1984 Comprehension & Analysis Chapter 7-8

Quote Winston's thoughts on why the proles do not rebel against Ingsoc.

"Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious."

Connect Winston's conversation with the older gentleman to the Party's view of the proles.

Despite Winston's prodding, the older gentleman could not accurately tell Winston about life before Ingsoc. The man's inability to speak intelligently reinforces the Party's view that the proles are not worth bothering.

What is the Party's essential command?

The Party commands citizens to reject the evidence they see and hear.

Assess how the Party manipulates history. Why do you believe the Party does so?

The Party has workers continually rewrite articles about history and destroy any evidence that contradicts the Party's official history. The Party most likely rewrites history as a way to maintain control of the facts which eliminates any evidence of dissension from the official Party line.

Judge how trustworthy Mr. Charrington is or is not.

Mr. Charrington seems genuine and trustworthy. Being a prole and telling Winston about the churches of London makes Mr. Charringon seem honest and acting without the Party's intervention.

Define ownlife.

Ownlife encompasses any activity that citizens partake in individually or any tendency to think for one's self.

Where does Winston return, and what does he purchase?

Winston returns to the shop where he bought the diary. This time, he buys a coral paperweight.

Who does Winston see in the street, and what does he think she is doing?

Winston sees the dark-haired girl from the Fiction Department. He believes that she is following him as a spy or a member of the Thought Police.

What do you believe would have occurred if Winston had shared the evidence exonerating Jones, Aaronson, and Rutherford, instead of destroying it?

Winston would have most likely been arrested and killed, and the evidence would have been destroyed anyway. This fits Winston's belief that all citizens will eventually be arrested by the Thought Police.

Compose a response to Winston's question, "Do you feel that you have more freedom now than you had in those days?"

Citizens are not currently better off. In addition to the poor living conditions and lack of food, citizens have lost their basic freedoms. Citizens are now constantly watched and live in fear of being arrested, tortured, and killed by the Thought Police.

Explain why the Party isolates citizens from each other.

Isolating citizens from each other prevents them from discussing Party's policies and rising up against the government.

Describe how the Party utilizes history as propaganda.

The Party twists history into an amalgam of events and occasional occurrences which are generalized as wide-ranging facts. For example, the Party's history books state that most citizens were very poor and worked like slaves in factories. The history also demonizes capitalism and capitalists as feudal lords who intentionally kept the masses poor. By putting down the pre-Party life, the Party hopes to make itself look better.

Discuss the irony of the proles' situation and the Party's view of them.

The Party views the proles as unintelligent and not worth dealing with. Since the proles are allowed to live more humanely than Party members, the proles are in the best position to rebel against the Party.

Tell how the Party views and treats the proles

The Party views the proles as unintelligent beings who are left to their own devices. The proles are allowed to live with minimal government intervention.

Examine how Winston and Mr. Charrington's knowledge of London's churches exemplifies the Party's approach to religion and history.

The churches have been turned into museums since religion is no longer practiced or allowed. Winston, a Party member, knows nothing about the church's history, but Mr. Charrington, a prole, does know a bit about the churches' history. This demonstrates that the Party leaves the proles to their own devices and history, but manipulates Party members' knowledge.

Describe the picture on the wall and how it is mounted in the room.

The picture depicts the church of St. Clement's Dane. Its frame is mounted and screwed into the wall.

Interpret Winston's axiom, "Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows."

This means that all freedom begins with the freedom to think independently about small and large matters and come to your own conclusions.

Show how the Party's control of the press allows it to manipulate history.

Traditionally, a free press acts as a check on government abuses. Without a free press to investigate and comment on any government abuses, the Party continues to get away with manipulating history for its benefit.

Infer why Winston checks for telescreens at the pub and in the room over Mr. Charrington's shop.

Winston checks for telescreens to see how freely he can speak and act in the pub and in the room over Mr. Charrington's shop.

Explain Winston's feelings about being arrested by the Thought Police.

Winston feels that almost everyone will eventually be arrested by the Thought Police, and that all of the citizens arrested will inevitably be tortured and killed

Examine Winston's reaction to the Party's take on history

Winston instinctively feels that the Party has manipulated history, and the citizens currently exist under worse conditions than citizens did before Ingsoc.