1984

George Orwell
Study Booklet
Questions:
Read through the extract-
1. What indicators are there that this is a dystopian setting. Highlight and take notes.
2. What conventions of the dystopian form are evident?
3. Orwell employs oxymoronic tricolon, “WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH. What do
you think this is designed to do for the audience?
4. Find three quotes, highlight them and label them with an evaluative term. Example “disturbing insight”
5. How does Orwell convey the way the Thought Police are feared?
6. How is it made clear that the citizens of Oceania are never awarded privacy?
7. Choose examples from the extract that you can add to the table in this booklet
8. Highlight phrases which make links to the TaHE rubric and write the link the annotations section
9. Quick analysis- How does the extract from 1984 invite us to value our current social context?
Success criteria:
- Strong premise
- -more than one example (embedded and supported with smaller quotes)
- All examples labelled clearly
- Strong links to the question
- Evaluative and appreciative language
Annotations 1984 Extract Intro Activity Annotations
Part One

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Winston
Smith, his chin nuzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind, slipped
quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions, though not quickly enough to
prevent a swirl of gritty dust from entering along with him.

The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats. At one end of it a coloured
poster, too large for indoor display, had been tacked to the wall. It depicted simply
an enormous face, more than a metre wide: the face of a man of about forty-five,
with a heavy black moustache and ruggedly handsome features. Winston made for
the stairs. It was no use trying the lift. Even at the best of times it was seldom
working, and at present the electric current was cut off during daylight hours. It was
part of the economy drive in preparation for Hate Week. The flat was seven flights
up, and Winston, who was thirty-nine and had a varicose ulcer above his right
ankle, went slowly, resting several times on the way. On each landing, opposite the
lift-shaft, the poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall. It was one of those
pictures which are so contrived that the eyes follow you about when you move. BIG
BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran.

Inside the flat a fruity voice was reading out a list of figures which had something to
do with the production of pig-iron. The voice came from an oblong metal plaque like
a dulled mirror which formed part of the surface of the right-hand wall. Winston
turned a switch and the voice sank somewhat, though the words were still
distinguishable. The instrument (the telescreen, it was called) could be dimmed, but
there was no way of shutting it off completely. He moved over to the window: a
smallish, frail figure, the meagreness of his body merely emphasized by the blue
overalls which were the uniform of the party. His hair was very fair, his face
naturally sanguine, his skin roughened by coarse soap and blunt razor blades and
the cold of the winter that had just ended.

Outside, even through the shut window-pane, the world looked cold. Down in the
street little eddies of wind were whirling dust and torn paper into spirals, and though
the sun was shining and the sky a harsh blue, there seemed to be no colour in
anything, except the posters that were plastered everywhere. The black
moustachio'd face gazed down from every commanding corner. There was one on
the house-front immediately opposite. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the
caption said, while the dark eyes looked deep into Winston's own. Down at street
level another poster, torn at one corner, flapped fitfully in the wind, alternately
covering and uncovering the single word INGSOC. In the far distance a helicopter
skimmed down between the roofs, hovered for an instant like a bluebottle, and
darted away again with a curving flight. It was the police patrol, snooping into
people's windows. The patrols did not matter, however. Only the Thought Police
mattered.

Behind Winston's back the voice from the telescreen was still babbling away about
pig-iron and the over fulfilment of the Ninth Three-Year Plan. The telescreen
received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made, above the
level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it, moreover, so long as he
remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be
seen as well as heard. There was of course no way of knowing whether you were
being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought
Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable
that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your
wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live -- did live, from habit that became
instinct -- in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and,
except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.
Winston kept his back turned to the telescreen. It was safer, though, as he well
knew, even a back can be revealing. A kilometre away the Ministry of Truth, his
place of work, towered vast and white above the grimy landscape. This, he thought
with a sort of vague distaste -- this was London, chief city of Airstrip One, itself the
third most populous of the provinces of Oceania. He tried to squeeze out some
childhood memory that should tell him whether London had always been quite like
this. Were there always these vistas of rotting nineteenth-century houses, their
sides shored up with baulks of timber, their windows patched with cardboard and
their roofs with corrugated iron, their crazy garden walls sagging in all directions?
And the bombed sites where the plaster dust swirled in the air and the willow-herb
straggled over the heaps of rubble; and the places where the bombs had cleared a
larger patch and there had sprung up sordid colonies of wooden dwellings like
chicken-houses? But it was no use, he could not remember: nothing remained of
his childhood except a series of bright-lit tableaux occurring against no background
and mostly unintelligible.

