"Between the Pages" -- Period 1

W12, #7: Seems Like A Lot of Effort

I'm sure you're not the only one to have asked yourself this question:

• If Big Brother controlled everything...
• If O'Brien had been monitoring Winston for years...
• If the thought police had plenty of evidence already...

...why go to all this trouble to a) trick, b) catch, and c) torture Winston?

5+ sentences, please.

W12, #6: How Did O'Brien Get This Way?

How do you think O'Brien came to believe all that he says/does?

• Was he like -- Winston -- just a normal guy in the "party" who eventually was brainwashed?
• Was he more like Big Brother from the beginning, never brainwashed because he always believed what he told Winston?
• Or do you imagine some 'other way' that he developed his view of the world?

5+ sentences would be very helpful.

W12, #5: A Film By A Different Name

I'm curious.

Other than the obvious choice -- Minority Report with Tom Cruise playing the police officer that can predict when someone is thinking of committing a crime (aka "a precrime") before they actually do it -- can you think of another film that plays around with the same themes and ideas as 1984?

Your challenge:

• Name the film (or films).
• Give us a short description -- 5 sentences would be great! -- of why there is a strong connection in your mind between our novel and another film.

For those who are curious, here is the film trailer for Minority Report:

W12, #4: Friend, Foe, or John Doe?

I'm curious.

Do you think that at the end of the novel that O'Brien is a real friend of Winston?

Seems possible, right? 

• He is 'honest' with Winston.
• He knows everything about Winston.
• Winston seems 'loyal' to him. 
• Oh, and since there aren't typical 'friends' in this society, is it possible that O'Brien is the closest thing that he can have to one?

What do you think?  Friend?  (Foe or John Doe?)

5+ sentences would be great.

W12, #3: Re-Writing the Future

We know how Orwell 'ended' 1984. 

At the same time, we are left with a few questions as to what really happens to Winston in the coming days, weeks, months, years.

Make a prediction.  Support your ideas with proof from the novel (to get credit).  A quotation (or two) would be great.

W12, #2: Peering Into Room 101

For you, what would be in Room 101?

Explain why.  7+ sentences.

W12, #1: Revise Your 1984 In-Class Essay

If you do this entry, please include all of the following:

1.  Type in your original introduction or conclusion fully from the most recent in-class essay over 1984.
2.  Identify the #1 change you want to make -- be specific.
3.  Type in your revised intro or conclusion fully.

W11, #5: If I Can, I Will

Well, here we are.

Down to the final 'month' or so before exams (and summer) arrive.

With that in mind, I'm curious about what you'd like to accomplish between now and the end of Eng II (as you prepare to become an 11th grade/Junior English student).

Challenge:

• Identify (1) way you still want to improve (or learn) in the final 4 weeks of our class.  It can be a writing skill, better understanding anything we've read this 2nd semester (as you think about the semester exam, or whatever comes to mind related to this class).
• Explain why this is still a challenge for you...and how you want to pull this off.
• Bonus:  Tell me -- in your reply -- if you'd like to meet sometime (or several times) to help you work on this.
• 5+ sentences.

W11, #4: What Would Your Paperweight Be?

As you all remember, Winston purchases a glass paperweight -- with a piece of coral in it -- from the antique shop...and sneaks it home.  When he later rents the apartment to hide with Julia, he keeps it there, too.  It becomes a symbol of something he is trying to understand/remember, even more than just being something beautiful.

For Winston, his glass paperweight represents a link to a 'missing history' he does not want to forget. It is also a link to an 'imaginary future' he dreams about.  In some ways, it helps him keep sane when everything around him seems beyond understanding.  Maybe this is what matters most to him.

Imagine this:

• Imagine you suddenly woke up to find yourself in an apartment like Winston, with a blue uniform on, listening to a telescreen in the background.  In other words, you found yourself as a character in the book itself.  And there is no escape.
• Imagine that you knew the 'truth' about Big Brother's world...but you also realized that you'd be a 'thought criminal' (and killed) if you told anyone what you knew.  There would never be a way to change this. Again, there is no escape.  Your only choice is to find some way to let your imagination continue to live.
• Imagine you could buy or find (1) object -- like Winston's glass paperweight -- that would help you remain 'sane' and maintain 'hope' for the future.

Challenge:

• Identify what the (1) object would be.  Be creative.  Anything is possible.
• Explain why this (1) object would help you keep sane and maintain hope.
• 5+ sentences.

W11, #3: Identify 3 Parts of Goldstein's Book

Note: 

Wait until you have finished all of Goldstein's book -- The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism -- before you do this entry.  You'll need to read through page 217.

***

Challenge: 

• Identify (3) different quotations/ideas you find interesting from Goldstein's book (history, etc., of the world Winston lives in). 
• Explain why you found each quotation/idea interesting.
• 2+ sentences for each quotation/idea you choose.

Please follow these directions:

1. Choose one quotation/idea from pages 184-195
2. Choose one quotation/idea from pages 196-208
3. Choose one quotation/idea from pages 209-217

W11, #2: Did Hollywood Get It Right?

Now that we're reading Goldstein's secret book -- The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism -- let's take a look at how Hollywood tries to explain this part of the novel (including when O'Brien gives him the book):

Challenge:

• Do you think that this part of the film is an accurate portrayal of the book as your mind is picturing it?
• Did they explain enough of Goldstein's book (and ideas) to help a person watching the film (who has never read the book) understand what you now know?
• What should they have added?  What should they have left out?

Here's the clip (about 10 minutes long):

W11, #1: Photo Vocab Story

Here are your words for Week 11.  Note: the quiz will be on Monday, May 4th.

oligarchy (n) | equilibrium (n) | to comprise (v) | chivalrous (adj) | latent (adj) | empirical (adj) | besieged (adj) | preponderance (n) | inimical (adj) | ruminant (adj) | to perpetuate (v) | collectivism (n) | subsidiary (adj or n) | to ossify (v) | fanaticism (n) | pretense (n) | denunciation (n) | forlorn (adj) | inveteracy (n) | circumstantial (adj)

You know the drill. Select a photo.  Tell a story. 

Use 10 of the words to do so!

W10, #5: Curious about Epiphanies

This is a wide open question that allows you to consider anything we've discussed in class this year. Absolutely anything.

All of you are extremely bright and have figured out a remarkable range of ideas along the way.

Sometimes the realizations -- or 'epiphanies' -- may have been purely based on the plot or text. Other times they may have been about something that is in the real world. Whatever it is, I'm curious about one 'big idea' or realization you've had this year (that continues to stick with you) because of anything that was discussed in class. Sometimes they've been a mixture of both plot and real world.

Challenge:

Tell us about one thing that really made an impact on you as a person (and student).

It is up to you how long the response is.

My guess? The more important it was, the longer your response. Just a guess. I'm funny that way.

NO Vocabulary Quiz on Monday

Consider it a small gesture.

There will be NO vocabulary quiz next week. Thus, there will be no vocab entry, either.

As the year begins to wind down, I remain very impressed by the quality of work all of you are doing.

Keep it up.

And enjoy 'one less thing' to do over the weekend.

W10 #4: Going Back in Time

Speaking of movie versions of 1984 (see W10, #3), I'm curious what you think of the way Hollywood advertised the original film version of the novel back in the year 1956.

Certainly an interesting visual way to attract people to watch the film.

Challenge: In 5+ sentences, analyze this film poster.

Does it work?

Does it surprise you?

Why do you think this is the way they tried to advertise the film back in 1956, only 7 years after the novel was first published?