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Part I – Chapter 5

What is the main idea of this chapter?

While eating lunch in the canteen, Winston is approached by a man named Syme. What project is Syme working on?

Syme is reducing the number of words in the Newspeak dictionary. For example, he does not see any justification for opposites and synonyms. He thinks "Ungood" and "Plusgood" are better than "bad" or "excellent" because they are less vague. What does "justification"mean?

While Winston is in the canteen, an announcement comes over the telescreen. The announcement describes "…spontaneous demonstrations when workers marched out of factories and offices and paraded through the streets . . ."

What does"spontaneous"mean?

Winston worries that the girl with the dark hair is a member of the Thought Police and becomes uneasy when he notices that she is watching him: "She was looking at him in a sidelong way, but with curious intensity."

What does"intensity"mean?

Winston's neighbor, Parsons, is also in the canteen. He tells Winston stories about his children, of whom he is proud. He calls them, "Keen as mustard."

What does"keen"mean?

Were there any words that you did not know?
You can always list them here.