1984 Questions – Rebecca's English Blog (Mental Health) (2024)

PART III: Chapter VI

1) Where is Winston in this chapter?
-In this chapter Winston has been released from the Ministry of Love and he is in the Chestnut Tree Café.

2) What a couple of things Winston can do now that he couldn’t before he was arrested?
-What Winston does no longer matters. Winston can now talk or interact with Julia, he only has to work about twice per week (although he makes more money than before), he isn’t forced awake by a whistle, no telescreen admonishes him, his spot at the café is always reserved for him, and although he drinks a lot of gin, he suspects he pays less than the actual price.

3) Discuss the symbolism of the chess game Winston plays (with himself…Orwell is so brilliant!).
-The chess game symbolizes Winston and his mental fight. The Party’s version of Winston and the original and rebellious version of Winston is trying to constantly take over his mind. Winston, metaphorically, says that “white always mates” (302), referring to the Party and how they will always be the victorious side. He also mentions that black has never won in any chess game since the beginning of time. Black represents the unorthodox rebels and white represents the controlling Party.

4) Winston says the story he has just remembered about his family is false. What does this tell you about what has happened to Winston?
-The Ministry of Love has affected Winston and changed his mental state. Winston has now accepted O’Brien’s explanation that Winston was insane because of his acceptance of false stories and imaginations. Because of all the torture and convincing he’s gone through in the Ministry of Love, Winston now believes that the stories that contradict the Party’s rules or are not important for following the Party must be false. This way, Winston thinks, he can remain sane and safe under the Party’s wings.

5) What, according to the last couple sentences of the book, has happened to Winston?
-After the victory of Oceania, the Party wins over Winston’s mind. He says that the struggle between the two sides is finally over because now he loves Big Brother. Winston was right; “white always mates” (302).
6) Go to the 1984-Media section of the website (or google and find your own). Choose one of the links and in a minimum 100 word paragraph, make a connection to any part of the novel you have read so far.

-I watchedthe short video of Tank Man. After, I did a little more research and found that after Tank Man’s protest, when asked about him, the government said that they had no record of Wang Weilin (Tank Man). Some think he was executed after his peaceful protest and others think he has escaped.The mysterious story of Wang Weilin reminds me of Winston’s story, and probably the story of many other rebels in 1984.They act against the government and then sooner or laterthey completely disappear. Using doublethink, the citizens of Oceania know that the disappearance of people mean they have been vapourized, or killed, but at they same time they believe that the person has never existed.

PART III: Chapter V

1) How does Winston save himself?
-Winston saves himself by putting someone between himself and the rats, his biggest fear. He transfers his punishment to another to Julia,betraying her. This act finalizes the reconstruction of his new mind so that the old mind will never take over.

2) In the last paragraph of the chapter, what is symbolically happening to Winston. (Don’t worry if you find this difficult – we’ll discuss this)

-In the last paragraph of the chapter, Winston’smind has finally been broken open so that the influences of the Party can take over and fill his mind. Earlier in the book, Winston says that if the Party makes him stop loving Julia, “that would be the real betrayal” (173). But he did exactly that and he willingly passed the punishment to Julia. He has been mentally changed by the Party from this big act that he promised not to commit. Winston has lost who he was before and what made him strong, and now he is away from his fears and in the “safe” arms of the Party.

PART III: Chapter IV

1) In a single paragraph of at least 125 words, explain how Winston has changed physically and mentally since he last saw O’brien. Use evidence and some quotations to support your argument.

-Since he last saw O’Brien, Winston has been “growing fatter and stronger every day” (287). His muscles are growing and his skin is getting tighter, and he discovers that he can do simple exercises once again. His varicose ulcer has also been treated and his remaining teeth arereplaced with a new set of dentures, and he begins to realize he is actually proud of the changeofhis body and face. Winston also dreams a lot, and they’re all happy dreams, but now “he seemed to have lost the power of intellectual effort “(288) because the stimulus of pain is gone and all he wants to do is rest, be happy, and be peaceful. Soon, his mind grows active and he makes the choiceto re-educate himself. During this process, Winston decides that he can no longer fight against the Party and that he has accepted everything, such as “FREEDOM IS SLAVERY” (290) and “TWO AND TWO MAKE FIVE” (290). Still, he does not truly believe because “in the mind he had surrendered, but he had hoped to keep the inner heart inviolate” (293).
2) Explain what Winston means on page 294 when he says, “They would have blown a hole in their own perfection. To die hating them, that was freedom.”

