If you’re lucky enough to have access to a Netflix account, odds are you’ve seen or heard about the 2020 documentary The Social Dilemma. If you haven’t, check it out if you can gain access. It’s a terrifying look at the damage social media and search engines inflict daily on people of all ages but, particularly, pre-teens and teens. As I watched it over the weekend, it kept bringing to mind an older video — an interview with business expert and author Simon Sinek — wherein he describes the “trouble with millennials” in the workplace. Both The Social Dilemma documentary and Sinek make solid arguments about the negative role technology addiction and its associated hit of dopamine play in eroding social norms and creating ever larger gaps between us — a message Fast Company echoes compellingly. Orwell’s dystopian vision resonates (reverberates?) here in 2020, 71 years after its date of publication and 36 years after its eponymous setting.
In this third week of AP Language, we’re going to focus on the rhetorical situations that inform each of the videos and texts linked above, and on the line of reasoning each employs in making and supporting an argument. We’ll talk about the rhetorical situation in our Zoom class this week, talk about using an approach called SPACE CAT to identify and analyze its key elements, and then we’ll talk about the “skeleton” of an argument, which is any author’s line of reasoning.
This Week’s Assignments:
a) You just completed your four-sentence rhetorical précis for last week’s assignments. Please post it as a comment below — and, then, wait until the end of the week. After a few days, come back here, read your peers’ work, and provide constructive criticism and suggested edits to at least three classmates. Pro tips: Consider starting at the bottom of the comments and work your way up as you’re providing feedback — and make sure every précis posted has at least one peer response before you leave second responses. Share the love!
b) Once you’ve posted your précis, and watched the line of reasoning video (also linked above), read and complete this lesson on line of reasoning. Note: I’ve given you the teacher copy of this lesson so you can read your way through it since we can’t meet synchronously this week. For now, skip reading the supplied answers and answer the BLANK form, which is a PDF, so you can either print and complete the sheet by hand; use an app to convert it to an editable PDF and complete it in the actual form or, my preference, copy the questions into a Word document and answer the questions in there. Use the Malala speech included in the handout: you’ll need it both this week and next. When you’re done, and only when you’re done, review what you’ve written against the supplied analysis and, where necessary, make adjustments in your work. And, remember to be intentional. Do your best. You absolutely will be turning your efforts in to me during a near-term class.
c) If you haven’t yet, click on all the hyperlinks, above, and read or watch them all. We’ll watch some and talk about them in class, but our time is necessarily limited, so it’s up to you to watch carefully independently so you can complete the week’s written work. Once you’ve read and watched everything, start with the Sinek video, in which he makes a compelling, but controversial, argument. Outline his argument, using the same format you used in the lesson in assignment (b), above — and be clear and specific in what you write down When you’re done with your outline, select what you consider to be the most interesting of the news articles I linked to, above, and complete the SPACE component of SPACE CAT analysis for the article you select. Final step: cut and paste your Sinek line of reasoning outline and your SPACE analysis into this Google form.
We’ll briefly meet on Zoom at the beginning of your scheduled class time this week unless MAPS testing interferes. I’ll keep you posted via Remind. Finally, no matter what happens with testing and this week’s weird scheduled, I’m always available to you after Zoom during regularly scheduled class meetings and during live office hours on Wednesdays. Zoom in if you have questions, of course, but consider dropping in just to have company while you work or to ensure some accountability. I’m happy to help you out in any way you need in this strange online environment, even if it’s just to help you stave off procrastination. Remember…
Aileen Chantabutr 4B
George Orwell’s book, “1984”(1949), reveals that the totalitarian government of Oceania will do anything in their power in order to control the scope of human thought so they could maintain their influence and control. Orwell supports this theme by showing how the government uses psychological manipulation to affect memories by constantly changing recorded documents of history as well as limiting human thought by establishing the concept of doublethink and along with a very restricted language called Newspeak. Orwell’s purpose is to show how inhumane and evil a government could be even if it seems fine on the surface level in order to raise awareness about totalitarian governments. Knowing how differently every country functions all around the world, Orwell is writing to an audience who most likely has no experience living in a totalitarian country and only has experience with democracy or a constitutional monarchy.