The Ministry of Truth -- Minitrue, in Newspeak -- was startlingly different from any
other object in sight. It was an enormous pyramidal structure of glittering white
concrete, soaring up, terrace after terrace, 300 metres into the air. From where
Winston stood it was just possible to read, picked out on its white face in elegant
lettering, the three slogans of the Party:

WAR IS PEACE

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
 1984 Study Questions

1. What is important about the title of 1984?

2. What are the conflicts in 1984? What types of conflict (physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional) are in this novel?
3. What are some themes in the story? How do they relate to the plot and characters?
4. Is Winston consistent in his actions? Is he a fully developed character? How? Why?
5. Why is it important that the novel is written in 3rd person omniscient?
6. Does the story end the way you expected? How? Why?
7. What is the central/primary purpose of the story? Is the purpose important or meaningful?
8. How does this novel relate to dystopian literature? Is Winston a strong character?
9. How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else? In any other time?
10. What is the role of women in the text? Is love relevant? Are relationships meaningful?
11. Why do you think words like Big Brother and Newspeak have entered into our everyday lexicon?
12. What, if anything, scares you about the future Orwell describes? Why or why not?
13. How is "doublethink" used in the novel? Do you think it could or is used in our current society?
14. Do you think it's important that Oceania is constantly at war with someone? What point do you think Orwell is trying to
make?
15. How does the age difference between Julia and Winston affect how they view the actions of Big Brother and the
government? Do you see differences like this in your own life?
16. How is technology used by Big Brother and the Party? Does it remind you of any current technological issues?
17. What is the significance of the name Ministry of Love?
18. How is sexual repression used to oppress the people of Oceania? Are there examples of this kind of oppression in the real
world?
19. How are characters brainwashed in the novel? Do you think this sort of brainwashing can happen in real life?
20. What warnings can we take from Orwell's novel?
 Symbols Examples Link to human experience

Telescreens

Big Brother
The glass
paperweight
and St
Clements
Church

The Place
Where there is
No Darkness

The Proles
Uniforms

Motifs Examples Link to human experience

Thought Control

Watching
 Themes Examples Link to human experience

Totalitarianism

Psychological
manipulation

Physical Control
Technology

Control of
Information

Loyalty
Independence
and Identity

Resistance and
Revolution
 Essay Questions for Timed Practise

1. How has the context of 1948 influenced the way the human experience has been represented n George Orwell’s dystopian
1984?
2. How does the role of storytelling throughout time provide valuable insight into the lives of people from different times and
cultures?
3. Evaluate the effectiveness of the dystopian genre is representing social values and attitudes.
4. How does Orwell utilise symbolism to present the unique nature of the human experience?
5. How does Orwell’s 1984 comment on what it means to be human?
6. To what extent does the exploration of human experience in Nineteen Eighty-Four invite you to reconsider your understanding of
loneliness?
7. How effectively does your prescribed text tell stories to reveal both the personal and shared nature of human experiences?
8. Analyse how your prescribed text represents the ways individuals respond to the challenges they face.
9. How does Orwell’s 1984 make social commentary on our need for human connection?
10. To what extent does Orwell’s 1984 represent the innate desire to be an individual?
ALARM Needs Adequate Strong Sustained Tool
Improvement suggestion
Yes No
No clear thesis. A clear thesis, premise and text A well-written thesis, premise Premise and
Conceptualise

Premise or introduction are evident. They are and text introduction which Thesis Maker
understanding of driven by form, context, audience or embeds appreciate and
the question is purpose. They clearly address the evaluative language is evident
evident in the question and concise.
introduction.
You have not You have identified multiple You have identified many Techniques List
Identify

identified any techniques and examples are clearly

techniques and they are
techniques or labelled. You may have missed inclusive of combination
very few. some techniques. “Connotation
within the metaphor”
You have not A description of the relevance of the A description of the relevance Write a Lot
described the technique is evident. For example, of the technique to the About a Little
relevance of the “Metaphor entices the audience to question is evident and Technique
Describe

