1984 STUDY GUIDE
Headlong Theatre and The Broad Stage present
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Student Matinee
THUR JAN 21, 2015 | THUR FEB 4, 2015
11:30AM
Theater at The Broad Stage is made possible in part by a generous gift from
Laurie and Bill Benenson
1984 at The Broad tage is made possible in part by a generous gift from
Linda and Mihcael Keston
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1984 STUDY GUIDE
EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS STAFF
Wiley Hausam, Artistic and Executive Director
Amy Kirkland, General Manager
Carolyn Palmer, Director of Programming and Education
Alisa De Los Santos, Manager of Education and Community Programs
Klarissa Leuterio, Education and Community Programs Coordinator
Jonathan Redding, Dramaturg
CONSULTANTS
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Education and Community Programs at The Broad Stage is supported in part by
Herb Alpert Foundation
Bank of the West
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City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Commission
Colburn Foundation
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Sidney Stern Memorial Trust
Dwight Stuart Youth Fund
Ziering Family Foundation, a Support Foundation of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los
Angeles
Theater at The Broad Stage is made possible in part by a generous gift
from Laurie and Bill Benenson.
1984 at The Broad stage is made possible in part by a generous gift from
Linda and MIchael Keston
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Phone 310.434.3560
education@thebroadstage.com
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1984 STUDY GUIDE
Greetings from
The Broad Stage!
Hello Teachers and Educators,
We are so glad to that you and your students will be joining us for Headlong’s production
of 1984 this winter! We hope that your experience at The Broad Stage break open the
riveting and terrifying world of George Orwell’s timeless novel for your students. We are
excited to bring this imaginative adaptation of a classic to the Los Angeles community.
15/16 SEASON
We know only too well the complicated and politically charged world in which we live. Each
day, we are forced to make choices between security and privacy, between individualism
and the collective good, and to navigate the ever-present world of technology. These
choices affect the lives of our young people. It is our hope that this production will enable
you to tackle the important and only-to-relevant topics of privacy, technology, surveillance,
and government oversight.
In preparation for the performance, we ask that you take a few minutes to look through
this study guide. It contains teaching resources for you to use in your classroom and each
lesson is based on Common Core and VAPA State Standards. Our hope is to support your
efforts not only in preparing students for this particular program, but in integrating the
arts into other aspects of your students’ day to day learning process. We value arts
experiences that demand our attention and give rise to socially relevant dialogue. Each
season, we hope that this production of 1984 will create an opportunity for exploration,
dialogue, and creative responses in your classrooms.
We are honored to have you and your students as a part of our Broad Stage family. We
admire your hard work every day and are so fortunate to be working with such a talented
and engaged group of educators! Thank you for taking this journey with us and for your
continued dedication to your students’ academic and artistic development.
See you at the show!
Sincerely,
Alisa De Los Santos
Manager of Education &
Community Programs
Klarissa Leuterio
Education & Community
Programs Coordinator
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George Orwell’s novel has captivated readers for over 65 years as a vision of the world
without checks on absolute power. He imagined a world in which nothing can be private
– even one’s most private moments are subject to scrutiny, where the simple act of writing
in a diary or falling in love could be the most dangerous act of rebellion imaginable. This
world of complete surveillance, whether voluntary or involuntary, is not so far from our
experience today.
1984 STUDY GUIDE
Contents
How To Use This Guide - 5
Framework Exercises - 6
Writing Exercises - 7
Writring Prompts - 9
Creative Response Exercises - 10
Class Discussion & Debate - 11
Experiential Exercise - 13
Immersive Experience - 15
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Appendix
Character Summaries - 25
Glossary - 26
Synopsis - 30
Adaptation Examples - 33
Standards Addressed - 36
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Acting Exercises
1984 STUDY GUIDE
How to use this Guide
This study guide was created to give you a greater degree of flexibility as you prepare your students to attend
1984.
Sections – The guide is arranged by type of exercise – writing, speech, acting, etc. – to accommodate teachers
working in multiple subjects.
“A la carte” – Choose from various types of exercises that fit your students, classroom, and time.
Explore as you go – Some exercises require students to have read up through a certain part of the novel and are
differentiated with a (part, chapter) note.
Appendices – Use these resources as examples, clarification, and further exploration of the novel.
Objectives:
• Fully immerse students into the dystopia that 1984 suggests through collaborative and
individual learning projects.
• Assist in reading comprehension at all stages of the reading process
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Summary: The lessons in this guide provide differentiated instruction in teaching concepts
and themes present in George Orwell’s 1984. Students will have the opportunity to
experience doublethink and thoughtcrime through experiential exercises, create visual
representations of totalitarianism in various mediums, write creatively and persuasively in
the world of 1984, and debate issues from the novel as they relate to society.
STANDARDS ADDRESSED
Common Core:
SPEAKING AND LISTENING
Comprehension and Collaboration:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.A
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.B
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.C
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.D
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.2
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.3
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.6
READING
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.7
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.8
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.9
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• Differentiate instruction to meet the needs of English Language Learners and students
who thrive under different learning modalities
1984 STUDY GUIDE
FRAMEWORK EXERCISES
Introductory Discussion
Begin by exploring themes and ideas of Orwell’s novel as a group. Class discussion prompts
could include:
What if all of your social media activity for the last 24 hours – who you looked at on Facebook,
what pictures you looked at on Instagram, whom you Snapchatted and what you sent – were
made public?
We lead incredibly interconnected lives today, and your generation is the first generation to
grow up in the digital age, where this technology is commonplace. Have you ever thought about
what would happen if your iPhone or Android was used against you? Has anyone ever seen an
example of cyber-bullying, or of someone’s privacy being violated online? What if it weren’t just
social- what if the government were able to punish you for something you’ve thought or said? Is
there anywhere in the world this is already happening?
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1984 STUDY GUIDE
WRITING EXERCISES
Persuasive Writing: Junior Spies
In 1984, the Party breaks human relationship instincts by criminalizing intimacy in many ways.
They destroy the family dynamic by training children to inform on their parents through the
Junior Spies program. (Part 1, Chapter 2)
Task students with writing a recruitment speech from the perspective of a Junior Spy.
The speech might include:
• An argument in favor of the suspicion of parents
• Best practices of determining if parents are committing thoughtcrime (See Glossary)
• Appropriate ways to report parents guilty of thoughtcrime against The Party
• Additional ways in which children can be of service to The Party
Tactics: The speech should include several persuasive tactics such as band-wagoning,
extrapolation, explicit facts or evidence (that may or may not be fabricated), and an appeal to
logic, emotions, or morals.
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In 1984, members of the Party are required to live their lives in constant and wholehearted
support of Big Brother. This permeates every aspect of living, including the information
available to the public and vocabulary acceptable for communication. (Part 1)
Ask students to write a short newspaper article set in the world of 1984. The purpose of the
article should be to deliberately manipulate the public opinion in support of the Party and
Big Brother. This could include:
• Pleasure at an increase in rations or production
• Anger at an enemy Superstate or its army
• Fear of a subversive element such as the Brotherhood
• Contempt for the Proles
• Gratitude to Big Brother for a military victory
Provide students with the Glossary (in the Appendices) and encourage them to incorporate
the terminology of Orwell’s world into their articles.
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Creative Writing: In Support of Big Brother
1984 STUDY GUIDE
WRITING EXERCISES, cont.
Revisionist Writing: Ministry of Truth
Winston’s job within the Ministry of Truth is to edit the past – newspapers, photographs,
official records – to reflect the “truth” that the Party has decided upon at any given moment.
This includes “unpersoning” – deleting all evidence of existence of – citizens who have
committed a crime against the Party. (Part 1, Chapter 4)
Print articles from online that take a position on an issue, not necessarily related to topics in
1984.
