1984 – Book One Study Guide
Chapter One:
Describe the setting of the novel. Where does the novel take place?
Describe Winston Smith. What malady does he have?
What is the only thing that matters?
What language do they speak?
What are the four ministries and what are they each concerned with? What is the irony there?
1.
2.
3.
4.
What are the three slogans of the party?
1.
2.
3.
Why is nothing illegal?
What does Winston hide from when he was writing?
Why is his writing so terrible? What is his problem when he tried to start writing?
Why does Winston think it is impossible to communicate with the future?
What is the scarlet sash an emblem of? Describe the lady wearing it.
Why doesn’t Winston like women?
Describe O’Brien. How does Winston feel about him?
What purpose does the Two Minutes Hate serve for Party members? What purpose do they serve for Winston?
What does Winston think happened between he and O’Brien during the Two Minutes Hate?
What are the Brotherhood? What did Goldstein author?
Oceania is one of the three super states in 1984. What are the other two?
1.
2.
Who is Emmanuel Goldstein?
What is thoughtcrime? What happens to a person arrested for it?
Chapter Two:
What are the Victory Mansions?
Who is Parsons?
Explain how the children in 1984 have lost the innocence of childhood?
In Winston’s dream, where does O’Brien say they will meet?
What are the sacred principles of INGSOC?
What is the only thing that is truly your own?
Why does Winston believe he is already dead? Which of his acts make him realize he had betrayed the Party and cannot
be reversed?
How and why does he mark his diary?
Chapter Three:
What emotions have been abolished since Big Brother took over? What emotions now dominate?
What is the Golden Country? What happens there?
What are the Physical Jerks?
Why does Winston have a hard time remembering his childhood?
What is Airstrip One?
Winston remembers continuous wars since when (what event)?
How does the Party control people’s memories of the past?
What is doublethink? Give some examples of it.
What is INGSOC in Oldspeak form?
Chapter Four:
Where does Winston work? What is his job?
What happens to historical records and newspapers? How does this affect society?
What happens when someone is vaporized?
What was the proletarian literature, drama, music and entertainment like? What is a proletarian – look up the definition.
What does the word “doubleplusungood” mean? How about “unperson?”
Chapter Five:
Who is Syme?
What is the Eleventh Edition? What are they doing to create it?
What is the aim of “Newspeak?” How does Newspeak control people’s thoughts? (Think about your anticipation guide
and whether ideas still exist if there are no words to express them).
Why does Wilson believe that Syme will someday disappear, even though Syme wholeheartedly believes in Big Brother?
Describe Parsons.
How did people actually look compared to how the Party portrayed them to look?
Who does Winston catch watching him?
What is “facecrime?”
Chapter Six:
What was the most deadly danger of all (according to Winston)?
According to the Party, what is the only purpose of marriage?
What is “artsem?”
Why is the Party against love as a basis for marriage?
Describe Winston’s marriage.
Describe the prole prostitute.
What urge did Winston have at the end of the chapter?
Chapter Seven:
What does Winston feel is the hope for society?
Why is it impossible for the proles to rebel?
What are their lives like?
Describe a capitalist according to Mrs. Parson’s children’s history textbook.
Who were Jones, Aaronson and Rutherford? What happened to them?
What evidence did Winston find?
Chapter Eight:
What is “ownlife?”
What is Winston’s reaction after the rocket bomb hits?
What were the men arguing about?
What is the truth about the lottery?
What does Winston want from the old man? How does it go?
Why is the old man upset?
What does Winston buy in the shop? What is it symbolic of?
What else does the shopkeeper show Winston?
What does Winston see that scares him?
What happens after you are arrested?