1984

Study Questions - BOOK 1


Book One, Chapters 1-2

1. What bothers Winston?
2. What is wrong with his society?
3. What are the three slogans of the Inner Party?
4. What are the four ministries?
5. What items are written in italics?
6. How does the Two Minute Hate work?
7. What happens to Winston during the chant?
8. What happens between O’Brien and Winston?
9. During the film (p. 11), how did the audience react?
10. What is "thoughtcrime"?
11. What are the Thought Police?
12. Who are the Parsons and what do they represent?
13. How do the Parsons’ children behave?
14. What is Winston's dream about O’Brien?
15. What is announced on the news? (p. 25)

Book One, Chapters 3-4

1. What is Winston’s dream about his mother? How does he feel about himself in that dream?
2. What is his dream about the "Golden Country"?
3. What does he remember about the big events of the past? Bombs? Past Wars?
4. Explain the Party slogan, "Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past."
5. What does he know about the legends concerning Big Brother?
6. Describe Winston’s job.
7. How is the past controlled?
8. What special literature, music, and entertainment is produced for the proletariat (proles)?
9. How does Winston feel about his work? What sort of "creativity" is involved?
10. What is the significance of Comrade Ogilvy?

Book One, Chapters 5-7

1. What is the problem with obtaining razor blades?
2. What is revealed about Inner Party philosophy in the discussion between Winston and Syme?
3. Why does Winston feel that Syme will be vaporized?
4. Parsons brags about his children for doing what?
5. What is the significance of the telescreen announcement?
6. What are Winston’s feelings about the present time after he hears the cheerful announcement on the telescreen?
7. Winston predicts that certain people will be vaporized and that certain people will never be vaporized. Who? Why?
8. What is the purpose of marriage in the state?
9. What do Winston’s memories about visiting a prostitute reveal about his attitudes towards sex in Oceania?
10. How does Winston view the proles?
11. How are the proles controlled (prole control)?
12. What lies/half-truths does the Party teach about history?
13. Winston suspects that the Party lies about progress made since the war. What Party claims does he doubt?
14. What is the story of Aaronson, Jones and Rutherford?
15. Why is this story so meaningful for Winston?
16. What is Winston’s unanswered question?

Book One, Chapter 8

1. Why does Winston go off on his own? What activities is he missing out on?
2. What is life like in the proles’ end of London?
3. What does Winston think about after his conversation with the old man in the pub?
4. What does Winston discover at Mr. Charrington’s shop?
5. What is Mr. Charrington like?
6. What does Winston think when he sees the dark-haired girl outside Mr. Charrington’s shop?
7. How does one’s own body betray a person?
8. Why does Winston wonder about church bells ringing in London?