Some suggestions:
•http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/27/science/african-lion-population-is-dwindling-
study-finds.html
• http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/27/nyregion/boy-17-is-fatally-shot-on-busy-brooklynstreet.html?_r=0
• http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/06/arts/music-the-solo-beyonce-she-s-no-ashanti.ht
ml?pagewanted=all&pagewanted=print
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•http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/20/world/threats-responses-white-house-bush-
orders-start-war-iraq-missiles-apparently.html?pagewanted=all&pagewanted=print
•http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/27/health/many-schools-failing-on-diabetes-care.html
Edit each article with a revision goal in mind. For example, if the article describes a dwindling
lion population in Africa, ask students to rewrite the article to praise the Party for its expert
conservation and repopulation of lions in the wild.
Complete articles in pairs or individually, switching periodically to give students an
opportunity to share ideas and strategies for revision.
Share revised articles with the class.
Discuss which articles were successful revised and why.
* This also appears as a part of the Immersive Exercise (See Page 14)
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•http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/05/10/ny.times.reporter/
1984 STUDY GUIDE
WRITING PROMPTS
1. The book introduces concepts like “Room 101”: the application of a torture specific to an
individual’s worst fear. What is your worst fear? How would you feel if it were known or used against you?
2. Consider some of the freedoms that are protected in our own society today; the rights listed in the
Bill of Rights, for example. Is it possible that we take some of these freedoms for granted? Where in the
world are these freedoms absent, and how can we defend them in our own country?
3. How is history created? In a world of vast and intricate cause and effect, how can we be sure that
what becomes the “accepted version” of history is, in fact, what happened?
4. We live in a world where surveillance has reached a technological capacity close to what Orwell
envisioned, yet this was accomplished largely through the evolution of the marketplace in the digital
age. Is the sacrifice of a certain amount of privacy worth the convenience of living our lives online?
5. The novel introduces the concept of “doublethink”, or holding two mutually contradictory beliefs
in your mind at the same time. Do we practice doublethink in our lives now? Can you describe any
15/16 SEASON
6. The Thought Police are a terrifying invisible presence in Orwell’s novel. Have there been Thought
Police elsewhere in history? In America? What qualifies someone as a “Thought Policeman”?
7. The Party intends to use Newspeak to limit the capacity of its citizens to think and communicate. Do
you think it is actually possible to limit thought by controlling language? Are there any examples of this
kind of manipulation, through changing language or even keeping a population illiterate?
8. Orwell imagines a world in which the government is attempting to “abolish the orgasm”, to tear
down intimate relationships between romantic partners and among families. Is the desire to control the
sexuality of a population a mark of tyranny? Is it tyrannical in religious institutions or within the value
structures of communities?
9. What is the purpose of the Two Minute’s Hate? Is there anything in our own culture that resembles
the Hate, or achieves the same end?
10.How are Emannuel Goldstein and the idea of the Brotherhood used by the Party to maintain control?
How is constant warfare with enemy states useful to the Party? Are these methods of population
control ever used in our own culture, and are they effective?
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examples of this?
1984 STUDY GUIDE
CREATIVE RESPONSE EXERCISES
Propoganda Piece
Define the word Propaganda
Propaganda (n): information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or
publicize a particular political cause or point of view
Examine the significance of the word propaganda in a group discussion.
• What are some examples of propaganda in our own political process, or in our recent history?
• How do the media affect the creation and dissemination of propaganda?
• What are some of the elements of propaganda in 1984, and do you see anything similar in our society?
Either in groups or individually, have students create a piece of propaganda from that could
exist in the world of 1984. This could be a mural, a political cartoon, poster, song, etc., that
favors the causes of either the Party or the Brotherhood. These visual representations can
be made by hand or graphically on a computer.
15/16 SEASON
Discuss with your students the experience of creating a piece of art designed to manipulate
its audience. Did they draw inspiration from an example of propaganda from their own lives?
How does it feel to craft language with these methods? Does propaganda ever serve an
important purpose?
Film Response:
Go online to watch the Apple 1984 commercial that first aired during the 1984 SuperBowl.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axSnW-ygU5g
Analyze the commercial, and compare it to Apple’s technology innovations today, especially
the ones that have the ability to monitor us and our behavior.
In groups, create your own video response to Apple’s 1984 commercial that illustrates your
position on technology’s role in modern life. Do you think Apple’s original assertion has held
true or do you think it has created the very technologies necessary to monitor people?
Ph o
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M
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Share pieces of propaganda with the class, detailing specifically how these creations
promote or satirize a cause in 1984.
1984 STUDY GUIDE
CLASS DISCUSSION AND DEBATE
Debate Exercises:
Divide your class into halves (or smaller groups) and assign positions for preparation and
debate. Students might begin generally with a list of pros and cons for a given position, and
write a paragraph or one-sheet stating their position to work from. Debate prompts could
include:
2. In Part III, Chapter II of 1984, Winston and O’Brien debate the concreteness of external
reality: O’Brien argues that anything held to be collectively true by the Party, such as
historical record, is effectively true. Winston argues that there is an objective truth
outside of what we choose to believe. This argument centers around something Orwell
paradoxically calls “Collective Solipsism”, the belief that only that which is mutually agreed
upon to be reality is, in fact, reality.
Have each group of students take a side and develop an argument in favor of either
collectively agreed-upon reality or objective reality, culminating in a debate in front
of the class.
3. In Part III, Chapter III of 1984, O’Brien explains the true motive of the Party: “Power is
not a means, it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a
revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object
of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is
power.” This is one of the central points of the novel, and is teased earlier in the book
when Winston nearly reads this passage in Goldstein’s manual. At root, Winston has been
operating under the assumption that Party doctrine is “the end justifies the means”, and
is devastated by the discovery that they are interested only in perpetuating their means. Is
the Party more honest, or more evil, than totalitarian governments of the past?
Have each group of students take a side and develop an argument in favor of either the
efficiency and success of Party doctrine, or the inherent evil thereof, culminating in a
debate in front of the class.
4. In Part III of 1984, George Orwell demonstrates the belief held by O’Brien and the Party
that phobia, degradation, and physical pain are the most effective tools of persuasion.
O’Brien is confident that everyone can eventually be broken through these means:
“Always we shall have the heretic here at our mercy, screaming with pain, broken up,
contemptible—and in the end utterly penitent, saved from himself, crawling to our feet of
his own accord.”
Have each group of students take a side and develop an argument in favor of the most
effective means of persuasion, culminating in a debate in front of the class.
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15/16 SEASON
1. In Part II, Chapter V of 1984, Winston and Julia begin to discover the different ways in
which they approach the Party. Winston is agitated over the alteration of the past, the
denial of concrete reality, the oppression of government. Julia, on the other hand, has
chosen not to let these larger, unalterable elements of their world trouble her. Whereas
Winston wants to find the Brotherhood and join an organized resistance against Big
Brother, Julia wants to escape detection and continue defying the Party with small, secret
acts of rebellion and privacy, such as her affair with Winston. We may consider these
examples of the “Macro” and “Micro” versions of rebellion against oppression
Have each group of students take a side and develop an argument in favor of their
approach to resistance, culminating in a debate in front of the class.
1984 STUDY GUIDE
CLASS DISCUSSION AND DEBATE, cont.
Imagining Dystopia:
In 1984, Orwell was writing in a specific genre: dystopian science fiction, or speculative
fiction. This has become a hugely popular form of storytelling since Orwell’s time.
Discuss other examples of this form.
• Can you name any examples of current fiction, films, or television shows that are dystopian in nature?
• Do these stories have value to us?
• Why are we fascinated by them?
Lead a group discussion with your students on what dystopia means. What are some of the
elements of a dystopian story? These might include:
• Totalitarianism or oppression
• Class stratification
• Changes to the family unit
• The total control or total absence of a religion
• A cataclysmic event or war
• An environmental or economic collapse
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Ph
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Ma
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1984 STUDY GUIDE
EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES
Thought Police:
With (or without) the help of a small group of students, illustrate to your class the feeling of
constant surveillance.
• Recruit a small number of students as “Thought Police” for a limited duration of time (one to two weeks).
•
Task your “Thought Police” with observing several of their peers, and writing down one observation about their behavior during each school day. (This requires dialogue and trustworthiness on the part of the participant students, as the observations should be simple notes about patterns of behavior, and not hurtful or editorial).
