic twist when this premonition of Winston's does not turn out as he expects. Winston attributes this phrase to O'Brien, a member of the Inner Party, who, later in the novel, meets Winston "in a place where there is no darkness" — the Ministry of Love, a prison.

The mutability of the past and the existence of fact through memory are prominent themes throughout In this chapter, Winston begins to ask himself questions that will haunt him throughout the rest of the book; among them, how can an idea survive if the past is not allowed to exist? Both Hitler and Stalin distorted the past and rewrote history to maintain the illusion of supreme power. However, Orwell's intent is not merely to warn against the Hitler’s (Fascists) and Stalin’s (Communists) of the world. Instead, his aim is to warn against the kinds of thinking and political processes that, although not as obvious as these two examples, ultimately make us receptive to more and more control.

In this chapter, Orwell further develops Winston's pessimistic, fatalistic character. He has been so convinced of and so assimilated by the Party's power and omniscience that he cannot imagine hiding any thought or action as he writes: "Thought crime does not entail death: thought crime IS death." Therefore, once he has committed his thought crime, he is sure he will be discovered and punished (vaporized). Winston's goal essentially becomes not to stay alive, which he has no confidence he can accomplish, but to stay alive as long as possible.

Writing Assignment Pretend you have had a nightmare in which you are suddenly living in Winston’s world. You have just woken up and you are sweating and screaming. You’ve woken up two of your roommates who are concerned about you. Tell them about your dream. ( words)