1984 Pt. 1 Chapters 4 - 8 Due Monday 2/23

Part 1 Chapters IV-VIII (37-104)

28.       Explain the “memory hole”.

29.       Explain Winston’s job at the Ministry of Truth. Why would a government bother with such matters? What is Winston’s analysis of his job?

30.       Explain this passage:, “And the Ministry had not only to supply the multifarious needs of the Party, but also to repeat the whole operation at a lower level for the benefit of the proletariat” (43).

31.       Who would be the proles (proletariats) of 1984’s society? Our society? Why would they have proletarian literature? What makes it different? What does this say about our society (43, 53, 71)?

32.       How does the party address political offenders (44)?

33.       What does Winston’s reference to Comrade Ogilvy tell us about information provided by governments (46)?

34.       How will the Eleventh Edition of the Newspeak Dictionary be different (51)? For what purpose would a government want to alter the language? How does it affect society?

35.       Why would a government want “Orthodoxy” (53)?

36.       Explain the author’s purpose of bringing up chocolate rations (58-59).

37.       Who are the “Spies”? Why (63)?

38.       Who is the “Human sound track”? (66)

39.       What is meant by the phrase “If there is hope it lies in the proles” (69)? Explain the paradox: “Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious” (70).

40.       What is ironic about the description of the capitalist (73)?

41.       “Under the spreading chestnut tree/I sold you and you sold me:/There lie they, and here lie we/Under the spreading chestnut tree” (77). What might this foreshadow?

42.       What is the significance to “Jones, Aaronson, and Rutherford” (78)?

43.       “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two makes four. If that is granted, all else follows” (81).

44.       For what purpose would the Party expect members to only be alone when sleeping? (82)

45.       What seems unusual about the “streamers” and the proles (84)?

46.       What is the significance to the paperweight (95-6)?

47.       What are the words to St. Clement’s tune (99)?