Nineteen-Eighty Four

Question 1

When was 1984 written?

Answer 1

George Orwell wrote the majority of ‘1984’ between 1946 and 1949.

Question 2

Which world events inspired 1984?

Answer 2

Orwell wrote ‘1984’ in response to the rise of dictatorial leaders in Europe. He was particularly concerned about the totalitarian ideologies of the Nazis and the Russian Communists under Stalin.

Question 3

Which events in Orwell’s life inspired 1984?

Answer 3

• Orwell’s time at the Ministry of Information during World War II directly influenced his depiction of Oceana’s Ministry of Truth.
• Orwell fought with a communist workers’ militia in defence of Spain’s republican government against the fascist groups led by Franco. The group he joined, the POUM, was driven underground, and its leader was killed by Soviet agents. This experience both hardened Orwell’s socialism and made him strongly opposed to Stalinism.

Question 4

Censorship of 1984

Answer 4

• Russia banned ‘1984’ in 1950 due to its anti-communist stance.
• A school district in Florida banned it in 1981 for being pro-communist.
• An Idaho county banned the book in 2017 citing violent and sexually charged language.

Question 5

Impact of State Power in 1984

Answer 5

• The state’s influence on daily life often goes unnoticed, percieved as natural.
• Consistent state control leads to long-lasting repression and fear among individuals.
• Patterns of governmental surveillance create a sense of overwhelming impact on citizens’ lives.
• Positive state interventions, such as providing a safety net, can also shape individuals’ behaviors and choices.

Question 6

How does Orwell highlight the mundane oppressiveness of life in Oceania?

Answer 6

• Orwell focuses on mundane details to normalize the oppressive world of Oceania.
• Descriptive elements like the stench of boiled cabbage and malfunctioning technology contribute to the sense of normalized discomfort.
• The portrayal of annoyances rather than outright terror reflects the citizens’ acceptance of their oppressive reality.
• Moments of joy are portrayed as unique, contrasting with the pervasive collective drudgery.

Question 7

How does 1984 portray the effects of contstant surveillence?

Answer 7

• Orwell’s world instills a pervasive feeling of being watched, eroding personal privacy - the slogan ‘BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU’ symbolizes the omnipresent observation by various entities.
• Continuous scrutiny fosters paranoia, a panopticon-like feeling where you COULD always be seen.

Question 8

How does the totalitarian regime impact the lives of its citizens?

Answer 8

• It leads to the destruction of privacy, freedom, safety, and happiness
• Orwell underscores the importance of privacy and freedom as foundational elements for human well-being through the effects of their absence.
• Loss of individuality under a totalitarian regime leads to collective assimilation and suppression of personal experiences.

Question 9

Distingish friendship from comradeship

Answer 9

• Friendship is distinguished by personal affection and care, while comradeship revolves around shared goals.
• The Party restricts the ability to build connections independent of its control, and so communities are unable to form against the Party.
• Personal relationships are overshadowed by the Party’s intermediary role.

Question 10

Hate Week

Answer 10

• Propaganda stirs frenzy through constant broadcasting and event anticipation.
• Creates group unity against a perceived common threat.
• Generates excitement and a sense of celebration among the populace.

Question 11

How is propaganda portrayed?

Answer 11

• Xenophobia is propagated to maintain a state of constant conflict.
• Manufactured enemies sustain unity and control within Oceania.
• Orwell’s portrayal of Two Minutes Hate and Hate Week showcases propaganda’s impact.
• Limited perspective and emotive language enhance reader empathy and connection.

Question 12

Building Solidarity and Collective Action

Answer 12

• Storytelling fosters shared experiences and goals, enabling collective action within a community.
• The Party restricts citizens from writing their own stories to maintain control over collective identities.
• The Party emphasizes shared enemies to limit empathy and organize citizens against perceived threats.

Question 13

How does 1984 portray historical revisionism?

Answer 13

The Party engages in historical revisionism to manipulate citizens’ perceptions of progress and superiority. Control over media like art, poetry, and music is shown to be crucial for shaping narratives and ideologies.

Question 14

Dehumanization and Division Through Storytelling

Answer 14

• The Party treats criminals and prisoners as seperate from ‘normal citizens’ to prevent empathy.
• Foreigners are portrayed as subhuman and threatening through propaganda and manipulation.
• Children are indoctrinated to hate and fear the enemy.

Question 15

“WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH”

Answer 15

These words are the official slogans of the Party, and are inscribed in massive letters on the white pyramid of the Ministry of Truth. Because it is introduced so early in the novel, this creed serves as the reader’s first introduction to the idea of doublethink.

Question 16

“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”

Answer 16

The slogan is an important example of the Party’s technique of using false history to break down the psychological independence of its subjects. Control of the past ensures control of the future, because the past can be treated essentially as a set of conditions that justify or encourage future goals. The Party creates a past that was a time of misery and slavery from which it claims to have liberated the human race, thus compelling people to work toward the Party’s goals.

Question 17

“Any kind of organized revolt against the Party, which was bound to be a failure, struck [Julia] as stupid. The clever thing was to break the rules and stay alive all the same.”

Answer 17

Winston reflects on his and Julia’s different attitudes toward the Party and attributes their different attitudes to generational differences. Having seen a successful revolution once in his lifetime, the Revolution that installed the Party, Winston believes a successful organized revolt can happen again. Julia, who was born after the Revolution, has internalized the Party’s propaganda that its authority is permanent. In her view, revolt is individual and covert.