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Book 1, Chapter 1 - Summary, 1984 | 1984 - Summary, Themes & Characters - Novels PDF Download


  • It all starts on a cold, bright day in April 1984. At 1 p.m., Winston Smith, a small, frail man of 39 years drags himself home for lunch at his apartment on the 7th floor of the Victory Mansions.
  • The face of Big Brother, the leader of the Party and a heavily mustached and ruggedly handsome man of about 45, appears on giant, colorful posters everywhere in Airstrip One, Oceania. (This is still London, though.) "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU," runs the caption.
  • "INGSOC" (the merging of the words "English" and "Socialism") is another poster seen ubiquitously.
  • Except in undisclosed areas, two-way telescreens are installed in every public and private room in Oceania. Yes, even the bathrooms. We learn that the Party monitors its citizens through these screens (both visually and by sound), that the screens themselves spout propaganda 24/7. They cannot be turned off except in the homes of privileged Inner Party members.
  • Oceania is heavily policed and monitored by these two-way telescreens, the Police Patrol and the Thought Police.
  • Winston is employed as an editor (read: creator of propagandistic lies) in the Records Department at the Ministry of Truth, about a kilometer (.62 miles) away from his apartment.
  • From his window, Winston sees the four governing branches of the Party: the Ministry of Truth, which deals with historical records; the Ministry of Peace, which wages war; the Ministry of Love, which is basically the White House; and the Ministry of Plenty, which plans economic shortages. Seriously. They plan them.
  • The three slogans of the Party grace the façade of these buildings: War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; and Ignorance is Strength. Literary people call this "irony."
  • The Party allocates certain vices to its members: Winston drinks Victory Gin and smokes Victory Cigarettes.
  • There is one place in Winston’s apartment that is hidden from the view of the telescreen: the alcove. Winston starts writing a diary in the alcove.
  • It is amusing that Winston cites the location of the alcove and the aesthetic beauty of the diary itself as reasons for starting the illegal journal. More substantive reasons include: the intense hatred and sexual desire he has for a dark-haired female co-worker, and the irresistible intellectual attraction he feels for O’Brien, an Inner Party member he brushed shoulders with at work that morning.

Question for Book 1, Chapter 1 - Summary, 1984
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What is the purpose of the two-way telescreens in Oceania?
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  • Keeping a diary in 1984 Oceania is punishable by death, or at least by 25 years in a forced-labor camp.
  • Winston has a varicose ulcer above his right ankle that itches and gets inflamed often. This may be a sign of sexual repression.
  • The Party’s chief enemy is Emmanuel Goldstein, whose "lean, Jewish face" flashes across telescreens multiple times a day and serves as the subject of the "Two Minutes Hate" episodes.
  • Even before he ever wrote "DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER," Winston knew that he was going to die a painful, painful death. Why? Thoughtcrime. Thinking about doing something wrong is not allowed.
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FAQs on Book 1, Chapter 1 - Summary, 1984 - 1984 - Summary, Themes & Characters - Novels

1. What is the book 1984 about?
Ans. 1984 is a novel written by George Orwell that tells the story of a dystopian society ruled by a totalitarian government. The book explores themes of government control, individualism, and the power of language.
2. Who is the main character in 1984?
Ans. The main character in 1984 is Winston Smith. He is a member of the Outer Party who works for the Ministry of Truth, where he is responsible for rewriting historical documents to align with the Party's current version of the truth.
3. What is the significance of the phrase "Big Brother is watching you" in 1984?
Ans. "Big Brother is watching you" is a slogan used by the Party in 1984 to remind citizens that they are constantly under surveillance. It represents the government's complete control over the lives of its citizens and the erosion of individual freedom.
4. How does the government control the citizens in 1984?
Ans. The government in 1984 controls its citizens through a combination of surveillance, propaganda, and fear. Citizens are constantly monitored by telescreens and informants, while the Party manipulates history and language to maintain its power. Dissent is suppressed through torture and brainwashing.
5. What is the significance of the title 1984?
Ans. The title 1984 refers to the year in which the novel is set, but it also serves as a warning about the dangers of totalitarianism and government control. The book was written in 1949, at a time when Orwell saw the rise of totalitarian regimes around the world, and he intended it to be a cautionary tale about the dangers of such regimes.
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