technique to the reconsider the authentic connection of implements evaluative

question or their relationships with others” language. Example: The
impact of the harrowing metaphor entices
technique. the audience to reconsider the
authentic connection of their
relationships with others”
You have briefly You have unpacked the quote to You have clearly articulated Write a Lot
explained how articulate how the technique works. how the technique works is a About a Little
the technique This may look like commenting on sophisticated manner by Technique
works or missed tone, pace, rhythm, connotations etc implementing evaluative and
appreciative language. “The
Explain

this entirely. before impact on soc/aud/con“

“The tone of the sentences created by melancholy tone of the
the manipulation of its structure sentences created by the
positions the audience to empathise manipulation of its structure
with the emotional state of the poet. (small example) positions the
audience to empathise with the
emotional state of the poet.
You have not Your analysis connects to the Analysis is clear and fluent and Write a Lot
analysed with question in terms of society, may make comment on two or About a Little
reference to the audience, and context. The more aspects of society, Technique
society, telescreens within the metaphor audience, context, character
Analyse

audience, symbolise the perverse intrusion on etc. Your analysis connects

context, author or the privacy of the citizens of Oceania clearly to the question.
character. You and serve as a confronting
may be “retelling” commentary on the technological
the plot of the advancements of the time and which
text. have evolved well beyond the fears
described in 1984”
You have not You have clearly used evaluative You have fluently embedded Evaluative
used evaluative language to make a judgement of the evaluative language, and it is a Language Wheel
Evaluate

language, or it is text, though it may not be consistent fitting judgement. Your

sporadic. conclusion also makes an
effective evaluation of the
text.
You have not You have attempted to include some You have finished all Say it Well Say it
used any appreciative statements but have no paragraphs off with a relevant Better Table
Appreciate

appreciative done so consistently. appreciate statement as well

statements at the as an appreciative conclusion
end of your reflecting on your new or
paragraphs and refined understanding.
conclusion.
My goal is to:
ALARM Needs Adequate Strong Sustained Tool
Improvement suggestion
Yes No
No clear thesis. A clear thesis, premise and text A well-written thesis, premise Premise and
Conceptualise

Premise or introduction are evident. They are and text introduction which Thesis Maker
understanding of driven by form, context, audience or embeds appreciate and
the question is purpose. They clearly address the evaluative language is evident
evident in the question and concise.
introduction.
You have not You have identified multiple You have identified many Techniques List
Identify

identified any techniques and examples are clearly

techniques and they are
techniques or labelled. You may have missed inclusive of combination
very few. some techniques. “Connotation
within the metaphor”
You have not A description of the relevance of the A description of the relevance Write a Lot
described the technique is evident. For example, of the technique to the About a Little
relevance of the “Metaphor entices the audience to question is evident and Technique
Describe

technique to the reconsider the authentic connection of implements evaluative

question or their relationships with others” language. Example: The
impact of the harrowing metaphor entices
technique. the audience to reconsider the
authentic connection of their
relationships with others”
You have briefly You have unpacked the quote to You have clearly articulated Write a Lot
explained how articulate how the technique works. how the technique works is a About a Little
the technique This may look like commenting on sophisticated manner by Technique
works or missed tone, pace, rhythm, connotations etc implementing evaluative and
appreciative language. “The
Explain

this entirely. before impact on soc/aud/con“

“The tone of the sentences created by melancholy tone of the
the manipulation of its structure sentences created by the
positions the audience to empathise manipulation of its structure
with the emotional state of the poet. (small example) positions the
audience to empathise with the
emotional state of the poet.
You have not Your analysis connects to the Analysis is clear and fluent and Write a Lot
analysed with question in terms of society, may make comment on two or About a Little
reference to the audience, and context. The more aspects of society, Technique
society, telescreens within the metaphor audience, context, character
Analyse

audience, symbolise the perverse intrusion on etc. Your analysis connects

context, author or the privacy of the citizens of Oceania clearly to the question.
character. You and serve as a confronting
may be “retelling” commentary on the technological
the plot of the advancements of the time and which
text. have evolved well beyond the fears
described in 1984”
You have not You have clearly used evaluative You have fluently embedded Evaluative
used evaluative language to make a judgement of the evaluative language, and it is a Language Wheel
Evaluate

language, or it is text, though it may not be consistent fitting judgement. Your

sporadic. conclusion also makes an
effective evaluation of the
text.
You have not You have attempted to include some You have finished all Say it Well Say it
used any appreciative statements but have no paragraphs off with a relevant Better Table
Appreciate

appreciative done so consistently. appreciate statement as well

statements at the as an appreciative conclusion
end of your reflecting on your new or
paragraphs and refined understanding.
conclusion.
My goal is to:
ALARM Needs Adequate Strong Sustained Tool
Improvement suggestion
Yes No
No clear thesis. A clear thesis, premise and text A well-written thesis, premise Premise and
Conceptualise

