Reading Comprehension Answers: 1984 by George Orwell – Chapter 7 Part 1

Answers for chapter 7

Here are some reading comprehension answers of the book 1984, by George Orwell (chapter 7 part 1) I hope they are useful!

1. According to Winston, where does the only hope lie?

According to Winston, the only hope lies in the proles because they are a majority. If they rebelled, it would be difficult for the part to stop them. 

2. How many proles are there?

The proles are 85% of the population. 

3. What is the Party’s attitude towards the proles?

The party thought the proles to be natural inferiors who had to be subjected to their will. They made no effort to indoctrinate them as they did the party members because it was not beneficial or useful for them to have strong political views. Their only responsibility was to keep on working and reproducing. As to morals, they were allowed to follow their ancestral codes. There were no restrictions regarding sex, divorce, or religion. 

The party only expected the proles to feel primitive patriotism. This is connected with the slogan Ignorance is strength. The less the proles know, the less they can question, the stronger the party is.

“Proles and animals are free”

George Orwell, 1984. Chapter 7.

4. Is there any attempt to convert the proles to Party ideology?

There is no attempt to convert them to party ideology because the less they know, the easier it is to manipulate them. If they were to learn something about the party’s politics, there was more chance of them rebelling against it. 

5. What does Winston think are the only characteristics of Party life?

Winston thinks the only characteristics of party life are “bareness, dinginess and listlessness”. This means that he feels modern life is empty of real meaning, boring, and insipid. The ideals of the party are not met at all by society, but nobody seems to notice or care. Their only concerns are trivial and unrelated to the party, such as getting a good seat at the tube or saving a cigarette end. 

Opposition: Goldstein and the Brotherhood. 

6. Does the Party admit these qualities?

The party does not admit these qualities. It concentrates on bombarding people with information and figures that show how the ideals are met, even though they don’t have any real weight in people’s lives. Living conditions continue to be horrid and unpleasant, and the party does not do anything about it. 

7. What happened to the leaders of the revolution by 1960?

In 1960 the leaders of the revolution were purged because they threatened Big Brother’s power. By 1970 not one of them remained except Big Brother himself. Some were accused of treason, some disappeared, and others went hiding. 

8. What is the significance of the photo showing three men at the social function in New York?

The significance of the photo is that it is clear evidence of a lie created by the party to get rid of them. At their trials, these three men had confessed having been at Eurasian soil, plotting against the party. The existence of this photo proved that this was a lie, as they had been seen on that same day at a social function in New York. 

This was clear evidence of how the party changed the past for its own benefit. 

9. For whom does Winston think he is writing his diary? 

Winston thinks he is writing his diary for O’Brien because he suddenly feels sure that he is on his side. Even though he knows O’Brien will never read it, the fact of writing it to him gave Winston a sense of purpose. He is also writing to the future generations. Valuable information. True. 

10. What does Winston decide?

He decides that he is right and the party is wrong. That he holds the real truth and therefore he must protect it. He believes that the basis of freedom is deciding for yourself what is true and what is not. 

Doublethink: using information that you know is wrong because it is convenient or necessary. 

If you need more help, on Shmoop you can find a summary of the chapter! Also, here you can read some questions on the next chapter.