1984 Part II Study Guide Questions and Answers with
complete solution
1. When Winston helps the dark-haired girl up, there is a frightened look in her
eyes. What does the reader later find is the reason for that frightened look?
She has passed a love note to Winston, and she has no way of knowing how he will
react.
2. Other than a fear for his physical safety, what is Winston's biggest fear in
meeting with the girl?
Winston is afraid that the girl may change her mind and no longer like him. He has
banished any previous thought of her endangering him or his wanting to kill her.
3. What is strange about the conversation between the girl and Winston?
The narrator gives the reader no clue as to which person says which thing or who the
instigator of the conversation is.
4. What is revealed in the arranged meeting?
The girl takes charge, "just as she had done in the canteen."
5. Find the juxtaposition in the end of the chapter?
The girl holds Winston's hand while a prisoner stares at them. One image is of love,
personal communication, desire, etc., and the other is of sadness, torture, death, and
hopelessness.
1. What imagery is depicted in the beginning of the chapter?
The countryside, with flowers, smells, and natural sounds, provides a sharp contrast to
the bleak, gray, angry life of the city.
2. What does the girl say about her many activities in the Junior Anti-Sex
League?
She says that she is good at games and at disguising herself and her ideas.
3. What made Winston, a man ten or fifteen years older than the girl is, and not
particularly handsome, attractive to her, and what does it say about her?
From his appearance, she feels that he must be against the Party, and she herself
obviously hates the Party.
4. Orwell creates an element of suspense when the smell of chocolate causes
Winston to recall a memory moving vaguely around the edge of his
consciousness," the memory of some action which he would have liked to undo
but could not." What could the chocolate stand for?
The chocolate, being from the black market and very different from what this society
now calls chocolate, represents danger, the unknown, memory, illicitness, and the
scarcity of the Party's goods.
5. Instead of being jealous of the other men that Julia has been with, Winston is
pleased. Why is that?
He says he hates purity and goodness. A moment later, he is pleased because he
believes that sexuality will be the thing that will tear the Party to pieces.
6. What is the meaning of the last three sentences in this chapter?
Winston and Julia's passion, their animal instinct, is an act of rebellion against the Party,
which has tried to extinguish passion.
1. Although she hates the Party, why can Julia be called apolitical?
, Her hatred is personal in that the Party stops her from doing what she wants to do. If
she had been allowed to live as she pleased, the Party's policies and doctrines would
not have mattered. She is not interested in "rebelling against its authority but simply
evading it...."
2. From Julia's perspective, why does the Party want to extinguish sexual
activity?
She believes that in sexually deprived people, it is easy to induce a hysteria that can be
transformed into hero worship and war fever. In contrast, the sex impulse, when
satisfied, makes people more content with their own lives and less interested in the life
of the Party. Therefore, the aim of the Party is to keep people joyless in sex and
deprived of it.
3. What is the difference in the way Winston and Julia appear to view the future?
Winston believes they are doomed and will be eventually caught and killed by the
Thought Police. Julia appears to feel that they can get away with evading the authorities
if they are careful.
1. Some critics see a significance in the words of the song that the woman
outside is singing. Why would that be?
The title of the song, "It Was Once a Hopeless Fancy," could refer to the hopes of
Winston and Julia.
2. Why, although they know it is dangerous, do Winston and Julia rent the room
above Mr. Charrington's shop?
They are so eager to be together that they are willing to take this risky step.
3. If the first stanza of the woman's song has significance, what is the
significance of the second stanza?
If it predicts anything, it would seem to forecast an eventual separation of the lovers.
4. Since Orwell puts a great deal of emphasis into the discussion on rats, what
can the reader assume?
The rats are to Winston the worst "[horror] in the world," "too dreadful to be faced," "the
black instant of pain," "a nightmare," and "something unendurable." It can be assumed
that somehow, rats will play an important part in the book.
1. What happens to Syme? Why is this important?
As Winston predicted, Syme becomes a non-person. This point seems to establish
some credibility for Winston's view of the situation and his powers of assessment.
2. In the course of this chapter, why and how does Winston change?
He becomes physically healthier and emotionally less volatile because he is happy
being with Julia. This metamorphosis confirms the Party's fear that love does make
people more content.
3. Between what two contrasting points of view do Winston and Julia swing?
From feeling sure that they will be caught shortly, they swing to the opposite extreme
and the illusion that they will always be together.
4. Why does Julia find it quite plausible that Winston trusts O'Brien on the basis
of a look in the Party member's eye?