Premise or introduction are evident. They are and text introduction which Thesis Maker
understanding of driven by form, context, audience or embeds appreciate and
the question is purpose. They clearly address the evaluative language is evident
evident in the question and concise.
introduction.
You have not You have identified multiple You have identified many Techniques List
Identify

identified any techniques and examples are clearly

techniques and they are
techniques or labelled. You may have missed inclusive of combination
very few. some techniques. “Connotation
within the metaphor”
You have not A description of the relevance of the A description of the relevance Write a Lot
described the technique is evident. For example, of the technique to the About a Little
relevance of the “Metaphor entices the audience to question is evident and Technique
Describe

technique to the reconsider the authentic connection of implements evaluative

question or their relationships with others” language. Example: The
impact of the harrowing metaphor entices
technique. the audience to reconsider the
authentic connection of their
relationships with others”
You have briefly You have unpacked the quote to You have clearly articulated Write a Lot
explained how articulate how the technique works. how the technique works is a About a Little
the technique This may look like commenting on sophisticated manner by Technique
works or missed tone, pace, rhythm, connotations etc implementing evaluative and
appreciative language. “The
Explain

this entirely. before impact on soc/aud/con“

“The tone of the sentences created by melancholy tone of the
the manipulation of its structure sentences created by the
positions the audience to empathise manipulation of its structure
with the emotional state of the poet. (small example) positions the
audience to empathise with the
emotional state of the poet.
You have not Your analysis connects to the Analysis is clear and fluent and Write a Lot
analysed with question in terms of society, may make comment on two or About a Little
reference to the audience, and context. The more aspects of society, Technique
society, telescreens within the metaphor audience, context, character
Analyse

audience, symbolise the perverse intrusion on etc. Your analysis connects

context, author or the privacy of the citizens of Oceania clearly to the question.
character. You and serve as a confronting
may be “retelling” commentary on the technological
the plot of the advancements of the time and which
text. have evolved well beyond the fears
described in 1984”
You have not You have clearly used evaluative You have fluently embedded Evaluative
used evaluative language to make a judgement of the evaluative language, and it is a Language Wheel
Evaluate

language, or it is text, though it may not be consistent fitting judgement. Your

sporadic. conclusion also makes an
effective evaluation of the
text.
You have not You have attempted to include some You have finished all Say it Well Say it
used any appreciative statements but have no paragraphs off with a relevant Better Table
Appreciate

appreciative done so consistently. appreciate statement as well

statements at the as an appreciative conclusion
end of your reflecting on your new or
paragraphs and refined understanding.
conclusion.
My goal is to:
ALARM Needs Adequate Strong Sustained Tool
Improvement suggestion
Yes No
No clear thesis. A clear thesis, premise and text A well-written thesis, premise Premise and
Conceptualise

Premise or introduction are evident. They are and text introduction which Thesis Maker
understanding of driven by form, context, audience or embeds appreciate and
the question is purpose. They clearly address the evaluative language is evident
evident in the question and concise.
introduction.
You have not You have identified multiple You have identified many Techniques List
Identify

identified any techniques and examples are clearly

techniques and they are
techniques or labelled. You may have missed inclusive of combination
very few. some techniques. “Connotation
within the metaphor”
You have not A description of the relevance of the A description of the relevance Write a Lot
described the technique is evident. For example, of the technique to the About a Little
relevance of the “Metaphor entices the audience to question is evident and Technique
Describe

technique to the reconsider the authentic connection of implements evaluative

question or their relationships with others” language. Example: The
impact of the harrowing metaphor entices
technique. the audience to reconsider the
authentic connection of their
relationships with others”
You have briefly You have unpacked the quote to You have clearly articulated Write a Lot
explained how articulate how the technique works. how the technique works is a About a Little
the technique This may look like commenting on sophisticated manner by Technique
works or missed tone, pace, rhythm, connotations etc implementing evaluative and
appreciative language. “The
Explain