This is very well written and makes many important references to the book! I agree with your argument, sharing a similar opinion about Orwell’s purpose in writing such a book. Due to Orwell’s first hand experience, it is believable that he would wish to convey his view to people ignorant of the totalitarian world.
Your précis is so well-written as well as clearly and intentionally developed. I thought it was interesting how you said that the audience most likely hadn’t lived in a totalitarian society because I hadn’t really thought of that myself. I wonder how the lack of experience with a similar situation would affect how a reader views the book when compared to how experience with a totalitarian society would change the reader’s impression.
This extremely well written and makes excellent references to the book. It clearly shows that you had a complete understanding of the assignment and the material. Very well done!
I like how you used the concept of manipulation in your précis, and made the audience aware of the kind of government that would use their power to psychologically manipulate it’s citizens.
You worded this really well, and you keep the book in mind throughout the argument, not to mention the fact you can see Orwell’s purpose with the book. This plus the psychological and moral analysis at the end.
I liked the well written references you made to 1984. You made it very clear that you thoroughly understood the assignment and this is a very well written precis.
George Orwell’s 1984 (1948) explains his view of a form of totalitarianism where the general populace is brainwashed into believing whatever ludicrous ideas are fed to them. Orwell supports his theory by creating a new form of speech, “Newspeak”, which takes traditional English and drastically simplifies it, intending to control the scope of human thought. Orwell’s purpose is to establish the hypothetical of a censored language and the nature in which society would respond to it’s manipulation. Given the sophisticated content, and complex concept, Orwell is writing to a well-educated audience with a broad vocabulary and developed English foundation, as well as anyone who is ignorant of the direction of our government.
I really like how specific you were with describing the audience that Orwell wrote to. Your precis was straight to the point, and easy to understand, which I loved. I agree with you in wondering how society now would respond to such manipulation, and whether that would be different than Orwell thought it would in the 1940’s.
I really loved the idea of Orwell’s thesis, but you could add a “that” clause to make it more direct. The way you explained how he supported his claim with your example was great. Make sure to put an “in order” clause after stating his purpose. I completely agree with how you described the audience of the book, and I love the way you phrased it.
I really like your advanced word choice, it really strengthens your argument and makes you sound more sophisticated. I like how you touched on totalitarianism and elaborated on Orwell’s purpose of using Newspeak. However, I think your last sentence on who the author is addressing could be better elaborated on given the historical context of the publication.
The way this is written is super thorough, and it reflects a mature understanding of the literature.
I like how you described the contrast of the two very distinct audiences Orwell is writing too. I also thought it was interesting that you specifically said “his view of a form of totalitarianism” as if he was directly speaking through the main character, Winston Smith, to project his ideas.
Morgan, Matthew
2A
George Orwell’s Dystopian political fiction, “1984” (1949) warns about the dangers of Totalitarianism and the dangerous psychological effects that it has on humans under total control of the government. Orwell supports his argument by the use of Big Brother and the statement throughout the book, “Big Brother is watching you,” which can input fear into the civilians knowing anything wrong that they say or do can be caught by telescreens that are existent all around them. Orwell’s purpose is to paint a picture of what it may be like for someone who lives in a totalitarian society and how it affects their mental state in order to bring awareness that these types of societies exist into today’s world, and how they are so harmful to anyone living under them. The target audience of the book 1984 could quite possibly be intended for the world as a whole because these types of societies actually exist, and also considering that this book was written a few years after World War 2 when a really terrible totalitarian, Adolf Hitler was trying to control everyone.
I like that you mentioned “Big Brother”. This is a recurring phrase all throughout the book which makes reference to the omnipresent government constantly monitoring and surveilling. It is a highly important concept and crucial to the message of 1984! I also appreciate the mention of World War II, which shares many similar themes to the fictional 1984. One including the diabolical strive for complete control of humanity and the merciless means reached to achieve that goal.
I really enjoyed the extra effort you put into showing attention to detail. You added very specific details that demonstrate a clear and thoughtful understanding of the book. Good job!
The attention to detail created a clear understanding of the book and the touch on the themes of the book, nice job!
Your precis is very detailed and well written. I liked the references you made to 1984 and your comparisons were very accurate. I also appreciate your reference to Big Brother and its effect on the public.
