Essay 1

215 Honors Essay 1

DUE OCT TUESDAY OCT 17

3 PAGES, USE TWO RELIABLE OUTSIDE SOURCES AND FOLLOW MLA.

1. Gender roles. There are many stands you can take on the perceived in gender roles in 1984. Even examining the symbolism of certain woman or the relationships between people of different genders could bring you to some startling conclusions. In this dark, dystopian society, how have gender roles been defined? What is the meaning behind these gender definitions, and what does it mean to the story as a whole?
2. Sex. Always a popular topic, 1984 directly communicates this intimate aspect as well. What role does sexual intimacy play in 1984? What does it symbolize? Explore the concept of sex in light of 1984 and you’ll have an interesting (and perhaps a little edgy) essay on your hands.
3. Technology. An often-overlooked topic, technology runs rampant through 1984. Its importance cannot go under appreciated. How does technology function in the course of the book? How does it affect the society? Is it beneficial, or detrimental?
4. Freedom vs Security. The book 1984 directly attacks the idea of freedom. What is freedom, and do people in this society still have it? Exploring the world of Orwell’s dystopian society in relation to the concept of freedom vs. security has always been a major component in discussing the text.
5. Power. Everyone seeks it, but it’s the one uniform government that possesses it in 1984. What role does power play? Who has power, and how do they keep it? Exploring the strategies that both the Party, and perhaps other characters, employ in this book to keep power might bring you to some frightening conclusions about the human psychological condition.
6. Certain characters. Some essays work to understand certain symbolic meanings behind characters, or even their role in another character’s life. What is the purpose behind certain characters; what concepts do they represent, or how do they affect the course of the story – and why? Exploring characters can be a great essay topic when done correctly.
7. Social standards. Who is respected in Orwell’s dystopia? Who is rejected? How does this contribute to the novel? What does it tell us about mankind, the human condition, or the society in which we find ourselves? Explore the social disparities and dysfunctions of 1984.

8.      We have discussed in class how the Trump administration has mirrored some of this issues we see in the novel, using examples from the text and outside sources (there are a few related to Trump on the blog) explain some similarities you can see.

“The TV”

9.      For this essay, try to explain what the author was attempting to do with this story. What are we to make of what the man goes through? Use example from the text to illuminate your points.

10.  Compare some of the issues and themes that show up in both the film and the novel. Try to limit it to no more than three issues of themes. Use outside sources and quotes from the text to prove your points.

1)       Title and authors of primary (stories we have read in class) texts

2)       Your thesis (Which depends on the question you write about from above)

• Never end a paragraph with a quote.
• Cite outside sources within in your text; if it appears on your works cited page it has to be used in the paper (direct quotes or paraphrasing).
• Always keep in mind: is this quote proving and supporting my thesis? If not, do not use it!
• WITHOUT A WORKS CITED PAGE OR OUTSIDE SOURCES THE PAPER WILL FAIL

NEVER INTRODUCE NEW IDEAS IN YOUR CONCLUSION.

AVOID USING DIRECT QUOTES IN YOUR INTRODUCTION OR CONCLUSION. Sometimes a quote from an outside source is okay if it captures the point of your thesis but avoid quoting primary texts.

You need to include in text quotations and citations from whatever primary texts you are discussing and TWO OUTSIDE SOURCES!

Make a connection between the outside source you are using and your thesis and primary text.

Do not retell the story! Analyze and explain your thesis (which is your main point). Do not simply tell me Gatsby is obsessed with Daisy—and explain the situation with examples!

ONLY USE RELEIABLE OUTSIDE SOURCES! Do not copy and paste or simply change a few words around from an unreliable source. If it was easy for you to find information to copy and paste from the internet, it’s just as easy for me also to find it.

Make sure you get the character’s names right, as well as the author. It comes off as sloppy if you mix up characters or what author wrote what.

Read over your work. Have someone else read over your work. If I wrote on your paper to get help from The Learning Center, do it! Take your paper with you and they can help you out.

“Short Stories” (Quotation Marks)

Novels, Plays and Films (Italics)