-When Winston says,“They would have blown a hole in their own perfection. To die hating them, that was freedom” (294), he means that to die without being brainwashed and controlled by the Party is freedom because it means that their method can be corrupted and he died according to his own accords. Winston would be disloyal until his last living momentandhe willnot have followed the Party’s expectations, like they had thought they knew would happen. Although the Party wants their prisoners to be executed by their own request, Winston’s wish is to die still rebelling. This will prove that he still has his uninfluenced, free-thinking brain that the Party does not want in anyone.

PART III: Chapter III

1) According to O’Brien, what are the three stages in Winston’s re-integration?

-According to O’Brien, the three stages in Winston’s re-integration are learning, understanding, and acceptance.
2) Who wrote “the Book”?

-“The Book” was written by O’Brien, in collaboration with other people.
3) Explain what Winston means when he says (p. 275) “What can you do…against the lunatic who is more intelligent than yourself, who gives your arguments a fair hearing and then simply persists in his lunacy?”

– When Winston says, “What can you do…against the lunatic who is more intelligent than yourself, who gives your arguments a fair hearing and then simply persists in his lunacy?” (275), he means that although O’Brien is intelligent and knows a lot, he has been brainwashed by the Party, if he truly believes the things hetells Winston. Winston can tell O’Brien the realtruth, or at least what he truly believes, and O’Brien will listen to Winston, but nothing Winston sayswill ever be true to O’Brien if it does not support the Party. O’Brien will always be the lunatic who believes the lies of the Party.
4) O’Brien states that the Party is different from all the other oligarchies of the past. Explain what he means by this? (p.275-76)

-When O’Brien states that the Party is different from all the other oligarchies of the past, he means the Party knows and recognizes its own motives, unlike the German Nazis or the Russian Communists. The failed oligarchical systems of the past pretended, or even believed, that they had the power for a short time and unwillingly, and soon there would be a better future. But the Party knows it will not give up its power. The Party knows that people never takepower just to relinquish it, and so the Party knows that their goal and the future is to keepthat power in their hands only. O’Brien says that “power is not a means, it is an end” (276).
5) O’Brien asks Winston to strip and look at himself in the mirror. Why do you think he does this? How does Winston respond?

-I think O’Brien asks Winston to strip and look at himself in the mirror because O’Brien wants to show Winston how weak and fragile he’s become while in the hands of the Party and that the Party is still powerful and almighty. O’Brien wants to show that although Winston considers himself a man superior to the evil and cruel men of the Party, he is still being destroyed by the Ministry of Love. Winston is also told that his poor, sick frame reflects humanity. When Winston sees his new, bony body, he is horrified by the reduced state he is in. He realizes he has been in the hands of the Ministry of Love for longer than he had imagined. Winston thinks he now looks like he has the body of a man of around sixty, suffering from a cruel disease. Horrified and overwhelmed, Winston collapses onto a small stool and bursts into tears.
6) Choose one or two lines that attracted your attention. Discuss why.

-“Do you see that thing facing you? That is the last man. If you are human, that is humanity.” (285)….This line attracted my attention because O’Brien takes a Winston that was trying to be brave andhopefuland breaks him down and turns his words against Winston by showing him his weak, shriveled body. I also thought the last sentence of that quote was a really good metaphor to push Winston down.

PART III: Chapter II

1) Make a list of the things to which Winston confesses.

Winston confesses to the assassination of important Party members, handing out disloyal pamphlets, misappropriating public funds, selling military secrets, being a spy for the Eastasian government since1968, being a religious believer, murdering his wife, being a sexual pervert, admiring capitalism, being in touch with Goldstein for years, being a member of an underground organisation which included almost every person he had ever known, and being a sabotage of every kind.
2) What does O’brien say is wrong with Winston?

-O’Brien says that Winston is mentally derangedand so hesuffers from a defective memory. Since Winston is apparently unable to remember real events, he persuades himself that he remembers other events that has never occurred. O’Brien says that Winston can be cured, as long as he chooses, or is willing, to be cured.
3) On p. 259, Winston thinks: That was doublethink. To what is he referring.

