1984

Analysis of Pages 239-298

THEMES FOR 1984

THE INDIVIDUAL VS. COLLECTIVE IDENTITY
One way a totalitarian regime seeks to stay in power is by denying human beings their individuality, eradicating
independent thought through the use of propaganda and terror.
REALITY CONTROL
The Party controls the citizens of Oceania through a combination of surveillance, terror, and propaganda.
Although there are no laws to punish crime, the party can indiscriminately use torture, imprisonment, or
vaporization on anyone whose thoughts or actions indicate that they may commit a crime in the future.
CLASS STRUGGLE
In Nineteen Eighty-Four, society is made up of three distinct social classes: the elite Inner Party, the industrious
Outer Party, and vast numbers of uneducated proles. When Winston reads Goldstein's book, he learns that the
history of humankind has been a cyclical struggle between competing social groups: the High, the Middle, and
the Low. This theory was originated by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the 19th century and became known
as Marxism.

Analyze each of the following quotes as they relate to the novel 1984, pages 239-298. (3 points each question;
126 total points)

Quote #1: “There were times when it went on and on until the cruel, wicked, unforgivable thing seemed to him
not that the guards continued to beat him but that he could not force himself into losing consciousness [...]
There were other times when he started out with the resolve of confessing nothing [...] ‘I will confess, but not
yet. I must hold out till the pain becomes unbearable’” (240).

What was the “cruel, wicked, unforgivable thing” Winston was addressing?

Torture. The party is torturing the people, trying to destroy their sense of reality. This is a very cruel, wicked,
and unforgivable thing for them to do.
Based on this quote, how does torture allow the party to have control over people's reality?

Because the people lose their sense of reality. They begin to feel hopeless and think there is no way out of the
control that the party has over them. Torture destroyes their belief that there is a way to stand up and they will
be able to escape the party.

Quote#2: “[B]ut the aim of this was simply to humiliate him and destroy his power of arguing and
reasoning. Their real weapon was the merciless questioning that went on and on hour after hour, tripping
up, laying traps for him, twisting everything that he said, convicting him at every step of lies and
self-contradiction” (241).

What is the Party’s goal when humiliating those in prison?

It destroyed their power of arguing and reasoning.

Why are they treating them the way they are?

“Their real weapon was the merciless questioning that went on and on hour after hour, tripping up, laying
traps for him, twisting everything that he said, convicting him at every step of lies and self-contradiction”
They are doing this to destroy any new ideas that were put into the peoples heads. They want to destroy their
reality and make sure they don’t have reasoning.

Why does Winston say that the real weapon was the sessions with the questioners?

Because they used for “tripping him up, laying traps for him, twisting everything that he said, convicting him
at every step of lies and self-contradiction”

How is the Party able to combine humiliation with their ability to alter reality?

Because they make the people feel bad about themselves and this causes them to lose their sense of reality.
They don’t want to believe in a reality that they are humiliated in.

Is humiliation a weapon used by INGSOC to gain reality control? Why or why not?

Yes, because they make the people feel bad about themselves and this causes them to lose their sense of
reality. They don’t want to believe in a reality that they are humiliated in.

Quote #3: “We, the Party, control all records, and we control all memories. Then we control the past, do we not?’
‘But how can you stop people from remembering things?’ [...] ‘It is involuntary. It is outside oneself. How can you
control memory? You have not controlled mine!’” (248).

In what ways does the Party use propaganda throughout the novel?

slogans that convey their message. They also use television to show their versions of history which riles up
the citizens and make them loyal to the Party.
What things have Winston done to prevent him from losing his memory?

He was writing in a journal. It helped him to write things down that he felt were very important and he would
never want to forget.

How does this demonstrate reality control?

He’s trying to control his own reality by forming his own ideas and expressing himself freely. He controls it
by writing it down.

Quote #4: “You do not exist” (253).

What does O’Brien mean?

O'Brien represents the Party and all of its contradictions and cruelty.

How does this show the Party’s view of humanity?

