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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 Winston's nickname for his wife?

2. By writing in his diary, Winston has committed a crime. What is the name of this crime?

3. Who were three of the original survivors of the revolution of whom Winston saw a picture?

4. What ailment does Winston suffer from?

5. What does the girl with the dark hair do in Winston's dream?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

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

3. How does the dark-haired girl's note affect Winston? Has it changed his outlook?

4. Why are the proles the only force capable of overthrowing the Party?

5. Winston fears that the dark-haired girl is not a member of the Thought Police; instead, she is an amateur spy. Why do you think the latter is more dangerous?

6. How would you have reacted to the note? What would you have done differently, and why?

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

8. 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?

9. Why doesn't Winston kill the girl with the dark hair? Who else doesn't he kill for very similar reasons?

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

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.

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

Limits on power are often referred to as "checks and balances." Write an essay on this subject, touching upon:

1) The checks and balances that exist in the U.S. Constitution.

2) Some examples of checks and balances that have succeeded or failed.

3) Your vision of what the ideal system of checks and balances would look like.

(see the answer keys)

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