Julia makes decisions about people based on their appearances, so she does not find
Winston's opinion rash.
complete solution
1. When Winston helps the dark-haired girl up, there is a frightened look in her
eyes. What does the reader later find is the reason for that frightened look?
She has passed a love note to Winston, and she has no way of knowing how he will
react.
2. Other than a fear for his physical safety, what is Winston's biggest fear in
meeting with the girl?
Winston is afraid that the girl may change her mind and no longer like him. He has
banished any previous thought of her endangering him or his wanting to kill her.
3. What is strange about the conversation between the girl and Winston?
The narrator gives the reader no clue as to which person says which thing or who the
instigator of the conversation is.
4. What is revealed in the arranged meeting?
The girl takes charge, "just as she had done in the canteen."
5. Find the juxtaposition in the end of the chapter?
The girl holds Winston's hand while a prisoner stares at them. One image is of love,
personal communication, desire, etc., and the other is of sadness, torture, death, and
hopelessness.
1. What imagery is depicted in the beginning of the chapter?
The countryside, with flowers, smells, and natural sounds, provides a sharp contrast to
the bleak, gray, angry life of the city.
2. What does the girl say about her many activities in the Junior Anti-Sex
League?
She says that she is good at games and at disguising herself and her ideas.
3. What made Winston, a man ten or fifteen years older than the girl is, and not
particularly handsome, attractive to her, and what does it say about her?
From his appearance, she feels that he must be against the Party, and she herself
obviously hates the Party.
4. Orwell creates an element of suspense when the smell of chocolate causes
Winston to recall a memory moving vaguely around the edge of his
consciousness," the memory of some action which he would have liked to undo
but could not." What could the chocolate stand for?
The chocolate, being from the black market and very different from what this society
now calls chocolate, represents danger, the unknown, memory, illicitness, and the
scarcity of the Party's goods.
5. Instead of being jealous of the other men that Julia has been with, Winston is
pleased. Why is that?
He says he hates purity and goodness. A moment later, he is pleased because he
believes that sexuality will be the thing that will tear the Party to pieces.
6. What is the meaning of the last three sentences in this chapter?
Winston and Julia's passion, their animal instinct, is an act of rebellion against the Party,
which has tried to extinguish passion.
1. Although she hates the Party, why can Julia be called apolitical?
, Her hatred is personal in that the Party stops her from doing what she wants to do. If
she had been allowed to live as she pleased, the Party's policies and doctrines would
not have mattered. She is not interested in "rebelling against its authority but simply
evading it...."
2. From Julia's perspective, why does the Party want to extinguish sexual
activity?
She believes that in sexually deprived people, it is easy to induce a hysteria that can be
transformed into hero worship and war fever. In contrast, the sex impulse, when
satisfied, makes people more content with their own lives and less interested in the life
of the Party. Therefore, the aim of the Party is to keep people joyless in sex and
deprived of it.
3. What is the difference in the way Winston and Julia appear to view the future?
Winston believes they are doomed and will be eventually caught and killed by the
Thought Police. Julia appears to feel that they can get away with evading the authorities
if they are careful.
1. Some critics see a significance in the words of the song that the woman
outside is singing. Why would that be?
The title of the song, "It Was Once a Hopeless Fancy," could refer to the hopes of
Winston and Julia.
2. Why, although they know it is dangerous, do Winston and Julia rent the room
above Mr. Charrington's shop?
They are so eager to be together that they are willing to take this risky step.
3. If the first stanza of the woman's song has significance, what is the
significance of the second stanza?
If it predicts anything, it would seem to forecast an eventual separation of the lovers.
4. Since Orwell puts a great deal of emphasis into the discussion on rats, what
can the reader assume?
The rats are to Winston the worst "[horror] in the world," "too dreadful to be faced," "the
black instant of pain," "a nightmare," and "something unendurable." It can be assumed
that somehow, rats will play an important part in the book.
1. What happens to Syme? Why is this important?
As Winston predicted, Syme becomes a non-person. This point seems to establish
some credibility for Winston's view of the situation and his powers of assessment.
2. In the course of this chapter, why and how does Winston change?
He becomes physically healthier and emotionally less volatile because he is happy
being with Julia. This metamorphosis confirms the Party's fear that love does make
people more content.
3. Between what two contrasting points of view do Winston and Julia swing?
From feeling sure that they will be caught shortly, they swing to the opposite extreme
and the illusion that they will always be together.
4. Why does Julia find it quite plausible that Winston trusts O'Brien on the basis
of a look in the Party member's eye?
Julia makes decisions about people based on their appearances, so she does not find
Winston's opinion rash.