-When Winston thinks, “That was doublethink” (259), he is referring to how O’Brien declares he doesn’t remember the picture ofRutherford, Aaronson, and Jones, although O’Brien had been holding it moments ago, eventually dropping it into the memory hole. But Winston isn’t sure if O’Brien is lying or if he truly believes the photograph never existed.
4) What is O’brien’s view of reality which he describes to Winston?

-O’Brien’s view of reality is that it is something only a disciplined mind can see. He says that Winston believes reality is external, objective, and existing on its own, and that the nature of reality is self-evident. Apparently, Winston also assumes that everyone sees the same thing as he does. But O’Brien tells Winston that reality exists in the human mind, and is not external. It exists only it the mind of the Party because individual minds can make mistakes or perish. The mind of the Party is immortal and collective, and whatever it believes is true, is the truth. It is impossible to see reality unless you look through the eyes of the Party.
5) Open the following site: Ivan Pavlov In a short paragraph, discuss how Ivan Pavlov’s research is similar to O’brien’s methods with Winston.

-Ivan Pavlov’s research is similar to O’Brien’s methods with Winston because bothinvolve conditioning, or the process of getting a human or animal to link a stimulus to a reflex. In Ivan Pavlov’s research he got his dogs to link the sound of bells or lab coats (stimuli) to the excitement/drooling because they assumed they were getting food (reflex). In a similar way, O’Brien is torturing Winston so later on Winston will know and be convinced that if he were to think his own, independent thoughts (stimuli),he will have to fear the torture that isthe punishment of the thoughtcrime he committed(reflex). Because of the automatic fear, he will instantly change his beliefsso they are Party-consented thoughts. After awhile Winston will start automatically believe the beliefs of the Party. This method is also a good way of forcing doublethink on Winston.
6) According to O’brien, why has Winston been brought to the Ministry of Love?

-According to O’Brien, Winston has been brought to the Ministry of Love to be cured of his insane mind and to be changed into a human who is no longer a rebel.
7) On page 266 O’brien says “And above all we do not allow the dead to rise up against us.” In a complete paragraph explain what he means by this? (This is an interesting question that deserves your time – read from the bottom of 265 and all of 266 for the answer.)

-When O’Brien says, “And above all we do not allow the dead to rise up against us” (266), he means that the rebels must become supporters of the Party before they are killed. This is because if they were to be martyrs, it wouldn’t be looked at as a just or fair execution, and others could become rebels too. If rebels were to become supporters, they would give themselves up, truly believing that what they have done is wrong and wanting to be punished for it. This kind of execution wouldn’t be against the criminal’s will, but for the criminal. Also, for the same original reason, when criminals are killed, everything of them is completely annihilated, until nothing of them ever existed, and the past can never be a part of the future, and the past won’t ever actually be the past. This way, the posterity will never learn of the faulty parts of the society the Party governs.
8) When Winston asks why he is being tortured (p267), O’brien says, “But we make the brain perfect before we blow it out.” In a paragraph, explain what he means by this. (Read all of 267-268 to provide your answer.)

-When O’Brien says, “But we make the brain perfect before we blow it out” (267), he means that the Ministry of Love waits untilthe criminal surrenders according to his own free will to execute him. They do this because it is impossible to truly destroy a heretic when he still resists the beliefs he is given by the Party. The job of the Ministry of Love is to capture the inner mind and to covert and reshape it, so it fits the mold of the perfect supporting mind of the Party. All rebellious, evil things of the criminal are burned away until the heart, mind, and soul are dedicated to the Party. By doing this, the criminal is filled with love for Big Brother and also filled with sorrow for what he has done. Just as withRutherford, Aaronson, and Jones, the criminal will eventually beg to be shot quickly, while his mind is still pure and clear.
9) Go to the 1984-Media section of the website (or google and find your own). Choose one of the links and in a minimum 100 word paragraph, make a connection to any part of the novel you have read so far. Why Politicians and Academics Don’t Just Say What They Mean

-I chose the link “Why Politicians and Academics Don’t Just Say What They Mean” and I thinkit closely resembles the way the Party in 1984likes to cover up and specially word the truth. In the article of the link, the creator, Neil Macdonald, describes how politicians and academics often display what they’re trying to say by using harsh, misleadingwords, rather than stating it simply and obviously. This often leads to a confused and inattentive audience. Reading this, I made a connection to 1984.Everything the Party says is often covered in lies or deceptive information so that it’s hard to find the truth of what they are saying. Although the aim for the tricky wording might be different for the people described in the article and the people of the Party, but both sides make it hard to distinguish the real, original meaning of the statements.

