Summer Reading 2013
AP English 12
Summer Reading Study Guide:
1984 by George Orwell
&
Beowulf
The Summer Reading program, sponsored by the English Department at Padua Franciscan High School, is
designed to entice students to read and recognize notable contemporary literature. We wish to engage student
interest, encourage critical thinking, and challenge our students as readers. As such, some titles on the list may
contain sensitive material and deal with more mature themes than some students may have encountered
previously. The target audience of all the selected literature is young adults; moreover, the title selections for the
Honors English courses are chosen in accordance with the AP program. Students are encouraged to find more
information about all of the novels through the local library or through amazon.com. Additionally, the English
Department strongly encourages students and parents/guardians to discuss the content, themes, and overall
inherent literary value of the selected novels. Happy Reading!
General Note: These reading questions are meant only as a guide to the novel. These will not be collected or
graded. Your grade on the novel will be based on an objective test and a follow-up essay that will be given
within the first week of school. For your own benefit, it is highly suggested that you also keep a list of major
plot happenings, characters, settings, etc. per chapter.
1984 by George Orwell
Book One, Chapters 1-2
1. What bothers Winston? What is wrong with his society?
2. What are the three slogans of the Inner Party? What are the four ministries?
3. How does the Two Minute Hate work? What happens to Winston during the chant?
4. What happens between O’Brien and Winston?
5. What is "thoughtcrime"? What are the Thought Police?
Book One, Chapters 3-4
1. What is Winston’s dream about his mother? How does he feel about himself in that dream?
2. What is his dream about the "Golden Country"?
3. What does he know about the legends concerning Big Brother?
4. Describe Winston’s job. How is the past controlled?
5. How does Winston feel about his work? What sort of "creativity" is involved?
Book One, Chapters 5-7
1. What is the problem with obtaining razor blades?
2. Parsons brags about his children for doing what?
3. What lies/half-truths does the Party teach about history? Winston suspects that the Party lies about
progress made since the war. What Party claims does he doubt?
4. What is the story of Aaronson, Jones and Rutherford? Why is this story so meaningful for Winston?
Book One, Chapter 8
1. What is life like in the proles’ end of London?
2. What does Winston discover at Mr. Charrington’s shop? What is Mr. Charrington like?
Book Two, Chapter 1
1. How does Winston react to the note from Julia before he reads it? How does Winston react to the note
after he reads it? How do they manage to meet?
Summer Reading 2013
AP English 12
Book Two, Chapter 2
1. Why is Winston ill at ease once he is alone with Julia? What does Julia bring with her that she has
obtained on the black market?
2. What familiar sign does Winston find?
Book Two, Chapter 3
1. What is Julia’s job? What is her background? What is her attitude toward the Inner Party?
2. Describe Winston’s marriage.
Book Two, Chapter 4
1. What pleasures of the senses are mentioned in this chapter? What is Orwell’s point in mentioning
them?
2. What is Winston’s reaction to rats? Julia’s reaction?
3. Winston sees the coral paper weight as a symbol of what?
Book Two, Chapter 5-6
1. Describe the preparations for Hate Week. In what ways does the Inner Party excel in building spirit?
2. What finally convinces Winston that O’Brien is a member of the Brotherhood?
Book Two, Chapter 7
1. What does Winston remember about his family and his relationship with his mother?
2. What does Winston realize about love and loyalty as a result of his dream?
Book Two, Chapter 8—9
1. How does O’Brien test Julia and Winston?
2. What information does O’Brien give them about the Brotherhood?
3. What are the ways in which the Inner Party builds spirit during Hate Week?
Book Two, Chapter 9, The Book
1. Why does Orwell include detailed passages from Goldstein’s Book in 1984?
2. What is the purpose of war in the world of 1984?
3. Why do all three superpowers forbid their citizens from associating with foreigners?
4. What is the real "war" fought in each of the three governments? Your answer will explain the party
slogan, "War is Peace."
Book Two, Chapter 10
1. What is the significance of the glass paperweight here?
Book Three, Chapter 1
1. Where is Winston? How is he treated there and why? Which of Winston’s acquaintances is in the same
place and why?
2. What effect to the words "Room 101" have on the skull-faced man?
Book Three, Chapter 2
1. What sort of treatment does Winston receive? What is O’Brien attempting to teach Winston?
2. What effect does the (painless) shock treatment have on Winston?
3. What questions does Winston ask O’Brien and what are the responses?
Book Three, Chapter 3
1. Who wrote Goldstein’s book? Is what the book says true?
2. How does Winston feel about O’Brien? Why?
3. What final question does Winston ask O’Brien?
Book Three, Chapter 4
1. How does Winston show that he is not entirely true to Big Brother? How does Winston feel about Big
Brother?
Book Three, Chapter 5
1. What happens in Room 101 and how does this "cure" Winston?
Summer Reading 2013
AP English 12
Book Three, Chapter 6
1. What is the setting? What is Winston’s job? (Look up "sinecure" if you don’t know it)
2. How is it evident that Winston really is a different person? What is happening in the last two
paragraphs of the book?
Beowulf
1. Beowulf is the oldest known English epic. What is an epic and what are the characteristics of an epic?
How many of those characteristics are found in Beowulf?
2. As the poem begins, what qualities of a good king emerge?
3. List all the kings of the Danes from Shild to Hrothgar. What kind of kings were all these men?
4. How did Shild get to Denmark and how did he become the first king?
5. What are the signs of Hrothgar’s greatness? What does the hall Herot represent? How does Hrothgar
treat his thanes? What is a thane?
6. What are the first traits attributed to Grendel? When Grendel is introduced, what is the point of the
Creation story? How is Grendel linked to Adam and Eve’s children?
7. How long has Herot been closed due to Grendel attacks?
8. Characterize Grendel’s attitude toward violence. What are Grendel’s motives?
9. What character traits of a king or warrior were admired by the Danes (also Anglo-Saxons). Which of
these traits does Beowulf possess?
10. What are Beowulf’s motives for sailing from Geatland to Denmark? Describe the voyage. What does
Beowulf’s to the coast guard’s challenge tell us about him? Why does the coast guard trust Beowulf?
How many men come with Beowulf?
11. According to Wulfgar, Beowulf deserves and interview with Hrothgar. Why?
12. What is Beowulf’s way of assuring credibility in Hrothgar’s eyes? Why does Beowulf pledge to fight
Grendel without weapons? What is his attitude towards the challenge? What does he mean by Fate?
13. Unferth’s taunt serves what purpose? How does it contrast with Hrothgar’s welcome? What is the
point of Beowulf’s long response? How does he finally silence Unferth? Is boasting heroic? What does
Beowulf show to be the source of his heroism? What is the connection between Beowulf’s father,
Edgetho, and Hrothgar?
14. Is Beowulf’s refusal to use weapons with Grendel simply being boastful? Heroic? How does he defeat
Grendel and what happens to Grendel?
15. The battle ends quickly with Beowulf securing a trophy. What is it and what does he do with it? Does
anyone die in this encounter? Are his men’s weapons useful?
16. How does the Lay of Sigmund compliment Beowulf’s achievement? And Hrothgar’s reactions?
17. How is Beowulf rewarded for his heroism?
18. The scop, the professional poet/tribe historian and musician, was vital to a tribe and also to the heroic
tradition. Two things sought by warriors were fame and a heroic death. How would the scop be an
important part of these goals? And since they did not believe in the eternal life of Heaven, in this
pagan time, how would the scop give them a kind of immortality?
Summer Reading 2013
AP English 12
19. How does the Finnsburg Lay add to Beowulf’s triumph and the idea of heroism? How is the concern
for the past and future generations woven into the idea of heroism?
20. Does Hrothgar blame Beowulf for the savage death of AEscher? He recounts that Grendel’s mother
avenged her kin. Is this justice? New outrage? What were her motives for entering Herot and killing?
21. What are the characteristics of Grendel’s and his mother’s dwelling? What are Beowulf’s motives for
going after Grendel’s mother? Is avenging a friend’s violent death heroic? Is slaying a sea monster
heroic? Would these things give a warrior fame and also immortality through a scop should he die?
22. What dos Beowulf’s armor tell you about his character? How is the battle with Grendel’s mother
different from Beowulf’s battle with Grendel? Who wins and what are the trophies of this battle that
he brings back to Hrothgar? How does it prove that Grendel’s mother is dead?
23. According to Hrothgar in his farewell to Beowulf, what is the basis for peace in society, and what does
he warn Beowulf against if he is to be king of his people?
24. Upon his return home, Beowulf recounts his adventures. Which event does he stress and why?
25. After turning down the throne once, Beowulf becomes king. How long is his reign before the dragon
strikes terror into the countryside? Who awakens the dragon and what does he do and why?
26. How is the dragon’s vengeance commensurate with the thief’s crime? Compare the motives behind
the two activities.
27. How does Beowulf act when he hears about the dragon’s vengeance? Compare the Beowulf in old age
to Hrothgar when Beowulf went to Denmark as a young warrior.
28. Since Beowulf is accustomed to leading an army into battle, why doesn’t he lead one against the
dragon?
29. Who is Wiglaf and what role does he play in this final battle? Who dies in this battle?
30. Beowulf begins and ends with a funeral. What point is the author trying to make about the role of
death in the lives of these warriors? Describe Beowulf’s funeral and any similarities to Christ’s death.
31. What happened to the dragon’s treasure? What is built to represent Beowulf’s greatness?
32. Who becomes the new king, and what is the future for this country under his reign?