They disrespect humanity. They don’t care what happens to it, or care what they do to them. They just want
full power over them, and control.

Look up a quote from chapter 3 (specifically on p. 272) that shows how the Party lessens Winston’s sense of humanity.
How does this demonstrate reality control?

Quote #5: “‘But we make the brain perfect before we blow it out. The command of the old despotism was “Thou
shalt not.” The command of the totalitarians was “Thou shalt.” Our command is “Thou art”’” (255).

Define despotism. How is the mentioning of despotism and totalitarianism important in the context of the quote?

the exercise of absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way.. Because it showing the overbearing
power that the party wants over the people. And it is able to give more detail and a more clear idea of what
the author is trying to say.

What is Big Brother’s command?

“Thou shalt not.”

How does it differ from other governments?

Instead of telling you what your rights are, they tell you what your rights aren’t.

Quote #6: “‘What is our motive? Why should we want power? [...] The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake.
We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power [...] Power is not a means; it is an
end’” (262-3).
In what way does what O’Brien is saying reflect human nature?

Most people only look out for themselves, much like the party. And they fail to help and provide for others.

Find a quote on p. 269 that has to do with the party’s view of human nature. How do these quotes demonstrate
totalitarianism?

Quote #7: “Exactly. By making him suffer. Obedience is not enough. Unless he is suffering, how can you be sure
that he is obeying your will and not his own? Power is in inflicting pain and humiliation. Power is in tearing
human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.” (266)

Why is this quote SIGNIFICANT?

Because this shows the whole goal of the party. It explains how they get their power, and how little they care
about humanity.

Quote #8: “We have beaten you, Winston. We have broken you up. You have seen what your body is like. Your
mind is in the same state. I do not think there can be much pride left in you. You have been kicked and flogged
and insulted, you have screamed with pain, you have rolled on the floor in your own blood and vomit. You have
whimpered for mercy, you have betrayed everybody and everything. Can you think of a single degradation that
has not happened to you?”

“I have not betrayed Julia,” he said. (273)

Although Winston had told them everything he knew about her, in Winston’s mind he had not betrayed Julia. Why?

Because she wasn’t sided with anyone. And she didn’t care what he party thought of her.

What theme/s are represented by this quote? Why?

THE INDIVIDUAL VS. COLLECTIVE IDENTITY, and REALITY CONTROL, because Julia was in
control of her own reality, and she was expressing her individualism.

Quote #9: “He could not fight against the Party any longer. Besides, the Party was in the right. It must be so: how
could the immortal, collective brain be mistaken. By what external standard could you check its judgments?
Sanity was statistical. It was merely a question of learning to think as they thought. Only—!” (277)

Why “only?”

Because it was just a question of learning to think as they thought.

What theme/s are represented by this quote? Why?

REality control because they are trying to figure out how someone's reality could be mistaken and how it
could be incorrect.
Quote #10: “He obeyed the Party, but he still hated the Party. In the old days he had hidden a heretical mind
beneath an appearance of conformity. Now he had retreated a step further: in the mind he had surrendered, but
he had hoped to keep the inner heart inviolate.” (280)

Why is the inner heart more important than the mind?

Because you can think whatever you want or whatever someone tells you, but your true identity is in your
inner heart.

What theme/s are represented by this quote? Why?

Individualism. Because he is explaining what individualism is and what it means to him.

Quote #11: “Tell me, Winston—and remember, no lies; you know that I am always able to detect a lie—tell me,
what are your true feelings toward Big Brother?”

“I hate him.”

“You hate him. Good. Then the time has come for you to take the last step. You must love Big Brother. It is not
enough to obey him; you must love him.” (282)

Why must Winston come to love Big Brother?

Because they want to control his reality and pull him as far away from himself as possible.

What theme/s are represented by this quote? Why?

Reality control Because they want to control his reality and pull him as far away from himself as possible.

Quote #12: “The worst thing in the world,” said O’Brien, “varies from individual to individual. It may be burial
alive, or death by fire, or by drowning, or by impalement, or fifty other deaths. There are cases where it is some
quite trivial thing, not even fatal.”

