1. 1984 Discussion Director Questions

2. Lit Circle Discussion #1 Questions:
What does the opening sentence suggest about the novel: “…the clocks were striking thirteen”? How does this tell us about the setting? What is the setting of the novel?
What are the party mottos? What is unusual about them? What do these mottos suggest about the government and its control over its people?
What is the purpose of Newspeak? What are the implications of the government controlling the use of language?
Identify examples of doublethink in Part One. Discuss examples of doublethink from recent history.
Who is Big Brother and what is the significance of his name?
How does The Party control history?
Discuss the ways that Winston rebels against the party.

3. Response Journal Topic:
Discuss how language is important to freedom. Consider some current examples from the world in addition to using examples from the text.

4. During lit circle discussion:
Make note of any significant ideas, points, quotes, etc. that your group discusses
Before beginning your discussion, choose a presenter who will be responsible for sharing the two most significant ideas/discoveries/realizations made by your group.
Make sure to give everyone the opportunity to speak and share his or her ideas!!
Try and convince the members of your group that your opinion is the correct one. Provide reasons. I will mark the role sheets while students discuss.

5. Lit Circle Discussion #2 Questions:
How does the party control history?
In what ways are Julia and Winston similar? How are they different? What is significant about their views on rebellion? How do they each rebel against the party?
Why do the proles not have telescreens in their homes?
What role does family play in the world of 1984? How have the values of a family become different from the way that we understand them in our present day society?
What is the significance of the statement: “She did not understand that there was no such thing as happiness, that the only victory…it was better to think of yourself as a corpse”? (120; 112). What does it signal to readers about the life these people lead, about the future, and life in general?
Who is Emmanuel Goldstein and how is he presented to the people of Oceania? What is the probable significance of using the obviously Jewish name?

6. Response Journal topic, day 3
What is power? What makes a person powerful? Consider examples from the text and real world.

7. Lit Circle Discussion #3 Questions:
What type of organization is the brotherhood? What is Winston’s perspective of the brotherhood? What organizations or groups in present day or in the past that you can you think of that have similar ideas to this group?
O’Brien asks Winston and Julia what they are willing to do for the Brotherhood. What are they willing to do? What is the one thing they are unwilling to do? What types of things does O’Brien tell them they might have to face as members of the Brotherhood?
Julia tells Winston that even though the Party can torture a person and make him say anything, they cannot make him believe it. How do you feel about this statement? How easy is it to brainwash a person? Do you think governments actually use brainwashing? Discuss.
Winston reads from Goldstein’s book that “The invention of print, however, made it easier to manipulate public opinion”(ch. 9, 177; 166; 214). Explore the history of using print to influence opinion. What role does propaganda play in maintaining the status quo: keeping Big Brother in total control of Oceania?
Discuss the benefits of maintaining inequality. Winston asks the question “why should human equality be averted?”(225).

8. Lit Circle #4: Discussion Director Questions:
How does Parsons feel about being imprisoned as a result of his own daughter reporting him to authorities for committing thoughtcrime? How is this ironic? What paradox of sorts could be written to express the inherent contradiction?
Before Winston is interrogated, he sees many prisoners escorted off to Room From their reactions, he gathers the room is extremely unpleasant. What is in Room 101?
Many have viewed the ending of 1984 as eerily pessimistic and frightening. How does Winston ultimately feel about Big Brother? What does this suggest about human beings and perhaps the limitations human beings have when under extreme duress?
Who wrote Goldstein’s book? If it was the Party, then why? Discuss.
O’Brien says the proles will never revolt (p. 74), yet on page 229; 188, Winston came to the conclusion that the future’s only hope lay with the proles. What brings each man to say what he does? Discuss.
What is ironic about the Chestnut Tree Café?
Discuss the ending of the story and what Winston imagines? How is this significant?