this entirely. before impact on soc/aud/con“

“The tone of the sentences created by melancholy tone of the
the manipulation of its structure sentences created by the
positions the audience to empathise manipulation of its structure
with the emotional state of the poet. (small example) positions the
audience to empathise with the
emotional state of the poet.
You have not Your analysis connects to the Analysis is clear and fluent and Write a Lot
analysed with question in terms of society, may make comment on two or About a Little
reference to the audience, and context. The more aspects of society, Technique
society, telescreens within the metaphor audience, context, character
Analyse

audience, symbolise the perverse intrusion on etc. Your analysis connects

context, author or the privacy of the citizens of Oceania clearly to the question.
character. You and serve as a confronting
may be “retelling” commentary on the technological
the plot of the advancements of the time and which
text. have evolved well beyond the fears
described in 1984”
You have not You have clearly used evaluative You have fluently embedded Evaluative
used evaluative language to make a judgement of the evaluative language, and it is a Language Wheel
Evaluate

language, or it is text, though it may not be consistent fitting judgement. Your

sporadic. conclusion also makes an
effective evaluation of the
text.
You have not You have attempted to include some You have finished all Say it Well Say it
used any appreciative statements but have no paragraphs off with a relevant Better Table
Appreciate

appreciative done so consistently. appreciate statement as well

statements at the as an appreciative conclusion
end of your reflecting on your new or
paragraphs and refined understanding.
conclusion.
My goal is to:
ALARM Needs Adequate Strong Sustained Tool
Improvement suggestion
Yes No
No clear thesis. A clear thesis, premise and text A well-written thesis, premise Premise and
Conceptualise

Premise or introduction are evident. They are and text introduction which Thesis Maker
understanding of driven by form, context, audience or embeds appreciate and
the question is purpose. They clearly address the evaluative language is evident
evident in the question and concise.
introduction.
You have not You have identified multiple You have identified many Techniques List
Identify

identified any techniques and examples are clearly

techniques and they are
techniques or labelled. You may have missed inclusive of combination
very few. some techniques. “Connotation
within the metaphor”
You have not A description of the relevance of the A description of the relevance Write a Lot
described the technique is evident. For example, of the technique to the About a Little
relevance of the “Metaphor entices the audience to question is evident and Technique
Describe

technique to the reconsider the authentic connection of implements evaluative

question or their relationships with others” language. Example: The
impact of the harrowing metaphor entices
technique. the audience to reconsider the
authentic connection of their
relationships with others”
You have briefly You have unpacked the quote to You have clearly articulated Write a Lot
explained how articulate how the technique works. how the technique works is a About a Little
the technique This may look like commenting on sophisticated manner by Technique
works or missed tone, pace, rhythm, connotations etc implementing evaluative and
appreciative language. “The
Explain

this entirely. before impact on soc/aud/con“

“The tone of the sentences created by melancholy tone of the
the manipulation of its structure sentences created by the
positions the audience to empathise manipulation of its structure
with the emotional state of the poet. (small example) positions the
audience to empathise with the
emotional state of the poet.
You have not Your analysis connects to the Analysis is clear and fluent and Write a Lot
analysed with question in terms of society, may make comment on two or About a Little
reference to the audience, and context. The more aspects of society, Technique
society, telescreens within the metaphor audience, context, character
Analyse

audience, symbolise the perverse intrusion on etc. Your analysis connects

context, author or the privacy of the citizens of Oceania clearly to the question.
character. You and serve as a confronting
may be “retelling” commentary on the technological
the plot of the advancements of the time and which
text. have evolved well beyond the fears
described in 1984”
You have not You have clearly used evaluative You have fluently embedded Evaluative
used evaluative language to make a judgement of the evaluative language, and it is a Language Wheel
Evaluate

language, or it is text, though it may not be consistent fitting judgement. Your

sporadic. conclusion also makes an
effective evaluation of the
text.
You have not You have attempted to include some You have finished all Say it Well Say it
used any appreciative statements but have no paragraphs off with a relevant Better Table
Appreciate

appreciative done so consistently. appreciate statement as well

statements at the as an appreciative conclusion
end of your reflecting on your new or
paragraphs and refined understanding.
conclusion.
My goal is to: