Nineteen Eighty-Four: Essay/Writing Ideas

Nineteen Eighty-Four: Essay/Writing Ideas

Directions: Write a paper (five full pages or more of double-spaced typing) on any one of the following ideas. A rubric appears on the other side of this page.

1. Write an essay contemplating how much control a government should (or should not) exert over its citizens’ lives. Think about how much knowledge the government should possess about its citizens and how this knowledge can be harmful and/or helpful.

2. Write an essay supporting or defending Julia’s belief, “If you kept the small rules, you could break the big ones” (Part II, Chapter 3). Provide examples from 1984 and real life to support your answer.

3. Discuss how the motif of urban decay appears and reappears in 1984. How does George Orwell use this motif to make his point about totalitarian societies?

4. Watch and write a review of the movie 1984. Share how the movie expands, changes, and/or omits portions of Orwell’s novel.

5. Write an essay tracing the theme of mind control and psychological manipulation throughout 1984.

6. The citizens of Oceania suffer from physical manipulation if they are arrested by the Thought Police, but also suffer from psychological manipulation in their daily lives. Compare and contrast the physical and psychological manipulation they experience. How must a person cope with each type of manipulation? Do you think it would be more difficult to cope with physical or psychological manipulation? Why?

7. Winston Smith views his arrest by the Thought Police as inevitable. Do you believe that almost all citizens of Oceania would inevitably be arrested by the Thought Police? Why or why not? Provide examples from the novel to support your answer.

8. Write an essay analyzing Winston and Julia’s relationship. How does each character take the lead in an aspect of the relationship? Do you find their relationship believable? Why or why not? Winston initially views the relationship as a political act. As the relationship progresses, do you believe that the relationship still seems mainly political to Winston? Why or why not? Provide examples from 1984 to support your answers.

9. How would Orwell’s novel differ if he wrote it in the 21st century, instead of in the 1940s? How would modern-day technology figure into Orwell’s plot?

10. Write a narrative describing O’Brien’s back-story and how he came to the Ministry of Love. Be sure to incorporate O’Brien’s comment to Winston, “They got me a long time ago.”

11. Create an alternate ending to 1984. Be sure to include Winston, O’Brien, and Julia.

12. Discuss the role of women in Orwell’s 1984. In your opinion, does life in Oceania elevate women to an equal status with men, denigrate women by removing their maternal function in society, or fall between the two extremes? Provide examples to support your response.

13. Come up with your own idea/thesis for a paper on 1984, but be sure to get permission from your teacher before you start writing.

©2010 Secondary Solutions, Nineteen Eighty-Four Literature Guide

STUDENT NAME: ______BLOCK: ______

ATTACH THIS SHEET TO THE FRONT OF YOUR PAPER.

English III –Mr. Oakley

1984: 5-Page Essay/Writing Score Sheet

Element / Explanation / No / Sort of / Yes
Layout / The paper is prepared according to the rules of the MLA layout sheet (12-point Times New Roman type, title, 1-inch margins all the way around, double spacing, formatted to display page numbers, stapled or sent electronically, contains student’s name and class period, etc.), and this rubric is attached to the front. / 0 / 10
Grabber, Orientation / Provides a meaningful thesis (or appropriate introduction, if a creative narrative) and thoughtfully supports the thesis and/or main ideas with facts, details, and/or explanations. / 0 / 10
Tone/Focus/Audience / Maintains a consistent tone and focus, and a clear sense of purpose and audience. Draws well-supported inferences about the effects of a literary work on its audience. / 0 / 10
Organization / Illustrates control in organization, including effective uses of transitions. / 0 / 10
Mechanics / Provides a variety of sentence types and uses precise, descriptive language. Contains no errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar,
punctuation, capitalization, spelling). / 0 / 15
Length / The paper is five full pages or longer (but not more than seven pages). A paper shorter than three full pages will receive zero points for this category. / 0 / 20
MLA Style / Modern Language Association style is used correctly, including a Works Cited page at the back of the paper. / 0 / 5
Textual Understanding / Demonstrates a clear understanding of the ambiguities, nuances, and complexities of the text. Develops interpretations that demonstrate a thoughtful, comprehensive, insightful grasp of the text. / 0 / 10
Textual References / Provides specific textual examples and/or personal knowledge and details to support the interpretations and inferences. / 0 / 10
Total Score (out of 100 points possible):
Standard reduction in the score if the paper is handed in late: minus 10 percent for one day late, minus 20 percent for two days late, etc.