1984

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1949

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-4

Part 1, Chapters 5-8

Part 2, Chapters 1-4

Part 2, Chapters 5-9

Part 3, Chapters 1-Appendix

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Book Club Questions

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Book Club Questions

General Impressions

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of sexual content.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Although they employ very different narrative styles from that of 1984, George Orwell’s Animal Farm and Homage to Catalonia also critique totalitarian systems and the betrayal of revolutionary moments. Have you read either of these texts? Do you think one is more effective in conveying Orwell’s ideas? How might different audiences respond to each of the three in different ways?

2. How would you describe your feelings when you finished the story? Did the appendix add anything to your understanding or enjoyment, or would you rather the book ended after Part 3, Chapter 6?

3. What other classic dystopian novels have you read? Have you, for instance, read The Handmaid’s Tale, Parable of the Sower, Brave New World, or Fahrenheit 451? Which concerns about society come up in multiple dystopian novels? Do you agree that these issues are important ones? Are there important issues that are rarely addressed in such novels?

4. Did you find Winston to be a relatable main character? How did his strengths and weaknesses influence your opinion of him and your feelings about his suffering?

Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Do you generally enjoy dystopian fiction? Why or why not? How might these feelings have influenced your reading of 1984?

2. Why do you think O’Brien betrays Winston? Can you imagine circumstances in which you might make the same choices O’Brien makes?

3. How are freedom, power, and access to resources distributed in Oceania’s hierarchical system? If you had to choose whether to be a prole, an Outer Party member, or an Inner Party member, which would you choose? Why?

4. Through their sexual relationship, Julia and Winston find a way to take some personal power back from their society. What do you think of this as the basis for a relationship? Do you think people in real life use sex as a form of rebellion?

5. One of the most oppressive aspects of Oceania’s society is its forced conformity. How do you generally feel about conformity? When have you seen its positive effects in real life? When have you seen its negative effects?

Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Orwell wrote this novel before the development of many modern technologies used to track and surveil people. What are some of these technologies? Is there any way to escape them? Should people care about escaping them, or are they relatively benign compared to the surveillance in 1984? What lessons does 1984 offer on this subject?

2. What is Newspeak? What examples of Newspeak and other propagandistic language do you see being used in contemporary societies, and to what end?

Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What is the basis for grouping the chapters into Parts 1, 2, and 3? How does this structure enhance the book’s thematic arguments?

2. 1984 is often called a satire, although it is not a particularly humorous book. What is a “Juvenalian” satire? Which features of 1984 suggest that it should be placed in this particular category of satire?

3. What is the government’s purpose in employing so many paradoxes, oxymorons, and euphemisms in its slogans and official communications? What evidence is there that these techniques are having their intended effect?

4. How would you describe Big Brother? What does Big Brother represent, and what does Winston’s changing relationship to Big Brother demonstrate about totalitarian power?

5. What allusions does the novel make to real-world authoritarian societies (the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, etc.)? What is the function of these allusions?

Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Some critics argue that the past-tense language of the book’s appendix signals that, at some future time after Winston’s story takes place, Oceania has fallen and is now being studied as part of history. If you were writing a sequel in which Oceania is no more, what events would you have bring about its downfall? What kind of society would your story replace it with?

2. If you were creating a film adaptation of the novel, would you keep its simple, straightforward structure? Why or why not? Are there characters and incidents you might omit in the interest of time? How would you use the visual language of film to convey the story’s themes?

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