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The Dream World of Winston Smith KEY
George Orwell uses dreams as a literary device frequently in his novel 1984. This device is employed for a number of purposes: * To flashback important information about the character’s past or history of the society * To foreshadow certain events in the plot to create suspense * To characterize Winston more thoroughly and deeply, especially on the psychological level
Task: Reread the assigned dreams listed. Summarize the key details of the dream in the space provided. Determine whether the dream functions as flashback or foreshadowing and explain why. Finally, answer the question about the dream.
Summary | Flashback/Foreshadowing | Reasons |
1. Dream of O’Brien (Part 1, Chapter 2) |
-Winston is walking in a dark room. -He cannot see anyone, but hears a voice from someone sitting to one side.-It says, “We shall meet in a place where there is no darkness.”-He attributes the voice to O’Brien and imagines he is a co-conspirator against the Party. | -Foreshadowing | -He will meet O’Brien and they will defeat the (darkness) of the PartyOR-He will be captured and brought to the ministry of love and there meet O’Brien |
What does this dream reveal about Winston’s character? | -Winston is longing for a companion to fight against the Party-Shows his attraction to O’Brien-Shows Winston’s growing desire to rebel |
2. Dream of Mother and Sister (Part 1, Chapter 3) |
-Winston sees his mother and sister down below him as if in a deep well or grave-The place, like a saloon on a sinking ship, is continually moving away from him-He knows and they know they are moving towards death and that they must die so he will live-There is no reproach against him; it is just the way things must be | -Flashback | -Reveals the disappearance