For your group:

a. What do we know about their lifestyles?

b. Who have we met who is included in the group?

c. What is Orwell's tone toward each of the groups?

d. What evidence do you have for Orwell's tone?

Choose one symbol to analyze, and answer:

a. What is the literal item within the text? What do you believe it symbolizes?

b. Why would Orwell include them at this point in the novel?

c. What do they reflect about the world, Winston, or the themes of the novel?

It can be a confusion you had, a theme you see, a passage you want to talk about, a connection to the real world, etc.

After posting your question, add a short response with your own thoughts and ideas below it!

What potential consequences come from rebellion? Do you think Winston will be successful in his rebellion against Big Brother?

Look at these common drivers of rebellion. Which do you think most contributes to Winston's behavior?

1. Economic Inequality: Significant gaps in wealth and resources often stimulate rebellious sentiments. When a substantial number of citizens perceive that the structure of economic opportunities is unfair, disillusionment can become a catalyst for collective defiance.

2. Political Repression: Authoritarian regimes that quash dissent create an environment ripe for rebellion. The denial of fundamental rights—free speech, fair elections, freedom of assembly—can push people to seek radical forms of resistance.

3. Social Injustice: Discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, or other social markers often fuels protest movements. When institutions systematically disadvantage specific groups, rebellion may appear as a tool for empowerment and social change.

4. Cultural and Religious Dissonance: In societies where cultural or religious identities are suppressed by a dominant group, rebellion can manifest as an effort to preserve or reclaim these identities.

5. Perceived Corruption or Moral Decay: When political or social leaders are viewed as corrupt, unethical, or out of touch, discontent escalates. Rebels often frame their struggle as moral or spiritual opposition to a flawed establishment.

Is 1984 meant as a prophecy for the future, or is it meant as a current criticism of the 1950s contemporary society?

What evidence do you have for your opinion from the text?

The rat in Winston's room makes Winston freak out. He talks about how filthy it is, how it eats babies. A rat is a very common thing while Winston treats it like the worst possible thing. The rat represents Winston's subconscious fear of the unknown. He constantly fools himself. Winston never sees a rat, but the mere mention of one makes him lose it, turning pale. This shows how he fools himself. He is in a room, with a wall between them in the outside where the rat is but Winston can't bring himself to trust reality and would rather fool himself into believing the rat is in his room.

[omg ts was in book on actually mb]

The paperweight is a heavy lump of glass with a small piece of pink coral embedded in the center, which Winston Smith buys from Mr. Charrington's antique shop. The paperweight symbolizes the past and human connection. Because it is "useless", it represents beauty for its own sake. The soral caught inside the glass represents Winston and Julia's secret life. The paperweight highlights Winston's growing rebellion and desire for a tangible history. The paperweight provides a physical link to a world that the Party has tried to erase, marking the peak of Winston's hope and his attempt to create a "sanctuary" away from Big Brother.

The prole woman singing and hanging laundry in the courtyard. She represents the "immortal" vitality of the lower class and Winston's hope for a future revolution.