Leaving Certificate Ordinary Level – Excellence in English Language and Literature
Writing Task:
Write the dialogue you imagine would have taken place between Mrs Parsons and her children aſt er Winston leſt their fl at. T e dialogue should be based on what you know of the characters’ personalities and beliefs from reading Chapter Two.
Chapter T ree
Winston dreams about his mother and sister, who disappeared when he was 10 or 11. He feels responsible for their deaths, although his memory of what happened is unclear. T e dream changes to a place Winston calls the ‘Golden Country’. T e dark-haired woman appears, strips naked and runs towards him. Winston wakes with the word ‘Shakespeare’ on his lips.
During his mandatory morning exercise in front of the telescreen, Winston thinks about his childhood. He remembers little because he has no photographs or documents. T e only constant seems to be war. Although the government claims Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia, Winston remembers that they were allies only four years ago. T e Party changes records, so lies pass into history and become the accepted truth.
Winston is so lost in thought that he loses focus on his exercises and a voice from the telescreen shouts his name, reprimanding him for not working hard enough.
Questions: 1. Describe Winston’s dream at the start of Chapter T ree. 2. Why do you think Winston wakes with the word ‘Shakespeare’ on his lips? 3. What does Winston remember of his childhood? 4. How does the instructress encourage the viewers to touch their toes? 5. What is doublethink? Writing Task:
One of the Party’s slogans is ‘Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past’. Do you think this is true? In your answer you may refer to both the world of the text and the real world.