PART III: Chapter I
1) Winston notices a stark difference between the way Party prisoners behave and are treated and common prisoners. Find at least 10 points of comparison between the two and fill out a table similar to this:

PART II: Chapter X

1) Where does the voice “You are the dead” come from?

-The voice “you are the dead” comes from the telescreen behind the picture of the room, or more specifically from Mr. Charrington.

2) What happens to the paperweight? How is this symbolic of Julia and Winston’s story?
-The paperweight is picked up from the table and smashed on the hearth-stone. It symbolizes Julia and Winston’s story because the end of the paperweight reflects the end of Julia and Winston’s relationship and also the probable death of both of them.
3) What does Charrington turn out to be?
-Charrington turns out to be a member of the Thought Police.

PART II: Chapter IX

1) What do the crowds do, specifically, when they are told that Oceania is not at war with Eurasia, but is at war with Eastasia?
-When the crowds are told that Oceania is no longer at war with Eurasia, but is at war with Eastasia, they instantly believe it. They think the square decorated with the banners and posters, many with the wrong faces on them, is the works of the agents of Goldstein. Immediately the posters are ripped down from the walls and the banners are torn to shreds and stomped on. The Spies also clamber over the rooftops and they cut down the streamers. In about two or three minutes, this rowdy break is over and the speech from the orator goes on as if nothing happened. This time,though, the target of the Hate is different; It is now towards Eastasia.
2) In a paragraph, describe what the employees at the Record Department have to do with this new information?
-As soon as the demonstration is over, with the new information, the employees at the Record Department go back to work. The employees, including Winston, change all documentation, including books, photographs, films, articles, pamphlets, and sound tracks, so nothing can give evidence nor prove that Oceania was ever at war with Eurasia and had an alliance with Eastasia. The Party members of the Records Department work 18 hours a day with two 3-hour sleeping breaks. Winston works tiredly until the sixth day comes and the piles of work start to lessen.

7) What are the 3 things that make this war different from others in the past? (p193)

-This war is different from others in the past because the combatants are unable to destroy each other, they have no material cause for warfare, and they are not split by any real ideological difference.

9) Create your own list of 10 legitimate reasons why human beings have fought wars. Be specific – money is not specific. (Collaborate with your classmates).

-Power: Having lots of power means more control and the ability to make changesto the way the personwith power thinks is most beneficial for the things or people they care about.

-Money: Mostpeople want money because they want to become wealthy andbuythe things they want. Also, they could possibly gain more power or control.

-Religion: Two (or more) groups with different religions have a conflict because they strongly disagree with the principles of each other’s religions,possibly resulting in threats.

-Government:The citizens do not like the system of their current government, and their only choice, or the choice they choose, isto fight to change their government.

-Resources: Two or more groupsare fighting for limited or rich resources, such as oil or even land. Fighting for resources might be also to become wealthier.

-Liberty: People feel that they don’t have enough freedom to live a goodlife, or a disadvantaged group does not receive the rights or privileges that they mightdeserve.

-Rights: People feel that they are living poorly or without the necessary needs or rights.

-Race: A race strongly dislikes or disapproves of another race, resulting in a war to try to destroy or harm the race they despise.

-Land: Lots of governments, leaders, or countries want to gain more land to gain more control and power. The land they are fighting for might also supply needed resources or resources that can be used to gain wealth.

-Ending threats: A country, or group, is being constantly threatened, and finally they decide to conquer or beat the threatening side so they can live peacefully or without fear.

-Old resentment: A country, or group, is forced into war when another country or group attacks because of old problems between the two.
14) What is the purpose of war? Why? Explain in a paragraph or note form. (p196)
-The objective of warfare “is to use up the products of the machine without raising the general standard of living” (196). This is because the problem of having an oversupplyof consumption goods with nothing to do with it has been dormant,ever since the end of the 19th century. Now, in 1984, this problem is not urgent because so many people are living in poverty, compared to before 1914 or the bright, imaginary future people in the past might have looked forward to. Now, warfare is a way for the government to keep their citizens alive or to givepeople only their bare needs, but to prevent them from being too happy, too comfortable, or too intelligent so they cannot end the hierarchical society. In other words, it is a way for the government of Oceania, the Party, to remain in power.

