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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. In Newspeak, what word will eventually replace "bad"?

2. What urge is stronger than ever when Winston was finished writing about the prostitute?

3. What device is used to write songs?

4. What is the name of Winston's wife?

5. What fell on Colchester?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Winston was young, he and his family had to take shelter in a subway station because London was being attacked. An old man was crying, "We didn't ought to have trusted them." Who should not have trusted?

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

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

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

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

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

7. What might the woman singing in the street symbolizes?

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. Where does Winston work, and what is his job? Why does he have to do this?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

The slogan of the Oceania's government is "WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH." Any act of independent thought, even writing a diary, are punishable by death. Explain the difference between life in America and life in Oceania. Are there any similarities? In your conclusion, write about some ways in which the American people can ensure that future governments do not abuse citizens like in Nineteen-Eighty-Four.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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