•
Announce to your class that you have recruited “Thought Police” in their midst, who will be observing them in the days and weeks to come. (Alternatively, you may choose to simply tell your class you are conducting this exercise without actually appointing Thought Police.)
• Throughout the course of the exercise, periodically remind students that they are under observation, and perhaps point out general trends in behavior, such as:
o cell phone usage during the school day
15/16 SEASON
o expressions of anxiety about a test or upcoming game
• At the conclusion of the appointed time of observation, hold a post-exercise discussion with your class, examining their feelings and thoughts about being scrutinized by unknown classmates.
o If you elected to use actual “Thought Police” from your class, invite them to identify themselves and share their experience.
o If you did not, inform your students that it was a ruse, and describe your own perspective of watching their behavior during the exercise.
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o lateness and hanging out in the halls
1984 STUDY GUIDE
EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES, cont.
Unpersoning Exercise: Using Doublethink
With the help of a volunteer, illustrate to your class the principle of “Doublethink” and the
Thought Police’s practice of “unpersoning” individuals.
• Ask a trusted student, ahead of time, to go to the library or the office instead of coming to your class as usual.
• Prior to the arrival of your class, remove the desk and any evidence of the selected student from your classroom.
• If this is a period in which attendance is taken, skip the “unpersoned” student.
• When students start asking questions about the missing student, correct them with Doublethink. For example:
- There has never been a John in this class.
- This row has the same number of chairs as the other rows.
Thought-limiting Exercise: Using Newspeak
Enforce the use of Newspeak in the classroom. To do this, you might:
• Change one word at a time in acceptable classroom vocabulary. (This helps to emphasize the fact that the party is continually trying to perfect their own system.) For example, Any form of the word “bad” or any other negative word becomes “ungood.”
• Provide an incentive for the students who avoid the use of non-existent words.
• Re-introduce words that you need as soon as you need them. Using Doublethink, you may act as if it always existed. The students can then use the word as if it had never been
prohibited.
• Discuss the experience of using Newspeak. Did it limit students’ abilites to express their thoughts precisely/clearly?
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15/16 SEASON
Newspeak is the fictional language created by the totalitarian state of Oceania as a tool to
limit freedom of thought. It is characterized by a limiting and constantly shifting vocabulary
which eradicates any undesirable concepts.
1984 STUDY GUIDE
IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
Rebels & Thought Police
This is a long form improvisational exercise to be used after reading Part 1 of 1984 to
motivate further reading and assist in comprehension of previous reading.
Goals:
Provide students an opportunity to immerse themselves in the meta-cognitive experience
of existence in the Outer Party in George Orwell’s 1984. Clarify the themes of the novel, the
narrative, and the main character’s struggle by encouraging students to monitor their own
behavior and analyze the behavior of others.
Preparation:
• Create three separate designated areas:
• Work office in the Ministry of Truth, equipped with articles for students to edit, and poster materials for the propaganda designers
• Physical Jerks space
• Cafeteria
-Designate the locations of Telescreens and their sightlines.
-Prepare snacks for the cafeteria scene.
• OPTIONAL: Hang propaganda posters with slogans of the Party and citations about how
one is expected to act throughout the space.
Assign roles to students by asking them to draw characters out of a bowl.
Character Goals:
• REBEL: identify another Rebel, while appearing above suspicion by the Thought Police. Anyone assigned the role of Rebel must assume he or she has already committed Thought Crime.
• THOUGHT POLICE: identify those with rebellious tendencies and convict them of Thought Crime.
• CITIZEN: always behave according to Party rules.
See performance tips on page 18.
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15/16 SEASON
Materials:
• Room(s) with desks, tables, and chairs.
• News articles paired with necessary edits mandated by the Party (see Revisionist Writing
exercise for examples)
• Chocolates or snacks for everyone
• Jar with characters names printed on slips of paper to assign roles to students
• Images of members of the Brotherhood for 2 Minutes Hate either projected, digital or
hard copy.
1984 STUDY GUIDE
IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE, cont.
To Play: Follow the order and script provided on pages 16-18. Italicized portions are for
reading directly as the narrator. During each scene, the teacher will allow transition periods
between tasks making it possible for students to have discussions with other citizens.
It is important for students to talk to different citizens during each transition to avoid
being suspected of having a personal friendship with anyone. The conversations are the
mechanism for which students can identify each other as rebels or thought police, or simply
to maintain innocence. Participants include knowledge of their backstory when discussing.
3 minutes - Physical Jerks (Chapter 3):
Lead the students in their daily exercises, called the Physical Jerks in 1984
You may say something along the lines of the following:
15/16 SEASON
(30 second break in which the students may interact)
“Your attention, please. We are continuing.”
“Lunges. Right foot forward. Stretch lower. Switch. Stretch lower.”
“Run in place. Knees up! Higher! Faster!”
“Balance on one foot and tuck your other leg behind you. Hold your balance.”
To a student not balancing – “Hold your balance, Comrade! Your Party may depend
on your balance.”
(30 second break in which the students may interact)
“Your attention once more. We are continuing.”
“A boxing stance, please. And punch left, right,
left, right, left left, right right. Repeat. And again.”
“Feet shoulder-width apart. Right hand on
your hip. Left hand above your head.
Bend to your right. Hold that stretch. Switch.”
“Bring your right elbow to touch your left
knee. Switch. Switch again. Again.”
Ph
o
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“Thank you for your participation in this
morning’s Physical Jerks. You may now
proceed to your work at the
Ministry of Truth.”
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“Good morning Comrades! Please prepare for the Physical Jerks. Big Brother requires
that each Party member be in excellent shape so as to perform their duties to the
Party. Please complete these exercises in an orderly fashion, and with 100% effort.”
“20 jumping jacks. Count aloud. Begin.”
“Touch your toes keeping your legs straight.” Singling a student out – “Lower Comrade.
Yes. I’m speaking to you. Put some effort into your stretches.”
“Stand on your toes and reach as high as you can, keeping your balance intact. Reach
higher. You never know when your efforts may be required in service of Big Brother.’
1984 STUDY GUIDE
IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE, cont.
15 minutes - Ministry of Truth:
During this part of the activity, students complete an abbreviated version of the “Revisionist
Writing” exercise described on Page 8 of this guide in pairs. Every few minutes during the
exercise, have students switch partners and articles, discussing and rationalizing their work
each time they partner. Their goal should be to defend their work and explain why it will
benefit the Party.
You may use the following as a script for each transition:
“Comrades, please stop your work on your current piece, switch articles and work
with new partners. Be sure your work is clear, concise, and in constant service of Big
Brother and The Party.”
To complete the Two Minutes Hate:
Create a slideshow or series of printed images to show students. It is suggested that images
be innocuous, such as cartoon characters, etc. Do not include images that will incite any
political biases, and exclude noticeable public figures to avoid disrupting the immersion
exercise.
Create guidelines for behavior and language, such as scripted words that are acceptable for
use and movements that are allowed. For example, students might be allowed to say:
•Boo!!!!!
• Down with Him/Her!!!
• Long live the Party!!!!
• I hate you!!!!!
To begin Two Minutes Hate, use the following statement:
“Attention comrades. Please stand and direct your attention to the telescreen for the
Two Minutes Hate. As a reminder, acceptable ways to express your hatred include
(substitute your acceptable language here).”
TWO MINUTES HATE
“Well done, Comrades. You may return to your work.”
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At some point during the Ministry of Truth exercise, pause for the Two Minutes Hate, as
described in Chapter 1 of the novel. Citizens must participate in public outbursts of hatred
toward images of Party enemies via the telescreen.
1984 STUDY GUIDE
IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE, cont.
15 minutes - Canteen and The Double Think exercise:
This directly follows the Ministry of Truth Exercise. Make the following announcement:
“Comrades, that concludes this morning’s work. You may proceed to the canteen for
lunch.”
Students will pick up their “lunch” (a snack of chocolate or something else) and sit in groups
to eat it, simulating the canteen scenes in 1984. Students must talk to different students than
they did previously.