“In your case,” said O’Brien, “the worst thing in the world happens to be rats.” (283)

What is the micro story of the rats?

Because the obrien doesn’t care about anyone or humanity. Only himself and power

What is the macro story of the rats?

Everyone’s life matters. And you should consider everyone’s feelings.

What theme/s are represented by this quote? Why?

Individualism because Everyone’s life matters. And you should consider everyone’s feelings.

Quote #13: 2 + 2 = 5 (290)

What is the context of this quote?

 They are trying to take control of everyone’s reality. This shows they could say anything and the people
would believe them.

What is happening to Winston?

He is starting to believe the party.

What theme/s are represented by this quote? Why?

Reality control. The party is starting to control Winston’s reality.

Quote #14: “They can’t get inside you,” she had said. But they could get inside you. “What happens to you here is
forever,” O’Brien had said. That was a true word. There were things, your own acts, from which you could not
recover. Something was killed in your breast; burnt out, cauterized.” (290)

What can Winston not recover from? Why?

The ideas that the party is going to set in his mind, and the experience he is going through at that moment. It
will be with him forever

What theme/s are represented by this quote? Why?

Reality control. The party is starting to control Winston’s reality.

Quote #15: “Sometimes,” she said, “they threaten you with something—something you can’t stand up to, can’t
even think about. And then you say, ’Don’t do it to me, do it to somebody else, do it to so-and-so.’ And perhaps
you might pretend, afterwards, that it was only a trick and that you just said it to make them stop and didn’t really
mean it. But that isn’t true. At the time when it happens you do mean it. You think there’s no other way of saving
yourself, and you’re quite ready to save yourself that way. You want it to happen to the other person. You don’t
give a damn what they suffer. All you care about is yourself.” (292)

How does this quote relate to the nature of man?

Most people only look out for themselves, much like the party. And they fail to help and provide for others.

What theme/s are represented by this quote? Why?

Individualism. People are being inconsiderate of others and aren’t looking at the inner person.

Quote #16: “No one cared what he did any longer, no whistle woke him, no telescreen admonished him.” (294)

Why is this such an existential loss for Winston?

Because he feels he has nothing to live for anymore. He has nothing to fight for.

What theme/s are represented by this quote? Why?

Reality control. Winsiton’s reality was changed forever. He views the world different now. He doesn’t care.
Quote #17: “But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over
himself. He loved Big Brother.” (298)

Who wins the struggle between the agents of power and the individual?

The agents of power. They took control over winston.

What is the micro for 1984?

The people were under control of the party. The party cared about nothing accept controlling reality,
destroying individualism, and class struggle.

What is the macro for 1984?

We need to be free thinkers. Be yourself and individualistic. This book shows us that you can’t have someone
or mass media try to control your life or sense of reality.

Choose one of the themes to analyze and connect to the novel 1984. My expectation is that you would name and
summarize the theme you choose. Then you would cite a particular portion of the reading to discuss, analyze,
and connect to the theme. (18 points)
Theme: REALITY CONTROL
The Party controls the citizens of Oceania through a combination of surveillance, terror, and propaganda.
Although there are no laws to punish crime, the party can indiscriminately use torture, imprisonment, or
vaporization on anyone whose thoughts or actions indicate that they may commit a crime in the future.

Cite evidence for making the connection (8 points):“There were times when it went on and on until the cruel,
wicked, unforgivable thing seemed to him not that the guards continued to beat him but that he could not
force himself into losing consciousness [...] There were other times when he started out with the resolve of
confessing nothing [...] ‘I will confess, but not yet. I must hold out till the pain becomes unbearable’” (240).

Make the connection in a logical and validated statement in 2-3 sentences (10 points):Because the people lose
their sense of reality. They begin to feel hopeless and think there is no way out of the control that the party
has over them. Torture destroyes their belief that there is a way to stand up and they will be able to escape the
party.

4 144-122

3 121-95

2 94-59

1 58-23

0 <22