16) According to the book, what happens if leisure and security are enjoyed by all alike? (p198)
-According to the book, if leisure and security are enjoyed by all alike then the people who were originally living in poverty and were disadvantaged would become literate and then later on be able to think for themselves. This new skill would result in these people realizing that the small group of the privileged is pointless, and they would get rid of it. That would mean the end of the hierarchical society.

26) Read page 204 carefully. In a paragraph, explain why no invasion of enemy territory is ever undertaken? (p204)
-No invasion of enemy territory is ever undertaken because of a principle that wasn’t formulated, but is still followedby all three super-states. If any superstatewere to conquer an area, they would either have to kill all the inhabitants of that area or assimilate about a hundred million people. But it is important that citizens do not come in contact with foreigners or foreign language because if a person were to come in contact with a foreigner, they would discover that the foreigneris a creature like himself andmany of the things he was told were lies. Then his world, in which he lives off of fear, hatred, and self-righteousness, will break apart. Because of this, the super-states know that the main frontiers must always be crossed by nothing more than bombs.

28) “The ruling groups of all three powers are simultaneously aware and unaware of what they are doing. Their lives are dedicated to world conquest, but they also know that it is necessary that the war should continue everlastingly and without victory.” (No question here – just wanted to point out how cool and strange and awful those statements are.)

36) Try, to the best of your ability, to explain doublethink in your own words. Try coming up with your own example. (p223)
-Doublethink is the act of accepting and believing two thoughts that are contrary to one another. Oneexample of doublethink is knowing that it is better to be unique and special, but also knowing that it is good to fit in and be orthodox. Another example is affirmative action. It is the act offavoring agroup that was disadvantaged and discriminated because discrimination is believed to be bad, but affirmative action is practicing discrimination.

37) List at least 5 examples of contradictions or doublethink used by the Party. (p225)

-The Ministry of Love concerns itself with torture

-The Ministry of Peace concerns itself with war

-The Ministry of Truth concerns itself with lies

-The Ministry of Plenty concerns itself with starvation

-World conquest is believed most firmly by people who know its impossible

-Rejects and is against all principles of Socialism, in the name of Socialism

-Looks down on the working class of the past, then dresses the present workers in a uniform that reflects manual workers, for that reason

-Tries to destroy the main idea of family, yet calls the leader by a name that supports the family idea

38) According the book, what is the prevailing mental condition of the High? (p225)
-The prevailing mental condition of the High must be controlled insanity.

PART II: Chapter VIII

1) How is O’Brien’s room different from Winston’s flat? Give details.

-O’Brien’s room is different from Winston’s flat because O’Brien’s room is rich and spacious, with the smell of good tobacco and food. In Winston’s flat, the smell of boiled cabbages fill the small and old space. O’Brien’s room is long-shaped and softly lit. There’s a dark blue carpet on the floor and it feels like walking on velvet. O’Brien also has a green-shaded lamp that is over a table and the telescreen is talking quietly. To Winston’s surprise, the telescreen can be turned off, unlike in Winston’s flat. In Winston’s flat, there are no rich or greatly coloured furniture or home accessories. The furniture in Victory Mansions are falling apart and nothing is new or extravagant.

2) To whom do they raise their wine glasses?

-Julia, Winston, O’Brien and Martinraise their wine glasses to their leader, Emmanuel Goldstein, who is the apparent leader of the Brotherhood.

3) State two things Julia and Winston are willing to do for the Party.

-Julia and Winston are willing to do anything that they are capable of, including giving their lives, committing murder, and committing acts that may result in the death of hundreds of innocent people.

4) What does Julia say she will not do?

-Although Julia says that she is prepared to do many extreme and dangerous actions, Julia says she is not prepared to separate from Winston and never see him again.

5) Who wrote the book O’brien promises to send Winston?

-The book O’Brien promises to send Winston is written by Emmanuel Goldstein.

6) Choose one or two lines that attracted your attention. Discuss why.

