1984

In Orwell's classic novel 1984, War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and Ignorance is Strength are the Party's three paradoxical slogans, which are perfect examples of how the ruling government uses...

The four ministries in George Orwell's 1984 are the Ministries of Truth, Love, Peace, and Plenty. They are all named for positive values that are meant to be beneficial to society, but, in reality,...

When Winston Smith writes this line in his secret diary, he is saying that freedom means having the ability to assert objective truths. The made-up Ingsoc ideology that 2+2=5 represents the way...

In George Orwell’s 1949 novel of a dystopian society ruled by “Big Brother,” 1984, the four government ministries to which the story refers are the Ministries of Truth, Love, Peace, and Plenty. As...

The Junior Spies is a government organization concentrated on indoctrinating children into the Party's socialist ideology. The primary objective of the organization is to create a loyal, orthodox...

The Two Minutes Hate is a break in the day in which Party members briefly stop their work routines and gather in front of a screen in order to participate in an intense expression of hatred against...

It is in Part One, Chapter Three of 1984 that you can find the following quote about controlling the past: "Who controls the past," ran the Party slogan, "controls the future: who controls the...

When citing sources it is important to cite them in two different ways; an in-text citation within the body of your paper and on the works cited page at the end of your paper. When citing a novel...

It’s highly probable George Orwell wrote 1984 with more than one message in mind. Other Educators have discussed messages connected to oppressive regimes and totalitarianism. Another central...

Everything isn't alright for Winston at the end of 1984; far from it. Broken and brainwashed, he has effectively been tortured into loving Big Brother. And because he's been brainwashed, he no...

This particular quote serves as an illustration, provided by O'Brien, to better clarify the core motivation which ultimately lies behind this entire dystopian world as envisioned by Orwell. Indeed,...

This is a much-quoted statement, viewed as a commentary upon the commitment of people to the status quo, even when that status quo is effectively abusive. Winston feels that the only solution to...

Winston occasionally dreams about the Golden Country, and once, when he is with Julia in the countryside, comes upon a real landscape that almost (but not quite) lives up to his dream. Later, in...

There is a great character description and analysis for each character in the novel on eNotes, so I will post Katharine's here for your convenience. Katharine is "Winston’s wife. She was a tall,...

Like so many people in Oceania, Jones, Aaronson, and Rutherford have been crushed beneath the wheels of the totalitarian system. Once upon a time, they were fanatical Party leaders during the...

The Anti-Junior Sex League is a Party organization working for replacing sex with artificial insemination. Julia is a part of the group, but only as a cover—she is pro-actively interested in sex...

A page number can change based on the edition you are using, but the quote appears in part I, chapter 4 of the text. In my Signet edition, it is on page 36 and reads as follows: As short a time...

Similarities • Both Winston and Julia are rebellious towards the Party and go against the laws that govern thought and action • They both desire each other and engage in a covert affair...

Winston and Julia have just awakened from another evening spent in the "secret" room above Charrington's shop. Winston is thinking about the implications of Goldstein's book, which he has almost...

As with the names of the other ministries in Oceania, the name Ministry of Truth means the opposite of what it says. If the Ministry of Love is the place of torture and hate, the Ministry of Truth...

The Parsons represent what is supposed to be the middle class since they are in an apartment. In his depiction of them, George Orwell demonstrates how the basic unit of society, the family, has had...

In Chapter One of 1984, Winston writes in his newly-purchased diary for the first time. This diary is used by Winston as a tool for self-expression because, under Party rule, Winston is not allowed...

The chestnut tree is often understood as a symbol of justice and honesty. We also hear the phrase "an old chestnut" to describe a story that has been repeated many times. More specifically, Orwell...

"Orthodoxy means not thinking—not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness" (Orwell 68). While Syme is explaining to Winston the significance of Newspeak, he comments on how language will...

In Part One, Chapter Four, while at work, Winston is tasked with writing a man called Comrade Withers out of history. (Withers has been vaporised and is now considered to be an enemy of the Party)....

