literary interpretation about George Orwell’s 1984

Essay 3 Assignment: Literary Interpretation

George Orwell’s 1984 is a classic dystopian novel that engages with many ideas from the political, social, cultural, and philosophical realms. Although many people associate it with warnings about fascism and communism in the wake of World War II, it has just as much relevance for our contemporary world and the social, political, and economic issues we currently face. Today, authoritarian and totalitarian regimes are sprouting up across the globe. Right-wing extremism in many countries is stoking the embers of fascism. Communism has merged with capitalism in some Asian nations and created systems of vast government-sponsored censorship. The middle class is disappearing and the upper class gains more and more power. A tiny, elite few seem to control everything. The issues that Orwell raises in 1984 have clearly not disappeared. It is your job to explain, in a well-constructed paper, how Orwell’s novel has relevance for our current times. What warnings does it contain that are still warnings we should heed? What ideas does it contain that can either guide us to build a better world or, at very least, help us avoid sliding into a worse one? What might it tell us about events and people in our contemporary world? Connect the themes and ideas of 1984 to the themes and ideas of today and show me that the novel is still important.

I don’t expect you to cover all the possible connections between the novel and our world. Rather, successful papers will focus on one or two major connections and explore them, explaining how the details of the novel compare and contrast with our lived reality and current political, social, and cultural events. Ultimately, you want to make sure you’re showing how 1984 says something important about some element of what’s happening today.

Requirements and Submission

Your essay should be at least 1,000 words long, though well-developed responses may be much longer. It should have an introduction (with a thesis) and a conclusion. In the body, you should present a clear interpretation of the novel that explains at least one of Orwell’s main ideas and analyzes its relevance to our contemporary world and culture. You should draw on our other course readings to develop your explanation and analysis. A strong essay will be deep rather than broad in its analysis, focusing on just a few main points and presenting a pattern of evidence (multiple examples) to support them.

Your essay should be typed and formatted according to MLA guidelines. You should include at least three direct quotations in proper MLA citation (including at least one block quotation), and you must include an MLA works cited entry for every source that you cite. See our online resource, Purdue Online Writing Lab, for assistance. You will submit a first draft of this essay on Canvas and bring hard copies for peer review during the designated class period. The final draft of this essay will be due on Canvas by 11:59 pm on Sunday, December 6.

EVALUATIVE CRITERIA FOR ESSAY 3

Content

Your essay should include an interesting opening paragraph that introduces the topic of your paper and states your guiding idea or thesis.

It should also include a conclusion paragraph that explains your final observations, questions, or reflections.

The body of your essay should present a clear interpretation of 1984 that explains at least one of Orwell’s claims and identifies the connection it has to our contemporary world, drawing on our other course readings to help you do so.

Your essay should introduce and analyze a series of specific examples from the novel to support your interpretation.

Organization

The structure of your essay should grow out of your guiding idea or thesis. It should be organized into a series of paragraphs, each dedicated to a main idea or example that explains or elaborates on some component of your thesis.

Your essay should include topic sentences and transitions to help your reader move from main idea to main idea, paragraph to paragraph.

Format and Citation

You should include quotations that are contextualized, well explained, and formatted in MLA. At least three quotations are required, including at least one block quotation.

Your essay should include an MLA works cited entry for each source that you cite.

Your essay should be in MLA general format throughout.

Style and Mechanics

Your essay should exhibit correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

You should utilize an appropriate authorial voice and academic style.