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George Orwell’s novel 1984 is characterized for being a dystopian fiction, as well as for its great symbolism and its use of different concepts. An effective method to study and discuss this very complex work is to analyze it through questions. In this article some of them will be suggested, after making some remarks of interest.
About the author from 1984
Eric Arthur Blair (1903-1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was a British writer best known for his controversial novels Animal Farm and 1984 . He was also a literary critic and essayist.
Orwell was born in India but grew up in England and lived in other countries as well. To him we owe terms like “Orwellian,” which is used to describe a totalitarian society, and “Big Brother,” which refers to a vigilant system that constantly watches citizens. He is also the author of the word “newspeak,” which is used to talk about an artificial language used for political propaganda.
His works stand out for their criticism of the totalitarianism that he witnessed in some societies in the first half of the last century.
Currently, George Orwell is considered one of the greatest references in universal literature of the 20th century.
About the novel 1984
1984 was published in 1949, and it stood out for the invention of different concepts that are still used today, especially in the world of politics and philosophy. The novel focuses on society and an omnipotent government system that controls citizens by creating a false illusion of happiness. It also refers to fascism and communism. The main characters of the novel are Winston Smith, a worker at the “Ministry of Truth” and his lover Julia, a rebellious young woman.
The rewriting of the past, surveillance systems and other mechanisms of totalitarian governments were common in his time and continue to be so in some countries. Some characters in the novel were even inspired by real people. It is said that the inspiration for the character of the enemy of the State Emmanuel Goldstein was Leon Trotsky, a Russian revolutionary who cut ties with Leninism and ended up in exile.
Concepts Orwell described in 1984 include:
- Oceania: the fictional world, where all the events of the novel take place.
- The Big Brother or Big Brother: is the ruler of the world who watches over everyone.
- Room 101: the place destined for torture.
- The thought police: an organization that deals with thought crimes.
- Newspeak: is a simplified version of the English language that the government uses to manipulate citizens.
- Ingsoc: is the political party that governs Oceania.
- The Ministry of Love: is the one that carries out the punishments and tortures, as well as the submission to Big Brother.
- The Ministry of Peace: it is the one that has the purpose of perpetuating the war.
- The Ministry of Abundance: it is the one that provides the inhabitants with only the minimum necessary to survive.
- The Ministry of Truth: is in charge of rewriting historical facts.
Questions to study or discuss the novel 1984
To fully understand this interesting novel, to learn more about it or to discuss it, the following questions can be used as research triggers.
Questions about the author
- When did George Orwell write the novel?
- What is the connection between the author and the novel’s theme?
- What do you think is the message that Orwell tried to convey in the novel?
General questions about the novel
- What is the main theme of the novel?
- What gender does it belong to?
- What is dystopian fiction?
- What does the title 1984 mean ?
- What is the name of the state in which the story takes place?
- What other States are there in the novel and what are they like?
- What conflicts arise in the novel?
- What is the importance of the purpose of the story?
- What are some story themes? How do they relate to the plot and characters?
- How essential is the setting of the story? Could the story have taken place in another place or time?
Questions about the characters
- Who are the main and minor characters?
- What characteristics do they have?
- What is the daily life of the characters like?
- How is the society of 1984 organized ?
- What is the role of women in the society of the novel?
- What makes Winston different from the other characters?
- What is Winston and Julia’s way of thinking?
- What differentiates Julia from Winston?
- What conflicts do the characters face?
- How are the characters brainwashed?
- What is a “non-person”?
- What are the consequences for a person not being a member of the party?
- What is O’Brien’s role?
- What methods are used to torture political prisoners?
Questions about concepts and symbols
- Why in the novel is writing in a diary considered a crime?
- What are the symbols that appear in 1984 ?
- What are the Inner Party, the Outer Party and the Thought Police?
- What is the point of the two minutes of hate?
- What is hate week?
- What does “re-education” mean in the novel?
- What is Big Brother?
- What is the Ingsoc?
- What is Newspeak and what is its function?
- Why is it important that Oceania is always at war?
- How do Big Brother and the Party use technology?
- What happens in room 101?
- What is the role of the name Ministry of Love?
- What are the functions of the Ministry of Peace?
- What is the role of the Ministry of Abundance?
- What is the Ministry of Truth in charge of?
- How is sexual repression used in Oceania?
- What is the value of betrayal in the society of 1984?
- What is the function of war?
- What do they mean and what do you think about the phrases: “war is peace”, “freedom is slavery”, “ignorance is strength”?
Questions to think about
- What role do feelings like love play in the story?
- How are the relationships between people?
- What do you think of the characters?
- Would you like to live in a society like the one in 1984 ?
- Do you think brainwashing can happen in real life?
- Why do you think the party was able to control the whole society?
- Why is 1984 considered a controversial work?
- Why has it been censored in some countries?
- Why do you think the terms “Big Brother” and “newspeak” are still used?
- What do you think of the different ministries in the novel?
- With what current technological problems can what happens in 1984 be related?
- Is there any comparison with contemporary societies?
- Are there examples of sexual oppression in the real world?
- What would you change about the story?
- What lessons can we learn from Orwell’s novel?
- Did you like the ending? Because?
Bibliography
- Orwell, G. 1984 . (2013). Spain. POCKET-SIZE.
- 1984: Study Guide . sparknotes. Available at https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/1984/ .
- 1984 Study Guide . gradesaver. Available at https://www.gradesaver.com/1984-es .
