1984

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of sexual content.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Although they employ very different narrative styles from that of 1984, George Orwell’s Animal Farm and Homage to Catalonia also critique totalitarian systems and the betrayal of revolutionary moments. Have you read either of these texts? Do you think one is more effective in conveying Orwell’s ideas? How might different audiences respond to each of the three in different ways?

2. How would you describe your feelings when you finished the story? Did the appendix add anything to your understanding or enjoyment, or would you rather the book ended after Part 3, Chapter 6? 

3. What other classic dystopian novels have you read? Have you, for instance, read The Handmaid’s Tale, Parable of the Sower, Brave New World, or Fahrenheit 451? Which concerns about society come up in multiple dystopian novels? Do you agree that these issues are important ones? Are there important issues that are rarely addressed in such novels?