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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 is the name of the song on the telescreen?

2. What does Julia think is behind the picture in Part 2, Chapter 4?

3. What is Winston's apartment called?

4. Who does Winston see in the hallway in Part 2, Chapter 1?

5. What do the proles call rocketbombs?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance is behind Winston's dream about his mother? How might she have died?

2. "All history was a palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary." What is a palimpsest, and why do you think the author used this word?

3. Winston feels the worst things about life in Oceania are not its "cruelty and insecurity," but "its bareness, its dinginess, its listlessness." Why might he feels this way?

4. Explain Julia's attitude towards the Party. What does this reveal about her character?

5. Syme explains that the most important part of Newspeak is not the creation of new words, but the deletion of old words. Why might this be more important? What is the true purpose of Newspeak?

6. What do the Parsons children want to go see in Part 1, Chapter 2? What do you think of them?

7. Look up the word "proletariat" in the dictionary. What does it mean? Why does the Party ignore the proles? Is this strange?

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

9. Look up the word "comrade" up in a dictionary. Why do you think everyone in Oceania is supposed to call each other comrade?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Winston has a terrible fear of pain. He hates it more than anything else and is willing to do almost anything in order to avoid pain. Write an essay on pain, and Winston's experience with it. Be sure to cover:

1) How pain influences Winston throughout the book.

2) Possible reasons why Winston fears pain so much.

3) Possible ways that Winston could have controlled his fear of pain.

4) How your attitude towards pain is similar or different to that of Winston.

Essay Topic 2

Revolutions are not simple things. Many revolutions end up being "betrayed," as the government that follows the revolution often ends up being very different from how the revolutionaries originally intended. In the book, Big Brother turns against the other architects of the revolution, discredits them, and has them executed. The Party of Winston's day bears little resemblance to the society that its founders imagined, at least from Winston's perspective.

Find a real-world example of a revolution that you think has been "betrayed," showing the difference between what the revolutionaries originally intended and what eventually happened. If there is some historical disagreement about the revolution, be sure to show both sides of the argument in addition to your own thoughts.

Essay Topic 3

Julia's attitude towards sex is extremely appealing to Winston. He admires that she has had many partners because it represents a kind of victory for him against the "purity" of the Party.

Write an essay explaining your attitude towards promiscuity. Is it immoral? And when, if ever, is it justified? In your conclusion, be sure to state whether or not you think the attitude towards sex in America should change.

(see the answer keys)

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