1984 Reaction Paper

Due: Thursday, February 12

I expect your reaction papers to be 1-2 pages in length (typed, double-space) and for you to pick a topic that you find thought provoking and that you can say something about.

While a reaction paper does not need to be as formal as a multi-draft essay, it should have a clearly articulated point and that point should be supported with evidence from the book (in the form of quotations) and that evidence should be properly formatted, punctuated and cited (MLA format). Ms. Bluhm is a reported “grammar nut” and will be evaluating these papers, so you should plan accordingly.

Here are some possible topics, you may write on others:

1. Dystopian literature often involves a protagonist who is consciously aware of the problems with his society and feels compelled to rebel against it. Though this protagonist may not be the only individual with dissentious thought, he often perceives that he is alone in his discontent. Why do you suppose Winston resists a passive acceptance of the society of 1984? What about him as an individual creates this opportunity for resistance?

2. We have identified in class the tools for societal control in 1984 and the possible functions and intentions of these tools. In what ways do you see these tools in action in today’s society? Choose one context that requires social control with which you are familiar (e.g. a classroom or school, a religious institution, a retail store, etc.) and discuss the ways in which our society maintains social order and control. What tools are present in both worlds? Which are exaggerated in 1984 but still present in our reality? Which do not apply? Once you have considered the similarities and differences between these two instances of social control, speculate on the why that Winston questions in 1984.

3. In our discussions of Herland, we considered Gilman’s text as a possible utopia. Our reading of 1984 has been based on an acknowledgment of it as a dystopian text. In two seemingly opposite societies, sex for non-procreative purposes is rejected. How is the acceptance of sexuality threatening/dangerous to both a utopian and dystopian society?