-“There is no possibility that any perceptible change will happen within our own lifetime. We are the dead. Our only true life is in the future.” (183)…This line attracted my attention because O’Brien tells Winston that everyone that is part of the rebellion will not see any real change in their lifetime and life will be short, confusing, and filled with orders when being an enemy of Oceania. But even a short life is useful in slowly ending the Party and what Big Brother has created, even if the changed future is thousands of years away.

7) If you had to choose a character in the novel that most closely resembles how you see yourself in relation to the world, who would it be. In 100-200 words, justify this choice using examples from your life.

-In the novel, the character that most closely resembles how I see myself in relation to the world is Winston. Like Winston, I am not a cunning and bold rebel like Julia. In my head, I like to be courageous, rebel, and make a change, but only if the path is laid out for me. Like Winston, I am often very nervous, suspicious, and negative when trying to do something different or dangerous. Also, I feel like Winston is looked at as a smart, yet weak person and he is underestimated and is not looked at as a rebellious, strong figure, like Julia. I think this is the same for me. Many people underrate me and think of me as a sweet, normal, and quiet person. In reality, I like to rebel and I get frustrated and angry with the rules and regulations of life. But, similar to Winston, I am not a leader. In 1984, Winston is led by Julia and O’Brien to complete acts of betrayal to the Party. I like to follow instructions and people’s lead instead of leading people and creating my own plan of action. In these ways I find myself similar to Winston.

PART II: Chapter VII

1) When Winston thinks back to his childhood, how did he behave towards his mother and sister? Provide details.
-Back in his childhood, Winston remembers being hungry all the time. This hunger shaped him and motivated him and influenced the way he behaved towards his mother and sister. He would constantly nag and ask, over and over again, for more food and ask why there wasn’t more food. Sometimes young Winston would shout, storm or cry out with rage at her. Sometimes Winston would try to receive pity to get more food. He always demanded for more and sometimes he would steal from his sister’s plate or, if his mother wasn’t standing guard, he would steal from the pitiful shelf of food. Although young Winston knew he was starving his family, he felt that he had a right to do it and he couldn’t help it because he was too hungry.

2) What happens to his mother and sister?
– One day, Winston and his family receives the bit of chocolate that they get as a part of the chocolate ration. After a demand and an argument that Winstonshould be given the whole piece, his mother gives him three-quarters of the chocolate. After a moment, Winston steals his sister’s piece of chocolate and runs off. Feeling somewhat ashamed, Winston stays in the streets for a couple hours. He returns hungry to find out that his mother and sister has disappeared. Nothing else, like their clothes of even his mother’s overcoat, is gone. Winston thinks it’s possible that either his mother was sent to a forced-labour camp with his sister, his sister was sent to a Reclamation Centre, or they were simply left somewhere to die.
3) What does Winston mean when he says, “The proles had stayed human”? (p.172)
-When Winston says, “The proles had stayed human” (172) he means that the proles are still able to feel simple, natural emotions, such as loving someone or feeling inspired. They have not been changed and influenced to be hard and stiff inside. For example, Winston, just a couple weeks ago, kicked aside a human hand “as though it had been acabbage-stalk” (172). Also, the proles are not loyal to a party, country, or an idea. They might support these things, but , truly, they are loyal to each other. They embrace, cultivate, or change their relationships and live to experience special or small moments of life.
4) Re-read from the last paragraph of page 173 to the end of the chapter on page 174. Use a sticky note to tag this part; it will become important later in the book. What do Julia and Winston believe the Party will never be able to do?
-Winston and Julia believe the Party will never be able to make them believe something that they don’t want to believe or can’t believeandthat once you choose to stay human because it’s worthwhile, you’ve already beaten the Party. Winston also believes the Party cannot alter your feelings, since even an individual can’t alter their own feelings.
5) Choose one or two lines that attracted your attention. Discuss why.
-“If you loved someone, you loved him, and when you had nothing else to give, you still gave him love.” (172)…This line attracted my attention because it contrasts to what life is like in Oceania. Before Oceania was created, just like the proles, people lived to do certain actions, even if they were small and pointless. People before hugged each other and laughed with each other, just to find comfort and happiness. These actions were pointless to the country or to the party. In Oceania, all Party members are to act solely for the Party and for the country and all small actions, such as giving love, has no meaning.