How are Winston and Julia different when it comes to the nature of their rebellion against the Party? How does their age difference figure into this?

Winston sees rebellion as a communal activity. In particular, he sees hope in the proles’ numbers. He thinks they can, if they really band together, mount a challenge against the Party. Julia sees rebellion as an individual act. She expresses her rebellion mainly through her sexual acts, which are heavily policed by the Party. Her sexual encounters are dangerous, and hence qualify as a political act. Winston is more than ten years older than Julia, and this age difference also amplifies the dangers of their sexual encounters.

We find out that O’Brien and others in the Party are the true authors of Goldstein’s book. What is the Party’s purpose behind creating this book? Does Goldstein exist?

Goldstein’s book enables the Party to keep up the pretense that it is fighting against a dangerous internal enemy, a claim that in turn allows it to deploy totalitarian measures at will in the name of common good. Readers are unsure if Goldstein really did exist.

How realistic is the novel as a possible depiction of the future? Could such a society ever come into existence?

The novel sheds light on the ways in which governments become totalitarian. It focuses on how governments create powerful external and internal enemies to keep up high levels of surveillance. In addition, the novel also focuses on the policing of thought and language, as well as sexual desire—a measure aimed at keeping rebellion at bay. Though these measures are somewhat amplified in the novel, they are nonetheless based on oppressive measures preferred and commonly employed by governments in reality. In a way, the novel serves as both a comment on the times in which it was written and as a foreshadowing of the future.

Discuss the Party’s strategy regarding Winston. Why isn’t Winston arrested earlier, when O’Brien already knows so much about him?

The Party seeks to obtain as much information as possible about Winston before arresting him. Winston, therefore, has no way to deny or object to the charges brought against him. By posing as an ally and encouraging Winston to read Goldstein’s banned book, O’Brien acquires crucial information about Winston. Mr. Charrington, another agent of the Party, ensures he has Winston and Julia’s trust before setting them up. When Winston is arrested, all his crimes are well-documented, which in turn allows the Party to deal with him harshly and with impunity. In the end, the Party successfully breaks Winston’s resistance, and he poses no threat to the regime.

Is there some hope that the “proles” will develop a political consciousness and rise against the Party? Why does the Party largely ignore them?

Although the proles constitute nearly 85 percent of Oceania’s population, they have not been able to mount a significant rebellion against the Party. This is not only because proletarian neighborhoods are closely monitored but also because the proles seem to lack the ability to organize a sustained, coherent rebellion. Winston, who believes that the proles lack political consciousness, observes that their resistance only ever amounts to brief bouts of anger toward the Party. Despite this, Winston does believe that the proletarian way of life offers more room for subversive action in everyday life. Though these acts may not necessarily amount to mass resistance, Winston thinks that they may nonetheless enable the proles to develop a political consciousness.

The Party does not ignore the proles. They are just not subjected to the same degree of brainwashing as other citizens. Proletarian neighborhoods are closely watched and regulated, but the proles are not the Party’s main threat. They are mainly seen as “animals,” as inferior beings.