1984 Part I Chapters 7-8

Chapter 7

1. 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.” They will not rebel against the Party until they have a reason to or
believe what the government does is wrong.
2. Tell how the Party views and treats the proles.
They treat them as outcasts and barely as citizens. They are viewed as being as barbaric and
stupid as animals and thus are allowed to live with minimal government intervention.
3. Describe how the Party utilizes history as propaganda.
The Party utilizes history as propaganda by demonizing capitalism and the pre-Party Britain
while exalting the Party by stating it salvaged the people from the hellish past. By putting down
the pre-Party life, the Party hopes to make itself look better and benevolent.
4. Examine Winston’s reaction to the Party’s take on history.
Winston knows that the Party’s take on history is largely falsified because he even has solid
proof in his memory of an act of falsification, and thus thinks that the history presented by the
Party is false; he believes that life before the Party was not as squalid as the Party explains.
5. Show how the Party’s control of the press allows it to manipulate history.
Orthodoxly, a free press acts ass a regulatory function on government abuses. However, without
a free press but with a completely government-controlled press, the government can get away
with manipulating history for its benefit.
6. Explain Winston’s feelings about being arrested by the Thought Police.
Everyone will eventually be arrested by the Thought Police, an action of which certainly means
death.
7. 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 been vapourized for being a threat to the Party’s security, before which he
would have to face a brutal trial in which he would be coerced to give a false confession of his
deeds of crime.
8. 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 and evidence that
contradicts the Party’s official history. They do this as a way to maintain control of the facts
which eliminates any evidence of dissension from the official Party line.
9. What is the Party’s essential command?
Reject the evidence one sees and hears, and undoubtingly accept the statements the Party
declares to be true, even if two points seem contradictory.
10. Interpret Winston’s axiom, “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that
is granted, all else follows.”
All freedom begins with the ability to accept objective realities and think logically, instead of
slavishly following the Party’s words.
Chapter 8

1. Define ownlife. ‘
Having individuality and acting independently.
2. Discuss the irony of the proles’ situation and the Party’s view of them.
The Party view the proles as unintelligent beings who are incapable of rebellion when they are
actually in the most advantageous position to rebel against the Party, for the proles outnumber
the Party members and are not closely monitored by the Party.
3. Connect Winston’s conversation with the older gentleman to the Party’s view of proles.
Despite Winston’s prodding, the older gentleman could not accurately recall life before INGSOC
other than an insignificant brawl. The man’s inability to speak intelligently and recall the
important events in history reinforces the Party’s view that the proles are not worth bothering.
4. Infer why Winston checks for telescreens at the pub and in the room over Mr. Charrington’s
shop.
To see how freely he can speak and act in the pub and in the room over Mr. Charrington’s shop.
5. 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.
6. Explain why the Party isolates citizens from each other.
Isolating citizens from each other prevents them from discussing the Party’s policies and rising
up against the government.
7. Where does Winston return, and what does he purchase?
8. Describe the picture on the wall and how it is mounted in the room.
9. Examine how Winston and Mr. Charrington’s knowledge of London’s churches exemplifies the
Party’s approach to religion and history.
10. Judge how trustworthy Mr. Charrington is or is not.
Mr. Charrington is trustworthy because he is putting himself in danger by telling Winston about
the “actual” past.
11. 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.