Make several announcements, all of which contradict the rest, and students must react
appropriately (positively with mild enthusiasm) and interact based off of the new information.
“Attention, all citizens, this is an announcement regarding an increase in Party’s
Chocolate Rations. Chocolate rations have been increased to 400 crates.”
15/16 SEASON
“Attention citizens. The Party’s navy has sunk a Eurasian ship in the Western Sea.”
This scene completes overall exercise. Complete the following Debrief:
Ask the Thought Police to reveal themselves and explain who they would convict and why.
Ask students to share what they observed in themselves and in others and how they felt
during the exercise.
• What does it feel like to not know the intentions of those among you?
• What’s it like to feel one thing but have to keep it guarded?
• How did it feel to know you were being scrutinized at every moment throughout the
exercise?
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“Attention, all citizens, this is an announcement regarding the Party’s Chocolate
Rations. Chocolate rations have increased and are now at 200 crates.”
1984 STUDY GUIDE
IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE, cont.
Performance tips:
These are settings where the actors are heavily monitored and under scrutiny. Rebels and citizens
constantly behave in a way to evade the ThoughtPolice, by having “look of grim enjoyment,” during the
Physical Jerks. Throughout the day, students should strive to effectively use Crimestop:
“The mind should develop a blind spot whenever a dangerous thought presented itself. The process
should be automatic, instinctive. Crimestop, they called it in Newspeak. He set to work to exercise himself in crimestop. He presented himself with propositions—’the Party says the earth is flat’, ‘the party
says that ice is heavier than water’—and trained himself in not seeing or not understanding the arguments that contradicted them.”
Students must also be aware of Facecrime:
15/16 SEASON
“Crimestop means the faculty of stopping short, as though by instinct, at the threshold of
any dangerous thought. It includes the power of not grasping analogies, of failing to perceive
logical errors, of misunderstanding the simplest arguments if they are inimical to Ingsoc, and
of being bored or repelled by any train of thought which is capable of leading in a heretical
direction. Crimestop, in short, means protective stupidity” (2.9)
Thought Police are on the lookout for:
• friendship bonds
• individualistic ideas or individuality
• non participation in the 2 minute hate
• not using doublethink during conflicting announcements
• questioning party announcements
•non-conformity
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“It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place
or within range of a telescreen. The smallest thing could give you away. A nervous tic, an
unconscious look of anxiety, a habit of muttering to yourself – anything that carried with it
the suggestion of abnormality, of having something to hide. In any case, to wear an improper
expression on your face (to look incredulous when a victory was announced, for example)
was itself a punishable offense. There was even a word for it in Newspeak: facecrime, it was
called. (1.5)”
1984 STUDY GUIDE
ACTING EXERCISES
Orwellian Private Moment Exercise
Give your students the following assignment:
Observe something you do in private. Note that this shouldn’t be something discomfiting to
others, such as a bodily function, but rather completely human behaviors you engage in when
you think you are unobserved. Examples might include:
• Dancing or singing with abandon
• Talking to yourself, a pet, or an inanimate object
• Sprawling out in bed
Examine all the components of this: the sensory experience of the private space, and how
you feel in the moment.
Bring in elements of your private space to class, and construct a simple staging of these
spaces.
This might mean bringing in a:
•Toothbrush
• Stuffed animal
•Bedspread
•Books
•Laptop
Perform your “private moment” in front of the class, with the goal of imagining the private
space around you and pretending that the audience is not there.
After each student has performed his or her private moment, discuss as a class the
experience of trying to be “private in public”, of knowing that you are under scrutiny in a
personal, unguarded moment. How would it feel to live your entire life with the expectation
that you will be watched, every moment of every day? How would your private moments
change?
An alternative way to experience the private moment exercise:
Give a student a poem to memorize out in the hallway. When they return to class, instead
of having them read the poem, ask them to reenact their memorization process they did in
private. Use this as quicker alternative that requires less preparation than the full private
moment exercise.
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Write down your observations, including a detailed description of your private space. You
should be able to close your eyes and see it.
1984 STUDY GUIDE
ACTING EXERCISES, cont.
Designing Orwell’s World: Creating and Pitching a Scenic Design
Headlong Theatre is bringing an adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 to The Broad Stage. It
can be particularly challenging to adapt a work from another medium to the stage from a
technical standpoint. Task your students with creating their own adaptive design to bring
Orwell’s novel to the stage.
Identify the scenic requirements and challenges of the story:
• How many locations are necessary?
• What will be difficult to stage?
• Will they need to use multimedia such as video projection?
Think about light and sound, and the way you would want the audience to feel looking at the
design. Decide how you will convey the atmosphere of Orwell’s world:
• Will you use propaganda imagery like that described in the novel?
• Would you try to make the staging more realistic or more abstract?
• Would you try to replicate the technology described in the novel, or update it to be more
modern/futuristic?
How will you transition between scenes? For example, at the transition from Part II of the
novel into Part III, the secret apartment of Winston and Julia is stormed and they are taken to
be interrogated in the Ministry of Love. How will you change from a comfortable, safe space
to a terrifying and sparse one?
Write a one-page summary of your design; you may also create a simple sketch or drawing of
your adaptation’s staging.
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Choose an orientation:
• Would you use a proscenium stage or a three-quarter thrust stage?
• Would you perform it in the round, with audience surrounding the performance space?
• What kind of stage does your school have?
• What would be some of the advantages and challenges of the different orientations?
1984 STUDY GUIDE
ACTING EXERCISES, cont.
Adapting a Scene Project
Break your class into groups of students and task them with adapting a scene from 1984 into
their own script, which they will rehearse and perform. Begin by reviewing with your students
some of the basic dramatic elements constituting a scene:
Characters:
As they choose their selections, ask them to make note of who the characters are in each
selection. For example, if they are adapting the scene in which Winston and Julia visit O’Brien
in his apartment and reveal themselves as Thought Criminals (Part II), they should read the
scene and note the presence of Winston, Julia, O’Brien, and O’Brien’s manservant Martin.
15/16 SEASON
Given Circumstances:
What are the Given Circumstances of the scene, both communally (those known for all the
characters) and individually (those known only to particular characters)? In our example of
the scene in O’Brien’s apartments, the most important given circumstances might be:
•
•
•
Communal: that the meeting is supposed to be a secret one, which requires the Telescreen to be turned off, and that Winston and Julia are Thought Criminals who are engaged in a romantic affair. If and when they are arrested they will be tortured and eventually killed.
For Winston and Julia: that they are prepared to do anything to fight against the Party, that they are committed never to betray each other or their shared love, and that O’Brien is their only potential link to an organized resistance.
For O’Brien and Martin: that O’Brien is connected to the Thought Police, that Winston and Julia are the subjects of an investigation, and that they need to be recorded saying they would commit terrible crimes to fight against the Party. That very soon, at a time of the Party’s choosing, Winston and Julia will be arrested.
As an actor or dramatic
writer, your given
circumstances are the
pieces of information
carried into a scene from
the very beginning
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Setting:
Where does the scene take place? Is it a recurring location, or a singular one? Is it a private
space, or a public one? A scene, for example, set in the Canteen at the Ministry of Truth
where Winston and Julia work might require the sense of a public space, with unnamed
characters either onstage or suggested with scenic elements. On the other hand, the
scene in O’Brien’s apartment is private, limited to just the four characters who are directly
mentioned.
1984 STUDY GUIDE
ACTING EXERCISES, cont.
Adapting a Scene Project, cont.
Objectives and Superobjectives:
What are the Objectives and Superobjectives of each of the characters?
Objective: is what a character is trying to do in a given scene, whereas a superobjective is
what he or she is trying to do in the overall arc of the story.
In the scene in O’Brien’s apartment, we might say:
• Winston’s objective is to forge an alliance with O’Brien and, if possible, to join the
resistance movement, the Brotherhood. We might say his superobjective is to fight against
Big Brother, to help prepare the world for the eventual overthrow of the Party.