Ingsoc is short for English Socialism, and the shortening of the word into two basically meaningless syllables is itself significant. Ingsoc is a word that can mean whatever the Party wants it to...

To find a physical description of Winston Smith, take a look at Part One, Chapter One. In the third paragraph, Orwell informs us that Winston is "smallish" and has a "frail figure." He has "fair...

The purpose of the telescreens in Orwell's popular dystopian novel 1984 is to constantly monitor, control, and oppress the population of Oceania. The Party uses the telescreens to assert its...

In 1984, the Brotherhood is the name of the secret organization whose role is to bring down the Party. In Part Two, Chapter Eight, when Winston and Julia are at O'Brien's apartment, the reader gets...

Room 101 was the place where the worst thing in the world was found. Winston had previously asked O’Brien to tell him what exactly was in the room because he noticed that all the prisoners who had...

The quotation "a place where there is no darkness" occurs twice in George Orwell's "1984." That is certainly no accident, given Orwell's writing style and his portrayal of life in a totalitarian...

In 1984, the world is divided into three states: Oceania, Eastasia, and Eurasia. Oceania is constantly at war with one of these states while at peace with the other. For the majority of the book,...

The children in 1984 are taught to love the government of their own country. All their loyalty, energy, and obedience is directed toward their leaders. Anyone who threatens the state is a threat to...

Love and marriage are extremely important to the Party, in a negative sense. In other words, they see love and the sort of marriage based on love as inherently subversive forces and attempt to...

This is a very important statement in the novel. When Winston states that "we are the dead," it follows a statement that speaks more to Winston's above assertion. Winston insists that "She did...

We only see Julia through Winston's eyes, so what happens to her in many ways remains mysterious. We know she approaches Winston for an affair, they fall in love, and that both promise not to...

For an example of a simile, take a look at the first chapter of the book in which Winston is describing the appearance of the telescreen: The voice came from an oblong metal plaque like a dulled...

Winston has only hazy, dreamlike memories of his mother and sister. In reality, there's no evidence he murdered her: she and his sister disappeared one day after he snatched a small piece of...

As one of the previous answers pointed out, Winston has been changed from the rebellious individual into a completely obedient and subservient member of the party. This change in some ways mimics...

In the novel 1984, INGSOC is an acronym for "English Socialism," which is the political philosophy adopted by Oceania's ruling Socialist Party. Orwell writes that the principles of INGSOC are...

First mentioned in Chapter Four of George Orwell’s novel of a futuristic dystopian society, 1984, a “speakwrite” is apparently some form of dictation system, in which a user speaks into it and his...

The central conflict in 1984 is man versus society, personified in Winston Smith's struggle against Big Brother's oppressive regime. Winston represents freedom, both physical and intellectual. He...

Choosing the most important events of 1984 clearly involves the interpretation the reader; however, in selecting these the reader can look for events that have significant consequences. From this...

This is taken from a nursery rhyme of the time Orwell was growing up ("The Chestnut Tree" by Glen Miller 1939), much like he took the line "oranges and lemons say the bells of St. Clements." The...

The uniform of the Party is the blue overalls that are worn by men and women alike. The overalls are worn by both inner Party members, like O'Brien, and outer Party members, such as Julia and...

As mentioned in the previous post, Winston believes that the only hope to destroy the Party was to awaken and unite the overwhelming mass of proles to revolt against Big Brother. Unlike the Inner...

In 1984, Winston dreams about a few things. One of his dreams features a dark-haired woman running toward Winston. Winston sees it as an act of freedom and Party defiance. This is going to sound...

In the first stage of Winston's reintegration in the Ministry of Love, he is physically tortured and forced to confess to imaginary crimes against the Party. Party intellectuals continually...

The way in which the government in this future dystopia keeps control over its people is through a combination of manipulation and fear. There is of course the ever-present threat of the Thought...

Winston and Julia meet at the Ministry of Truth or Minitrue, where they both work. They keep eyeing each other obliquely. Winston doesn't know her name, but calls her the "dark-haired girl." He...