1984 Book 1 Chapter 8 Close Reading Worksheet

Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about Winston’s subversive inclinations from Book 1, chapter 8, this resource saves teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing academic rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered as printable Word Documents and PDFs.

This resource may facilitate small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development, demonstrating an ability to analyze how complex characters transform and advance the plot and themes by applying logic and citing compelling, meaningful textual evidence. They will also evaluate their peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to advance claims, clarifying or challenging unclear ideas. Using this resource for structured guidance, students, ultimately, will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.

By engaging with this resource, students will:

• Analyze what the text conveys both explicitly and implicitly
• Analyze the author’s use of language to infer his intent
• Apply knowledge of literary devices including personification and assonance
• Explain the intended effect of personification in context
• Analyze character behaviors and interactions for deeper meaning
• Determine the function of a given passage
• Write with logic, clarity, and precision