• O’Brien’s objective in the scene is more ambiguous, and in light of later story
developments seems to be to trap and manipulate Winston and Julia. His superobjective
is also vague, and judging from his comments to Winston during their long interrogation
sessions, we might consider it to be keeping the Party in power forever.
• Martin’s objective and superobjective seem to be the service of O’Brien.
Props:
Are there any necessary or significant props in the scene? A necessary prop is one required
to move the story forward, whereas a significant prop is one which adds value to the scene
but can be removed without compromising the action. For example, in the scene we have
been examining, the chocolate O’Brien shares is a significant prop; it adds a powerful
moment to the scene but isn’t necessary for the scene to occur. In the final torture scene
of Room 101, the cage containing the rats is a necessary prop; without it the scene cannot
conclude.
Blocking:
Are there any important physical actions describes in Orwell’s prose that will require a
blocking note? Examples from the O’Brien scene might be turning off the Telescreen,
sharing the chocolate, pouring wine, toasting, drinking, etc. Also pay attention to any
entrances and exits during the scene.
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• Julia’s objective in the scene is to remain connected to Winston, having been swept up
in his revolutionary zeal (she has been dismissive of his desire to fight back earlier in the
story). Her superobjective might be avoiding capture, and living as full a life as she possibly
can under the rule of Big Brother. You may also decide that her superobjective has shifted
by this point in the story, however, and she has joined Winston’s cause wholeheartedly.
1984 STUDY GUIDE
ACTING EXERCISES, cont.
Adapting a Scene Project, cont.
Dialogue:
Identify your dialogue. What do the characters say? Will you want to use the spoken phrases
from the novel verbatim, or will it be more dramatically efficient to trim some of the
speeches?
Have your students select the section of text they will adapt, and write lists of the
components above, examining all the elements of the scene.
Share with your students a format for dramatic writing. There is an example of an adapted
page from the O’Brien scene in the appendices, or you might choose another format to show
them. Whereas film and television industry scripts tend to be rigidly formatted, there is a
wide variety of approaches to formatting scripts for the theatre.
15/16 SEASON
Review the scripts of your students for dramatic function and clarity: if you were
approaching the script as an actor, director, or designer, would it clearly communicate the
scene to you? Once you have given editorial feedback and the students have had a chance to
incorporate it, you will be ready to rehearse and stage the scenes.
Have each group cast its scene, appoint a director, and rehearse with minimal staging.
(Alternatively, this may be done book in hand, as a staged reading with blocking elements.)
When your students have had time to prepare, present the scenes before the class.
Evaluate each scene, either privately with each group or in a class-wide discussion following
the performance. Emphasis here should be on the adaptation process, clarity of the scene,
and choices made in staging. What insights have your students had into the process of
adapting an existing work?
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Students take their breakdown of their text selection and adapt it into a short scene, paying
attention to actions, dialogue, and important descriptions. The speech and behaviors of their
characters should work toward fulfilling their objectives, and they may choose to describe
the locations in as much detail as they feel serves the script.
1984 STUDY GUIDE
1984 Character Summary
Based on the Novel
WINSTON SMITH: A member of the Outer Party in a dystopian London, now a part of the
super-state “Oceania”, in a year believed to be 1984 (although the exact date is uncertain).
Winston Smith works within the bureaucracy of the Ministry of Truth, where he “rectifies”
back issues of newspapers and other historical records: changing facts, adjusting
numbers, and deleting references to people who have been “unpersoned”, or taken by
the Thought Police. Winston’s thoughtful and reflective nature brings him into conflict
with the brainwashed world in which he lives. When Winston purchases an illegal diary in
Mr. Charrington’s shop, he sets in motion his break from the Party by writing the single
treasonous phrase “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER.”
15/16 SEASON
O’BRIEN: A powerful member of the Inner Party. Winston feels drawn to O’Brien, and comes
to believe O’Brien is a member of “the Brotherhood”, an underground organization fighting
a guerrilla war against the Party.
MARTIN: O’Brien’s manservant, Martin is discrete and seemingly works as a Brotherhood
operative under O’Brien’s direction.
MR. CHARRINGTON: The kindly, aging proprietor of a second-hand store in the Prole
community, Charrington is a man who remembers the past. His willingness to sell Winston
the diary and rent him the (telescreen-free) bedroom above his shop suggests that he
condones Winston’s anti-Party sentiments.
PARSONS: A dim-witted neighbor and colleague of Winston’s, Parsons is an enthusiastic
supporter of the Party. Parsons lives in Winston’s building with his wife and children, who
are active members of the Junior Spies. Parsons enjoys telling stories about the surveillance
activities of his children to coworkers at lunch time.
SYME: Another of Winston’s colleagues, Syme is a language specialist who is working on the
forthcoming edition of the Newspeak dictionary. Syme’s intelligence and articulation leads
Winston to believe he will eventually be “unpersoned” by the Thought Police.
EMMANUEL GOLDSTEIN: The mythic leader of the Brotherhood, Emmanuel Goldstein is a
radical thinker, writer and revolutionary figurehead who may or may not actually exist. At
one time he was supposedly a senior official within the Party, and a prominent leader during
the war that led the Party to power, before Big Brother consolidated totalitarian control. In
Winston’s lifetime, Goldstein has been used as a boogeyman by the Party, and unfavorable
events in the country such as supply shortages are usually blamed on Goldstein and his
terrorist activities. Goldstein never directly appears during the novel, except in the videos
broadcast during the daily Two Minutes’ Hate.
BIG BROTHER: Another important figure who never actually appears in the novel, and whose
existence is questionable, Big Brother is the almost-divine leader of the Party. Big Brother’s
presence can be felt everywhere in Oceania: his likeness appears on their currency, his
image is broadcast on telescreens in every home and workplace, and posters with his face
and the phrase “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” cover London. Big Brother is the symbol
of the absolute control against which Winston rebels.
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JULIA: A colleague of Winston’s, Julia is the intimidatingly beautiful woman with the dark
hair and red sash (a symbol of celibacy) working in the Fiction Department in the Ministry
of Truth, where she creates low-brow entertainment for the benefit of the working-class
“Proles”. Winston fears Julia is a member of the Thought Police, until she reveals her
rebellious nature to him with a love-note. Winston and Julia begin an affair, meeting secretly
outside the city and later in a small bedroom above Charrington’s shop. Julia’s rebellion is
at first smaller and more personal than Winston’s: she considers enjoying her life and her
sexuality to be revolutionary in and of itself, and seeks only to go on living and experiencing
secret joys while evading the Thought Police. Winston incites her to take more drastic
action.
1984 STUDY GUIDE
1984 Glossary
Based on the Novel
Airstrip One: a province of Oceania, Airstrip One was formerly called Great Britain. The capital of
Airstrip One is London.
Big Brother: the absolute dictator of the Party, who may or may not exist. His image can be seen on
telescreens and propaganda posters everywhere in Oceania, often accompanied by the phrase “Big
Brother is Watching You.”
The Brotherhood: an underground resistance movement, led by another mythic figure, Emmanuel
Goldstein. The Brotherhood is frequently blamed for any disruptions in Oceanic society, and images
of captured Brotherhood members and Goldstein himself are used in the Two Minutes Hate.
Collective Solipsism: a term used by O’Brien to describe Winston’s view of the Party. Solipsism is
the philosophical theory that objective reality cannot be proven to exist. There are several varieties
of solipsism, with epistemological solipsism arguing that the reality or nonreality of the external
world is a question that cannot be resolved, and metaphysical solipsism arguing that there is no
external reality. It is difficult to concretely disprove solipsism, because each human being is only
able to interact with the world by way of our own conscious experience, which we do not yet
completely understand. O’Brien and Winston, in their discussion, talk about the climate of thought
in which Party philosophy states that only what the Party as a collective believes is real; therefore, if
the Party collectively believes 2+2=5, it is the truth. If the Party collectively believes in their altered
historical record, it becomes the truth. It is a way to describe the habitual denial of objective reality
which is essential for the Party to maintain power.
