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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What type of flower does Winston collect before meeting the dark-haired girl?

2. How does Winston recognize the junk shop?

3. What does the woman in the telescreen call Winston?

4. What is Winston's most important task of the day in Part 1, Chapter 4?

5. What is the Newspeak word for individualism?

Short Essay Questions

1. How have Winston's feelings towards Julia changed by Part 2, Chapter 4?

2. Why will no Party woman wear perfume?

3. Judging by the dream Winston has about the girl with dark hair, how does he appear to feel about her?

4. What does Part 1, Chapter 1 show the reader about the quality of Oceania's services and products?

5. Why does Winston think Syme will be vaporized? What does Syme lack?

6. How does Winston really feel about Big Brother and the Party?

7. In Winston's dream, the man O'Brien says "We will meet in the place where there is no darkness." What do you think he meant by this?

8. What is the difference between Winston and Julia's feelings about their future?

9. The sandy-haired woman in the cubicle next to Winston spends all day deleting any record of people who have been "vaporized," even though her own husband had been killed this way. How do you think she felt when she deleted her own husband's name? Why does she continue to do this job?

10. In your own words, how does Winston describe Mr. Parsons?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Party relies on two key human attributes to guarantee their power - ignorance and fear. The fear comes from the power of Big Brother and the Thought Police to kill anyone, at anytime. The ignorance comes from the failure of the majority of citizens in Oceania to understand the inherent lies of Ingsoc.

Which attribute, fear or ignorance, do you feel is the most important and useful to the Party? Write an essay explaining your thoughts, and try to use real-world examples of governments who have ruled through fear, ignorance, or both.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about the history of prostitution. The essay should focus on something specific; examples should include, but are not limited to:

1) One country's experience with prostitution.

2) Times and places where it has been legal.

3) Geisha or "comfort" women, and other women who have been forced into prostitution.

Essay Topic 3

In essay format, discuss how you would have ended the story of Winston Smith. Be sure to explain:

1) Why you feel it is necessary to change the ending.

2) The insight into human nature that your ending would provide.

3) What you would have done if you were in Winston's shoes.

(see the answer keys)

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