Jan 07: 1984 Discussion Questions, Part 2
Here are some more questions for your consideration:
1. Who represents more threat to the system, the "Julias" or the "Winstons"? In any political system, is it the conscious rebel - Winston - or those who have no particular ideology, but use the system (and the flaws in the system) to their own ends - Julia - who are the greatest threat?
2. What is the significance of the appendix? For one interesting analysis of the appendix, go to this article in the Guardian by Margaret Atwood.
3. How does Orwell's writing style - especially in Winston's thoughts - compare to Newspeak? And, what are the broader implications of controlling language to control thought? Does this reflect on current ideas of "politically correct" speech, "hate speech," and, in a broader sense, does an attempt to control speech help or harm a society?
4. How much of this work is commentary of Orwell's time and how much is broader sociopolitical commentary? Related to this, what are the advantages and disadvantages of using fiction as a vehicle to examine political issues?
5. Is there a paralleling of the Party structure of Oceania (and therefore, the socio-cultural environment of Oceania) and religion? On a surface level, the setting certainly resembles a "secular theocracy" with a quasi-mystical father figure at the top - Big Brother - an insular priest caste - the Party members - and a Bible - the Newspeak dictionary. Are there other parallels one can find and what was the author trying to suggest through the absence of any formal religion in the narrative?
6. What is Orwell's purpose of having the party "ignore" the proles?
7. Do you agree with Winston's original assessment that the proles are the hope of the future? Related to this, the narrative is bleak; does Orwell, provide "clues" to the flaws in INGSOC - and, by extension, in any totalitarian system - that inherently lead to its demise?
8. Why does the Party go to such lengths to break Winston if they're just going to make him an unperson?
9. Why do you think Winston's associate Syme was made an unperson?
10. Orwell creates a world in which information is tightly controlled and constantly changed to fit the needs of the moment. Essentially, the information Winston receives about the past, present and what the future holds, is inherently - and by design - unreliable. Can information, however, be "too free" and lead to the same situation; i.e., where one can never be certain how accurate the information is that one is consuming because there are too many sources and there is no "quality control" except that of the individual consumer?
1. Who represents more threat to the system, the "Julias" or the "Winstons"? In any political system, is it the conscious rebel - Winston - or those who have no particular ideology, but use the system (and the flaws in the system) to their own ends - Julia - who are the greatest threat?
2. What is the significance of the appendix? For one interesting analysis of the appendix, go to this article in the Guardian by Margaret Atwood.
3. How does Orwell's writing style - especially in Winston's thoughts - compare to Newspeak? And, what are the broader implications of controlling language to control thought? Does this reflect on current ideas of "politically correct" speech, "hate speech," and, in a broader sense, does an attempt to control speech help or harm a society?
4. How much of this work is commentary of Orwell's time and how much is broader sociopolitical commentary? Related to this, what are the advantages and disadvantages of using fiction as a vehicle to examine political issues?
5. Is there a paralleling of the Party structure of Oceania (and therefore, the socio-cultural environment of Oceania) and religion? On a surface level, the setting certainly resembles a "secular theocracy" with a quasi-mystical father figure at the top - Big Brother - an insular priest caste - the Party members - and a Bible - the Newspeak dictionary. Are there other parallels one can find and what was the author trying to suggest through the absence of any formal religion in the narrative?
6. What is Orwell's purpose of having the party "ignore" the proles?
7. Do you agree with Winston's original assessment that the proles are the hope of the future? Related to this, the narrative is bleak; does Orwell, provide "clues" to the flaws in INGSOC - and, by extension, in any totalitarian system - that inherently lead to its demise?
8. Why does the Party go to such lengths to break Winston if they're just going to make him an unperson?
9. Why do you think Winston's associate Syme was made an unperson?
10. Orwell creates a world in which information is tightly controlled and constantly changed to fit the needs of the moment. Essentially, the information Winston receives about the past, present and what the future holds, is inherently - and by design - unreliable. Can information, however, be "too free" and lead to the same situation; i.e., where one can never be certain how accurate the information is that one is consuming because there are too many sources and there is no "quality control" except that of the individual consumer?
Labels: Jan 07
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