Dystopia: an anti-utopia, an imagined state or society which is frightening or undesirable. Many
stories use dystopian settings, including The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner. Many dystopian
stories are also post-apocalyptic, taking place after an imagined plague, war or other societal
collapse.
Eurasia: One of the three super-states in Orwell’s novel, Eurasia is described as having evolved from
the Soviet Union’s annexation of the European continent. Eurasia consists of the whole of Europe
and Russia, “stretching from Portugal to the Bering Strait.” Eurasians practice Neo-Bolshevism,
which is extremely similar in its main points to Oceania’s Ingsoc.
Eastasia: Another of the three super-states, Eastasia has less clearly defined boundaries in the
novel. It definitely includes what was China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea; and repeatedly fights
territorial battles in Indonesia and New Guinea. Eastasia is the youngest of the super-states.
Goldstein’s manuscript, which is later revealed to have been manufactured by the Party, claims
Eastasia emerged in the decade after Oceania and Eurasia solidified their positions, due to a
protracted civil war. The political ideology of Eastasia, also similar to Ingsoc and Neo-Bolshevism,
is “called by a Chinese name usually translated as Death-worship, but perhaps better rendered as
‘Obliteration of the Self’.”
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Doublethink: the practice of holding mutually contradictory beliefs. From Part One, Chapter 3“The power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of
them... To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become
inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again, to draw it back from oblivion for just as
long as it is needed, to deny the existence of objective reality and all the while to take account of the
reality which one denies – all this is indispensably necessary.”
1984 STUDY GUIDE
1984 Glossary, cont.
Based on the Novel
Ingsoc: a Newspeak word meaning English Socialism, the ideology of the Party. Ingsoc contains the
entire climate of thought which leads to doublethink and Newspeak, and is described in Goldstein’s
book as oligarchical collectivism. In practice, Ingsoc is a strictly hierarchical, totalitarian perversion
of socialism. Big Brother (or another leader or group using his image) occupies the top of the
societal pyramid, the Inner Party are just below him/them in leadership positions, the Outer Party
fulfills the bureaucratic and skilled labor needs of Oceanic society, and finally the Proles live in
poverty at the bottom.
Junior Anti-Sex League: a volunteer organization of young Party members dedicated to abstinence
from sexual activity. The League furthers the Party goal of “abolishing the orgasm”, attempting
to subvert and redirect the sexual urges of citizens towards passion for the Party and hatred of
Oceania’s enemies. Julia wears the customary red sash of the League as a cover for her rebellious
romantic relationships.
Junior Spies: A youth club, similar to the Anti-Sex League, which indoctrinates children into Ingsoc
and trains them to spy on their parents. Orwell describes the Spies as “…an extension of the
Thought Police. It was a device by means of which everyone could be surrounded night and day by
informers who knew him intimately.”
Ministry of Love (Miniluv): The bureau which deals with inciting hate. This is where Winston is
tortured, Miniluv houses the Thought Police, the prison complex where the lights are never
extinguished- Winston’s “place where there is no darkness”- and Room 101.
Ministry of Peace (Minipax): The bureau which ensures and maintains perpetual war.
Ministry of Plenty (Miniplenty): The bureau which deals with Oceania’s planned economy, including
rationing, manufacture and industry, and ensures that there is a general scarcity of supplies. The
need to keep the standard of living low is explained in Goldstein’s book, and it is suggested that
perpetual warfare is a means of using up resources to support this goal.
Ministry of Truth (Minitrue): The bureau which deals with propaganda and lies, this is where Winston
and Julia work. Winston alters the historical record, and Julia maintains the machines that create
cheap entertainment for the Proles. All four Ministries in 1984 have names which are immediately
explained as misnomers, as the function of each Ministry is actually the opposite of its name. This
is thematically connected to the three slogans of the Party: War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery,
Ignorance is Strength.
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Inner Party: the elite upper class of Oceanic society. The Inner Party is comprised of roughly
two percent of the population, and controls Party activities including the altering of history and
the Thought Police. Inner Party members have a higher standard of living; Winston is amazed to
discover O’Brien has regular access to wine and real chocolate, as well as a telescreen that he can
turn off. It is also noted in the novel that Inner Party members tend to be the most zealous, and
the most enthusiastic about the never-ending war efforts against one or the other of the remaining
super-states. Inner Party members are selected at a young age based upon their success in a variety
of tests, and all races are represented in the Inner Party.
1984 STUDY GUIDE
1984 Glossary, cont.
Based on the Novel
Newspeak: the controlled language being developed and circulated into common usage by
the Party. Syme explains that in a matter of a few decades Oldspeak, or English, will have been
abolished and only the simplified Newspeak will be used- “It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction
of words.” The goal of Newspeak, by eliminating the vast majority of words, is to limit freedom
of thought by making it impossible to express anything outside of Party ideology. The Appendix
examines the underlying ideas of Newspeak closely. The Appendix is significant in that it is still part
of the novel, and discusses Newspeak and the Party using full English, in the past tense. This might
suggest that, in Orwell’s ultimate vision, the Party will fail.
Oligarchical Collectivism: Emmanuel Goldstein’s term for the political ideology of Oceania.
Oligarchy refers to control by a small ruling class, and collectivism refers to placing emphasis on
the needs and goals of the group over the individual. More specifically, collectivism can mean the
ownership of land and the means of production belonging (at least theoretically) to the people
as a whole. This term, like collective solipsism, is itself contradictory, and another example of
doublethink. In his 1947 essay Toward European Unity, George Orwell described the Soviet Union
under Stalin as “a sort of oligarchical collectivism.”
Outer Party: Making up approximately 13% of the population in Oceania, the Outer Party is the
middle-class, bureaucratic component of society, and is responsible for the majority of the tasks
in the four Ministries. Outer Party members receive poorer rations, lower quality foods, and live
in less comfortable housing. They are under constant surveillance by the Thought Police, and may
have the least pleasant lives of anyone in Oceania.
Proles: The lowest class of Oceanic society, making up roughly 85% of the population, the Proles
live in poverty and receive little to no education, working at manual labor. However, they are under
substantially less scrutiny by the Thought Police, leading to the Party slogan “Proles and animals are
free.”
Propaganda: Ideas or statements that are often false or exaggerated and that are spread in order to
help a cause, a political leader, or a government.
Room 101: A torture facility housed in the Ministry of Love, in which detainees are confronted with
their worst fears or phobias.
Telescreen: Devices which operate as both televisions and surveillance cameras, found in private
homes, workplaces and public spaces throughout the industrialized portions of Oceania. These are
the primary means of the Thought Police for monitoring citizens, but not the only means: Julia and
Winston discuss hidden microphones that may exist even in the countryside.
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15/16 SEASON
Oceania: the super-state controlled by the Party, in which the action of 1984 takes place. Oceania
is comprised of the Americas, the former United Kingdom, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, and the
southern portion of Africa. Oceania is perpetually at war with either Eurasia or Eastasia. Winston
has a vague concept of how Oceania came into being, during the aftermath of an atomic war and
a socialist revolution possibly led by Big Brother and Emmanuel Goldstein, before Big Brother
consolidated total control over the English Socialist Party.
1984 STUDY GUIDE
1984 Glossary, cont.
Based on the Novel
Thoughtcrime: An unorthodox or unapproved thought; thinking something that is contrary to Party
doctrine. The aim of Newspeak is to make thoughtcrime impossible, and thoughtcrime is itself a
Newspeak word which has entered into wide usage. Winston feels paranoia about demonstrating
any evidence of his own thoughtcrime, and attempts to constantly control his demeanor, posture
and facial expressions so that he won’t be detected. Purchasing the diary at the outset of the
novel is a concrete proof of his thoughtcrime, as is every anti-Party action he takes thereafter; it is
important however that from the perspective of the Party, the thoughtcrime is the worst and most
dangerous of Winston’s actions, and inevitably contained all his future actions within it.
Thought Police: The secretive institution charged with monitoring the behavior of Oceanic citizens
and detecting thoughtcriminals. The Thought Police arrest and “unperson” thoughtcriminals,
torturing and reeducating them before executing them. It is commonly believed that all
thoughtcriminals are killed with a bullet to the back of the head when they are not expecting it.
