1984

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the play over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. A text’s atmosphere is a feeling created through the details and language used to describe setting.

• How does Orwell establish a dystopian atmosphere early in the novel? (topic sentence)
• Give at least 3 examples of details, images, or phrasing that support a dystopian atmosphere. Explain how they accomplish this task.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain how the dystopian atmosphere supports the theme Constant Surveillance is Oppressive or Totalitarian Power Diminishes Individuality.

2. Winston believes that there is something essentially different about the impact the Party has on proles versus the impact it has on Party members.

• Why does Winston hope the proles will be able to contest the Party’s power? (topic sentence)
• Give at least 3 examples of Winston’s beliefs about the differences in the proles’ lives. Connect these examples to their ability to contest the Party’s power.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain how the differences in the proles’ lives support the theme Constant Surveillance is Oppressive or Totalitarian Power Diminishes Individuality.

3. Party propaganda is one important mechanism of control in Oceania. It is meant to be so powerful that it even controls individual thought.

• What is thematically significant about the math equation 2+2=4? (topic sentence)
• Give examples of Winston’s thoughts about this equation from at least 3 different places in the novel. Comment on how his ideas change over time.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain how this equation is used to support the theme Propaganda Manipulates Emotion and Discourages Individuality.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least 3 main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. What are some important differences between Katharine and Julia? Consider both how Winston himself thinks about these two women and what the reader is encouraged to infer through the narrator’s perspective and plot details. Offer at least 3 differences between Katharine and Julia and comment on how these differences convey what each woman represents in the novel. Then, connect the differences between Katharine and Julia to a theme or themes in the novel. As you compose your response, support your assertions with details and language from the text. Cite any quoted material in MLA format.

2. What warning does Orwell convey about totalitarian power? Consider what he has to say about how totalitarian power arises, the impact it has on human lives, and the difficulty of displacing it once it takes root. Then, connect these three aspects of his message to one or more of the novel’s overall themes. As you compose your response, support your assertions with details and language from the text. Cite any quoted material in MLA format.

3. What leads Winston to trust O’Brien, and why does Winston continue to trust and look up to O’Brien even after O’Brien is revealed to be his torturer? Consider plot events, aspects of both Winston’s and O’Brien’s personalities, and their context within a totalitarian society. Explain how the dynamic between the two men supports one or more themes in the novel. As you compose your response, support your assertions with details and language from the text. Cite any quoted material in MLA format.