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Part I Chapter 7

What is the main idea of this chapter?

What percentage of Oceania's population is made up of proles (people not belonging to the Party)?

Once Winston had witnessed a mob of women proles gathered around the market stall of a vendor selling saucepans. Some "…clamoured round the stall, accusing the stall–keeper of favouritism and of having more saucepans somewhere in reserve."

What does"reserve"mean?

Winston reflects, "The Party claimed, of course, to have liberated the proles from bondage."

What does"liberated"mean?

Winston has borrowed a children's history book from Mrs. Parsons. Reading it, he thinks, "It might very well be that literally every word in the history books, even the things that one accepted without question, was pure fantasy."

What does"literally"mean?

Winston "wondered, as he had many times wondered before, whether he himself was a lunatic. Perhaps a lunatic was simply a minority of one."

What does"minority"mean?

At the end of this chapter, Winston feels his courage rise. He understands, at last, for whom he is writing the diary. Who is that?

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