15/16 SEASON
Two Minutes Hate: a daily practice in which the Oceanic citizenry gathers around the telescreens
to watch footage of enemies of the Party, and express their hatred toward them. This is used as a
brainwashing mechanism, in conjunction with the many other societal controls of Ingsoc.
Unperson: to make a person disappear, through permanent detention or execution, and then to
remove any mention of them from periodicals, newspapers and the general historical record. To
make it as though someone never existed.
Utopia: an imagined world, state or society which has attained highly desirable, near-perfect
qualities (this generally includes a post-need or post-scarcity standard of living, where the needs of
every person for happiness and comfort have been met). The term was first coined by Sir Thomas
More in his sixteenth-century fictional philosophical treatise Utopia.
Youth League: another youth organization not entirely differentiated from the Junior Spies or the
Junior Anti-Sex League, possibly the Youth League is for an older age group of children, so that
Junior Spies would graduate into it on their way to adulthood.
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Totalitarianism: A governmental structure wherein the State controls all official ideology,
institutions, and aspects of the public and private life of the citizenry. The term was originally
coined to describe the situation of Italy under Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, and has been
widely applied to the Nazi and Soviet regimes.
1984 STUDY GUIDE
1984 Synopsis
In an unknown year, which is believed to be roughly 1984, Winston Smith lives and works as a
member of the Outer Party, in what remains of London- now a part of Airstrip One, a province of
Oceania. He is a low-level bureaucrat in the machinery of a totalitarian government known only
as The Party, led by a semi-divine dictator called Big Brother, in one of three global super-states
(Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia). He works in one of the central bureaus of Oceanic government,
the Ministry of Truth, where he “rectifies” newspapers, magazine articles and other public records.
Winston’s job is to delete people from history, whenever they have been made to disappear by the
Thought Police. Yet Winston has a secret: for reasons he does not completely understand, he has
purchased a diary, from a black-market store in the Prole (lower-class) District. Winston hides the
diary in his home. He knows that simply possessing it is an act punishable by death. He presses
himself into a corner of his small apartment, out of view of his telescreen- the omniscient, two-way
televisions found everywhere in Oceania, which permit the Thought Police to observe citizens at
all times- and begins his journey into rebellion: on the first blank page he writes “DOWN WITH BIG
BROTHER.”
Now recording his secret thoughts in the diary, Winston continues the charade of his normal
Party life. At work he modifies records, deleting references to “unpersons” and assuring the
Party has always correctly predicted the future by altering their statements in the past. He eats
lunch in the canteen with his unbearable coworkers: Parsons, a stupid man who brags about the
surveillance activities of his children in the Junior Spies; and Syme, an intellectual helping to create
“Newspeak”- a language so stripped down and simple that it will be impossible to express any
thought the Party does not approve of. Winston attends the Two Minutes Hate: a daily ritual where
citizens of Oceania gather around the telescreens and work themselves up into a frenzy screaming
at recordings of Thought Criminals, enemy soldiers, and the figure of Emmanuel Goldstein,
supposed leader of an underground anti-Party organization called The Brotherhood. After the
Hate, Winston shares a meaningful look with O’Brien, a powerful and enigmatic Inner Party member
whom Winston believes might share his revolutionary feelings. He also notices a beautiful woman
with dark hair and a customary red sash signifying virginity, whom he believes may be a member of
the Thought Police. Shortly afterward, the woman with the red sash stumbles in front of him in a
hallway. As Winston helps her up, she slips him a handwritten note that says “I love you.” Winston
and the woman, whose name he learns is Julia, carefully arrange a meeting in the countryside where
they won’t be observed.
Winston takes the train out of the city, and following their plan, finds Julia waiting in a copse
of trees. The two make love and begin an affair that is itself a kind of rebellion: Julia reveals that
she has chosen to fight against the Party by living a life outside of it, by having pleasure and joy,
having experiences that Big Brother knows nothing about. In the weeks that follow, Winston and
Julia carry on their affair with clandestine meetings in public places where they can exchange a
few quick sentences- “conversations by installment”- and plan future trysts, never returning to
the same place more than twice. The come to know one another: Winston shares memories of his
boyhood, his torment under the Party, his miserable marriage to a former wife who thought and
felt completely in line with Party doctrine. Julia tells of her past affairs, her dedication to living
fully without being captured, her work on the machines that create cheap novels and low-brow
entertainment for the Proles, and her frank disbelief in the existence of The Brotherhood or the
possibility of any kind of organized, political resistance. Winston and Julia fall in love, and while
they know they will eventually be caught, they pledge an undying loyalty to one another which they
believe can never be destroyed.
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15/16 SEASON
Based on the Novel
1984 STUDY GUIDE
1984 Synopsis, cont.
After several meetings and long weeks of barely seeing one another, Winston returns to the
second-hand store where the diary was purchased. The kindly shopkeeper, an elderly man named
Charrington, shows Winston a secret bedroom above the store with no telescreen, and suggests it
would be possible to rent. Winston and Julia decide to take the risk and use Charrington’s room as
their permanent meeting-place from then on.
Winston, meanwhile, has continued to be haunted by his thoughts of O’Brien, and a dream-like
premonition that the two of them would meet “in the place where there is no darkness.” As his love
of Julia opens his eyes to the misery all around him, he becomes increasingly determined to take
direct action against the Party. Winston and Julia fight over their ideological differences: Winston
seeks to become underground radicals and attempt to join The Brotherhood, while Julia cares
little about political ideology and wants only to go on as they have. Winston finally persuades her
to join him, however, and when O’Brien extends an invitation for Winston to visit him in his private
apartments, Winston brings Julia and the two reveal themselves to O’Brien as thought criminals and
enemies of the Party.
O’Brien, aided by his manservant Martin, tells them that he is indeed a member of The
Brotherhood, in service to Emmanuel Goldstein. He welcomes them into the ranks of The
Brotherhood, questioning them and asking them to pledge themselves to it completely. O’Brien
asks them if they are willing to commit violence and terrorism, tells them that they will eventually
be caught and tortured but will have no information to give up. O’Brien tells them that change is
not possible in their lifetimes, and that everything they do is for future generations- “we are the
dead”, he says. After they part, O’Brien arranges for Winston to be given a copy of “the Book”: an
underground political manifesto, written by Goldstein, which lays out the organization of the Party
and suggests a program for its defeat through the eventual uprising of the Proles.
The Book is very carefully delivered to Winston, in a briefcase that looks exactly like his own.
Winston brings the Book to the bedroom above Charrington’s shop, where he begins reading
aloud to Julia. Winston devours the first several chapters of the Book, which lay bare the terrifying
machinations and vision of the Party, but when he draws near to the passage that describes the
ultimate motive of Big Brother, he realizes Julia has fallen asleep. Overcome with contented
drowsiness, Winston naps beside her. The two awake later to the singing of a Prole woman, and
Winston is deeply moved by the thought that people are essentially the same all over the world,
whatever hatred and lies separate them. He feels a sudden certainty that the Proles will indeed
rise up, one day, and use the strength they have stored up for generations to destroy the rule of Big
Brother.
Thinking of the revolution to come, Winston and Julia repeat O’Brien’s phrase: “we are the dead.”
A voice responds from behind them: “you are the dead.” Winston and Julia spring apart, and a
painting falls from the wall to reveal a hidden telescreen behind it, before armed men burst into the
room. Charrington enters with them, speaking in a younger voice: he has removed his disguise, and
reveals himself as a member of the Thought Police. Winston and Julia are arrested, hooded, and
separated.
Winston eventually wakes in the prison complex within the Ministry of Love, where he waits in
isolation. When someone finally comes for him, it is, unexpectedly, O’Brien- who tells Winston
that the Party has been watching him for years, and that the time has now come for Winston to
be “cured” of his way of thinking. O’Brien explains to Winston the Party’s policy of making a brain
perfect before they blow it out.
