Thursday, December 13, 2018

Thursday, December 13th

Shall we watch this Thug Note together?
O brave new world that hath such people in't!

Literature Circle Seminar Prep 1984
Organize yourselves into groups of 3
Choose scribe(s). Make a copy of this document so that you can annotate the main points of your conversation.

  1. Plot clarification:  What questions do you have about the storyline and plot?  Are you confused about anything? Help each other clarify the plot!
  2. Character Analysis:  Review the characterization and discuss the significance of the following characters. Bullet-point the main points of your discussion.
    • Winston
    • Julia
    • O’Brien
    • Mr Charrington
    • Big Brother
    • Emmanuel Goldstein
  3. Discussion Questions:  (Bullet-point the main points of your discussion.)
    • Discuss the significance of the Party’s slogans (WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH) and the names of the government Ministries.
    • What is the purpose of the Two Minutes Hate?  
    • What is up with the Proles?  Why doesn’t the Party bother much with them
  4. Intertextuality: (Document the main points of your discussion)
    • What are the connections between 1984 and Brave New World?  What are the differences?  Which seems more realistic?  OPTIONAL: Include The Hunger Games in your intertextual discussion. (‘Tis the dystopian story of your generation.  Take it in, kids!)
  5. Seminar Question Generation:  As a group, come up with at least 5 seminar questions that might help us get at the deeper meaning of 1984 in tomorrow's seminar.