May, Katherin 3B
George Orwell, dystopian fiction, 1984, (1949) Orwell is arguing that total totalitarianisms has consequences that will lead to a future harmful utopia. Orwell emphasizes that Big Brother has control over what they believe in and think. The people in Oceania are constantly being suppressed and watched by the telescreen, and if they try to rebel or advance their understanding they get vaporized because big brother is in full control. The author uses newspeak, the telescreen, thoughtpolice, etc. in order to allow people to visualize what would happen if they had a totalitarian government. Orwell creates a serious and cautioning tone to alert the world about the dangers of totalitarianism especially after Stalin and Hitler’s reign.
I agree that Orwell created the thoughtpol, the telescreen, and newspeak with the intention of painting an image where perpetual surveillance and control of personal thought is rampant and incessant. The last sentence especially stands out to me. It is evident by Orwell’s writing that he serves another purpose other than to entertain, but to wearily caution and inform as well.
I agree with your thesis and how totalitarianism has many harmful effects on society. I like how you added specific examples and were clear on your explanations. I would suggest adding what Orwell’s purpose of “1984” was, because I noticed that it was missing.
Your writing shows your clear understanding of the book. You use great examples to show the oppression and I also love your grammar.
I felt quite inspired by your thesis. You truly worded how the book treated this aspect of life that no would really want , and I could picture it just by your wording !!
This précis was really good. I love the fact that you brought up specific examples of what was used in order to show how the government was in complete control. I really love the reference to two very terrible well known totalitarianists that tried to control everyone.
Your precis showed that you had a clear and deep understanding of the book and its rhetoric. I also liked how specific you were with your examples within your precis.
George Orwell’s novel, “1984 (1948)” argues that citizens must question their government’s intentions and integrity, as the government as described in this dystopian novel is filled with events of brainwashing and lying to their citizens. Orwell backs up this idea by providing multiple instances where the government modified history, lies to their citizens about the economy and the war that is occuring around them, and restricts independent thoughts or any thoughts that would rebel against the Party’s beliefs. Orwell’s purpose is to point out how us citizens should question our government in order to bring awareness to the many corrupt societies that take advantage of their citizens and their free will. Given the date and subject matter of the novel, the audience which read this when it was published were just recovering from The Second World War, and the novel appeals to them as it relates to the propaganda and brainwashing used by many dictators during the war in that time period.
I like how you emphasized that citizens need to question their government especially regarding the book. It’s crazy how the government constantly changed the story behind all the wars, etc. and the citizens just played along with it. It is very important to bring awareness to the fact that we shouldn’t believe everything the government says. I agree with everything you said about the time it was written etc. I also really liked how you tied the time it was written and propaganda to the book.
I like the points you made about integrity regarding the government. Overall the writing was solid with the exception of a few punctuation errors. Also, I agree that the novel was relatable in a way because of the political propaganda after and during WWII.
I like how descriptive and well thought-out your response is. You connected the ideas in the book to what is happening in today’s society very well. The ideas in the second sentence are there but you changed tenses after the comma. I also really like how you stated his purpose.
Born, Zoe
2A
George Orwell’s science fiction novel “1984” (1949) proves that without the institutions of freedom and democracy, our lives could be controlled and manipulated by the government. Orwell supports this claim by showing what life would be like in a dystopian society where people have limited speech, are watched 24/7, and are terminated if they even consider doing something other than what the government has put into place. Orwell’s reason for showing this type of society is in order to warn mankind about the dangers of losing the right to think for ourselves and have independent thoughts, which can be seen through the main character, Winston, over the course of the novel. Finally, the style in which George Orwell writes tends to appeal more towards the general working class because of the way he creates characters and situations that they relate to.
I love that you pointed out that without freedom and democracy there would be control from the government. I also thought that your reasoning was very efficient especially through connecting the characters to what you were saying. I really like how you mentioned that without freedom and democracy there would be manipulation. I also agree that his audience reflects what he writes.
I really liked how you pointed how how much power the government has over us by choice. It’s like if we do things and think for ourselves then what do we need a government for. I also like how you related this to today’s world.
This has very nice structure, and you also really have good word choice. You also really put a lot of effort into the plot and character analysis and its relation to Orwell’s purpose for writing the book.
