Ahsan Kamran

1984
By: George Orwell

Comprehension Check Chapters 6-8 (Part 1)

1. What does Winston believe is a person’s own worst enemy?

a. According to Winston, a person’s own worst enemy is his or her own nervous

system, as it can give away his/her feelings or thoughts at any giving moment.

2. What is artsem?

a. Artsem, or artificial insemination, is the preferred process of birthing and

raising children in public institutions.

3. What was the one thing Winston found unendurable about being married to Katharine?

a. He could have endured his marriage if it were not for sex: Katharine seemed

to wince and stiffen as soon as Winston touched her, since she considered it

as duty to the Party. She seemed to push Winston away, which he considered

“horrible”.

4. What are the rules regarding sex and marriage for members of the Party in Oceania?

What does Orwell seem to be satirizing or criticizing about this society? What does he

suggest about our own society?

a. Marriage is allowed, but sex only to the extent of procreation. LOVE is

strictly prohibited, as, according to the party, all love is for Big Brother and

the Party. Orwell seems to be satirizing the totalitarian governments of the

world by symbolizing that the respective parties demand total support, with

no single thoughts.
5. Choose one quote from Winston’s experience with the prostitute. Explain the tone of

these quotes and use specific words within as examples to demonstrate your claim.

a. “When I saw her in the light she was quite an old woman, fifty years old at

least. But I went ahead and did it anyway”: Winston transcribes these

thoughts of his into his diary. Orwell’s tone suggests Winston was somewhat

disgusted but what so sexually frustrated that he had no choice and went

ahead and did it anyway.

6. What memory torments Winston even after he writes it in his diary?

a. The fact that Winston slept with an old prostitute.

7. Where does Winston believe hope lies?

a. Winston believes hope lies in the proles, since they constitute about 85% of

the population, and the Party does not consider them intelligent enough to

“brainwash” them.

8. What is the Party’s slogan regarding proles?

a. The Party slogan ran: “Proles and animals are free”. This draws a

comparison between proles and animals, showing how low the former were

thought of.

9. Who were the proles?

a. The proles are Orwell’s satirical take on the proletariat, the unaware

working class in Oceania.

10. How does Prole life differ from the life of the Party members? Why is this the case? Cite

specific examples from the text.

 a. Proles had a much simpler life than the Party members. They were unaware

of what was happening, and needed no “brainwashing”, simply because they

were not deemed intelligent enough to rebel. According to Syme, “the proles

are not human beings”.

11. Analyze Winston’s quote: “Until they become conscious, they will never rebel, and until

after they have rebelled, they cannot become conscious.” Do you agree or disagree with

Winston?

a. I disagree with Winston in this case. The first part is most definitely true.

However, it is also true that it is not necessary that rebellion leads to

consciousness. Witnessing the atrocities and understanding them may also

allow some proles to rise.

12. Who were Jones, Aaronson, and Rutherford?

a. Jones, Aaronson, and Rutherford were the only survivors of the original

revolution. The three were pardoned for their crimes, and subsequently

reinstated into the party, but were executed after this confessions for further

crimes.

13. What is proved by the photograph Winston came across in 1973?

a. The photograph proved to Winston that the confessions of Jones, Aaronson,

and Rutherford were false.

14. Who does Winston realize he is writing his diary for?

a. Winston realizes he is writing his diary for O’Brien.

15. What does Winston write that freedom is?

a. Winston say that freedom is the ability “to say two plus two make four”.
16. Explain the quote: “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is

granted, all else follows.

a. Winston essentially means that truth can exist regardless of what the Party

states is the truth. Winston believes that what is objective can be true

regardless of what the Party states is.

17. What does “ownlife” mean?

a. Ownlife literally translated to “individualism” and “eccentricity”. It is

essentially the action or habit of a person pursuing his or her own bliss and

desires.

18. What does Winston’s “ownlife” consist of?

a. Winston’s ownlife consists of his desire to sleep with Julia and hence rebel

against the Party in some way.

19. Summarize Winston’s conversation with the old prole man in the pub. What did we find

out about the past? What can you infer about life as a prole?

a. Winston meets with an old man, presumably around 80 years old, who

Winston estimates would have been middle-aged at the time of the

Revolution. But he is unable to give Winston useful details, and is even

unable to answer simple questions about whether or not life was better

before or after the Revolution. This suggests that proles were mostly

unaware of what was happening, and paid little to no attention to detail.

20. Make an inference about the meaning of the nursery rhyme in this chapter. What do you

think it means? Why do you think Orwell includes it?

 a. While outside the borders of Chapter 8, the rhyme is a foreshadowing of the

fact that Charrington will lead Winston to his demise.

21. Describe Winston’s interaction with the dark-haired girl. Why do you think she has

appeared so often throughout the book? Make a prediction about what may happen in the

future.

a. The dark-haired girl, Julia, has an affair with Winston. Earlier on, she

follows Winston everywhere, leading him to incorrectly deduce that she

works for the Thought Police. She eventually passes him a note, confessing

her love for him. Winston wants nothing more than to sleep with her, which

is his form of rebelling against the Party.