1984 Review Sheet
Important Quotes:

Consider the parts we discussed in class.

Choose quotes that relate to your essay topic.
Notes:

Technology: generally viewed as beneficial but can be used for pure evil

Totalitarian regimes: that the regime is incompetent at meeting the needs of their
citizens/ the priority of the regime is increasing its own power/wealth at the expense of
the citizens – Stalin’s communist regime – they are dangerous and should be resisted

Methods of physical control: facecrime, physical jerks, telescreens (constant observation),
long work days and menial tasks exhausting the population, threat of violence and torture

Point of Physical pain: emotional loyalty and moral conviction can be overcome by pain,
governments can control reality/thought by inflicting intense pain on their subjects

Significance of the telescreens: they enable the Party to see everything the people do, but
they are a barrier to Party Transparency, they are a physical manifestation of Big Brother:
the Party is always watching, the sheer presence of Telescreens makes people follow
Party doctrine, they are a symbol of the secrecy/mystery surrounding the inner workings
of the Party

Purpose for controlling information: to eliminate an external measure of truth for citizens
to judge the Party's actions

Control information: no personal records, change the past and conceal the truth of current
events, create propaganda to provide their version of events, rework works of art from the
past to eliminate unorthodox ideas

Methods of psychological control (way people think): doublethink, newspeak, undermine
the family/sexual relations with Junior Spies and Anti-Sex League, constant
surveillance/propaganda from Telescreen, channeling pent-up emotion with Two Minutes
Hate and Hate Week

Doublethink: believe two contradictory ideas to be true/get people to believe party
doctrine even though they may have evidence to the contrary
Important Symbols:

Telescreens: the represent the ubiquitous presence of the Party in the lives of the citizens,
how the Party uses technology to further its own ends, rather than help its citizens out, the
lack of privacy the citizens of Oceania have

Singing Prole Woman: the inspiration, power, and energy of the proles to 'give birth' to a
new era free from the Party

Newspeak: new language, make thoughtcrime impossible, it eliminates the possibility of
dissent, that by controlling words you can control thoughts.

Glass paperweight: the glass protecting the coral is like the room that protects Winston
and Julia from the reality of Party oppression, transparency, connection to the past/a
tangible truth untouched by the party.

Proles: majority of society, undefeatable if they acted as one politically, retain their basic
humanity, hope for future free from the Party

Big Brother: public face of the party, like big brother takes care of citizens, yet a threat
that constant surveillance entails, mystery/secrecy at the heart of the party because is he
real?
Essay Topic Options:
•
Can 1984 be a criticism of today's society as well as the one Orwell lived in? Explain.
•
Winston Smith changes a great deal from the beginning of the novel to the end. What are
the catalysts that cause the changes in him?
•
Discuss an important theme of 1984 and how Orwell imparts this theme to his readers.
More Notes
Define or Describe:
telescreen
Newspeak
vaporized
doublethink
memory hole
Thought Police
Identify:
Winston Smith
Physical Jerk
proles
Hate Week
Capitalism
crimestop
Socialism
pornosec
facecrime
ownlife
INGSOC
Thought Crime
the Brotherhood
Symbols and Significance:
glass paper weight
O'Brien
Syme
Parsons
Katherine
Julia
Ampleforth
Mr. Charrington
Emmanuel Goldstein
Name:
Four Ministries
- what each ministry does
Three Social Classes
- what distinguishes each
Three Super-States
- relationship they have to each other
Describe Settings:
Winston's apartment
Ministry of Truth
Golden Country
Room over Mr. Charrington's shop
Ministry of Love
Room 101
O'Brien's apartment
Chestnut Tree cafe
Summarize:
major plot events
important ideas
red-armed prole woman
memory and dreams
enemies
Newspeak (language and thought)
sexuality
torture
“the book”
Big Brother