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15/16 SEASON
Based on the Novel
1984 STUDY GUIDE
1984 Synopsis, cont.
Winston is tortured and reeducated for months. He is taught to “double-think”, that is, to believe
two contradictory things at the same time. Winston resists, arguing that there is such a thing as
objective truth, which he exemplifies in the simple mathematical equation that 2+2=4. O’Brien,
continuously torturing and exhausting Winston, teaches him that if the Party chooses, collectively,
to believe it, then two plus two actually equals five, or any other number they choose. O’Brien
drives home the idea, again and again, that what the Party believes, what the Party says is history,
what the Party says is fact, cannot be proven to be otherwise. Under the relentless pressure of
continual torture, Winston nears the breaking point, finally uncertain what two plus two equals.
Winston is defeated by O’Brien at every turn, until he points out that there is still one line he has
not crossed: he has not betrayed Julia.
Winston, now almost unrecognizable to himself after the extended horror he has experienced,
is taken to Room 101. This is the site of some kind of mysterious and almost mythical torture,
whispered about by the prisoners in the Ministry of Love. O’Brien tells him that he has always
known what was in Room 101, that everyone does: what’s in Room 101 is the thing each person fears
most, something that elicits an irresistible response in the subject. O’Brien knows that Winston’s
greatest fear is a fear of rats, and he reveals to Winston a terrible device: a cage full of starving rats
with several gates and a hole at one end for Winston’s face. O’Brien places Winston’s face into the
device, and begins calmly opening the gates, allowing the rats closer and closer, describing what
they will do when they reach Winston and begin to eat him.
Winston, in a blind and overwhelming terror, screams out for them to stop. O’Brien tells Winston
that he already knows the only way to stop, and Winston does: to betray Julia. Winston screams
out “DO IT TO JULIA!” to bring the torture to an end. Winston saves himself from the rats, but
something inside him has been broken by the experience. As O’Brien told him: “what happens to
you here is forever.”
Winston is released, broken and changed, with his physical appearance altered almost beyond
recognition by the ordeal. He knows he will soon be shot in the back of the head and disappear
from history, when the Party chooses. He returns to a favorite café and sits, anxiously listening for
the day’s news from the eternal war Oceania is always fighting. In the past, Winston would have
known this was manufactured, completely meaningless, but now is he has learned to doublethink,
he has “become sane”, a good member of the Party. He thinks of his last meeting with Julia, who
was similarly broken, and their numb confessions that they had betrayed one another, and that they
can never again feel as they felt before. When news comes of a glorious victory, Winston feels a
rush of joy. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.
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15/16 SEASON
Based on the Novel
1984 STUDY GUIDE
ADAPTATION EXAMPLE
A quiet, tastefully appointed space. A long swatch of rich blue carpet, several comfortable chairs. To one side
O’BRIEN sits at a table of dark, polished wood, with papers piled around him. There are several additional
chairs. O’BRIEN sits in the light of a desk-lamp. Upstage, the large projection of the Telescreen flickers.
WINSTON and JULIA enter, shown in by MARTIN, who quietly bows and exits, leaving them alone with O’BRIEN.
O’BRIEN does not look up.
O’BRIEN:
Items one-comma-five-comma-seven approved fullwise stop suggestion contained item six doubleplus
ridiculous verging crimethink cancel stop.
O’BRIEN rises and crosses toward WINSTON and JULIA. He stops center stage, turns, approaches the
Telescreen.
O’BRIEN:
Telescreen off.
15/16 SEASON
WINSTON:
You can turn it off!
O’BRIEN
Yes. We have that privilege.
O’BRIEN crosses to WINSTON and JULIA. Waits, in front of them, silently. A long moment.
O’BRIEN
Shall I say it, or will you?
WINSTON
I will say it. (Pause.) That thing is really turned off?
O’BRIEN
Yes. We are alone.
WINSTON
We have come here because- (Pause.) We believe there is a conspiracy, some kind of secret organization,
working against the Party. That you are involved. We want to join it, and work for it. We are enemies of the
Party. We disbelieve in the principles of Ingsoc. We are thought-criminals. We are also adulterers. We want to
put ourselves at your mercy. If you want us to incriminate ourselves in any way, we’re ready.
MARTIN re-enters, carrying a tray with glasses and a wine decanter. WINSTON freezes.
O’BRIEN
Martin is one of us. Bring the drinks over, Martin. Put them on the table. Let’s sit down and talk in comfort.
Martin, this is business. You can stop being a servant for the next ten minutes.
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The Telescreen goes dark.
1984 STUDY GUIDE
ADAPTATION EXAMPLE, cont.
O’BRIEN ushers the group over to the table, pulls his own chair out from behind it. They sit in a crescent,
facing downstage.
MARTIN pours wine, hands out the glasses. JULIA smells her glass.
O’BRIEN
It’s called wine. You will have read about it, no doubt. Not much of it gets to the Outer Party, I’m afraid.
(Pause.) I think it’s fitting we begin with a toast. To our Leader. To Emmanuel Goldstein.
They toast. They drink. WINSTON is shaking, eager.
WINSTON
Then there is such a person as Goldstein?
O’BRIEN
Yes, there is. And he’s alive. Where, I don’t know.
15/16 SEASON
O’BRIEN
No, the Brotherhood is real. You will never know much more about it than that it exists and you belong to it.
(Pause, glancing at the telescreen.) We’ll get back to that. You shouldn’t have come here together, and you will
have to leave separately. Julia, you will leave first. You will understand that I have to start by asking you certain
questions. (Pause.) In general terms, what are you prepared to do?
WINSTON
Anything we are capable of.
O’BRIEN
You are prepared to give your lives?
WINSTON
Yes.
O’BRIEN
You are prepared to commit murder?
WINSTON
Yes.
O’BRIEN
To commit acts of sabotage which may cause the death of hundreds of innocent people?
WINSTON
Yes.
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WINSTON
And the conspiracy- the Brotherhood? It’s real? It’s not- the Thought Police didn’t invent it?
1984 STUDY GUIDE
ADAPTATION EXAMPLE, cont.
O’BRIEN
To betray your country?
WINSTON
Yes.
O’BRIEN
To cheat, to forge, to blackmail, to corrupt even the youngest children, to distribute drugs, to encourage
prostitution, to disseminate disease, to do anything which is likely to cause demoralization and weaken the
Party?
WINSTON
Yes.
O’BRIEN
If, for example, it would somehow serve us to throw acid in the face of a child- are you prepared to do that?
15/16 SEASON
O’BRIEN
You are prepared to lose your identity and live out the rest of your life in hiding?
WINSTON
Yes.
O’BRIEN
You are prepared to commit suicide, if and when we order you to do so?
WINSTON
Yes.
O’BRIEN
You are prepared, the two of you, to separate and never see each other again?
JULIA
No!
WINSTON
(Pause.) No.
End Example.
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WINSTON
Yes.
1984 STUDY GUIDE
California Common Core
Standards Addressed
READING
SPEAKING AND LISTENING
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
Comprehension and Collaboration:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.7
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1
Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in
two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée
des Beaux Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of
Icarus).
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led)
with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and
issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own
clearly and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.8
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.A
(RL.9-10.8 not applicable to literature)
Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that
preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other
research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful,
well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.9
15/16 SEASON
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.B
Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and
decision-making (e.g., informal consensus, taking votes on
key issues, presentation of alternate views), clear goals
and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.C
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence
clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can
follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose,
audience, and task.
Propel conversations by posing and responding to
questions that relate the current discussion to broader
themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into
the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and
conclusions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.D
Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in
presentations to enhance understanding of findings,
reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize
points of agreement and disagreement, and, when
warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the
evidence and reasoning presented.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.6
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or
appropriate. (See grades 9-10 Language standards 1 and
3here for specific expectations.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.2
Integrate multiple sources of information presented in
diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively,
orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each
source.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.3
Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of
evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning
or exaggerated or distorted evidence.
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Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source
material in a specific work (e.g., how Shakespeare treats a
theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later
author draws on a play by Shakespeare).
1984 STUDY GUIDE
15/16 SEASON
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15/16 SEASON
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