P.S: HI Zoeeee
The idea of no freedom and democracy can lead to a controlling government was a great point that shows the absence of our own ideas can be replaced by an abusive power. Great job!
George Orwell’s dystopian 1984 novel (1949), illustrates the challenges and effects of a totalitarian government on its people and citizens. Orwell is able to depict these clear images through taking his main character on a journey of realizing the heavily monitored, controlled, and restricted lifestyle in which the character lives in, to his active effort in rebelling against the government, and to the torturous way that forced the character back into conformity. In order to represent the results of living in a dictated world, the author most likely wanted to give people an idea of what it may be like to live in a world similar to the one that he had created, and why it should be avoided at all cost. Due to the fact that 1984 was published right after World War II, Orwell presumably wanted his audience to be the people of this time, as well as the people of the future to learn and understand that nothing good comes out of a conformed, tyrannized, and an oppressed way of living.
I really liked how you stated that Orwell took the main character on a journey! I thought that was a very creative and nice way to put it! I agree with everything you said especially the fact that Orwell wrote it after WWII. I also like how you depicted that everything came full circle, and he ended up being like the rest.
Very well written I absolutely loved your précis.I liked how you went really into depth about how the book started and what the main character did throughout his journey.Towards the end of your paragraph you mentioned how this was published after World War II, which to me was a very important detail.Good work!
I really love the way you written your Précis. It is very well detailed and is very elaborate on the way Orwells uses his characters to illustrate totalitarianism. I love the fact that you mentioned the book was published right after World War II. Great Job!
There was really nice flow in this, not to mention you put World War II and the current time period in mind. Your breakdown of the totalitarian government was also really well put.
Decuir, Jaydn 2A
George Orwell’s “1984” (1949) proves that the influence of the government and power in general can reframe how the mind functions. Orwell supports this claim by showing how subtly powerful people can take over your mind, beliefs, and actions, the harmfulness of being ignorant, and that even a person like Winston,who has enough intelligence to know the influence of power, can be broken down into an obedient mindless follower. Orwell’s purpose was to demonstrate how quickly and unconsciously we can become controlled in order to make the public self-aware of why we believe and think the way we do. The intended audience is young adults and people older than that who are old enough to be able to have a voice in society, but may need an eye-opener to the twisted and wicked world of power we live in.
I love how you revolved Orwell’s intention around how harmful the government can be. You used very specific examples to back up your argument, and I loved how you included the fact that Winston was defeated because it shows the audience HOW POWERFUL a part can be. the only thing I might add is not only is this intended for people who can use their voice, but also anyone who is curious of the amount of power the government holds or people who may fear what the future holds!
Incredible! I loved how you showed that even the people who are less susceptible to being controlled and can “break the system” aren’t save. Your précis really showed that even the strong hearted can be beat into smithereens by the government, because if they wanted to they could easily take us as a society DOWN.
This was such a good précis! The examples that you used really backed up your argument really well! I love how you showed that even the people will the strongest will for changed can be targeted into submission just how Winston was.
This was such a good précis! The examples you used backup up your argument really well and your précis showed that even the people with the strongest drive to make a change; like Winston, can be targeted into submission to where they eventually give in.
George Orwell’s novel, “1984 (1949),” asserts how the structure and usage of language is central to the expression and manipulation of human thought as it is the means by which humanity forms and communicates thoughts and ideas. Orwell explores this notion through the language of Newspeak, the official language of the Party that replaces standard English, which the Party consistently refines with the ultimate objective to prevent and manipulate Party members from conceptualizing any disobedient thoughts contradictory with Party orthodoxy, thus making thoughts or acts of dissention practically impossible. Orwell’s purpose of the construction of Newspeak and the dystopian society he creates in his writing is to materialize the perversions of facism and its connection with the corruption of language. Given the historical context of Orwell’s “1984,” the author is writing to an audience that is witnessing the rise of totalitarianism with dictators such as Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin, and condemning their structures of government and forms of oppression.
I really liked how you included specific details from the book that the reader of your precis needs to understand, if they hadn’t already read the book, including the definition of Newspeak and a quick description of the Party’s ways. I also really enjoyed your mentioning of specific dictators in history that were relevant during the publishing of this book.
I really like how you clearly established your claim and used lots of evidence from the book to support your argument. I specifically enjoyed your detailed sentence about the language of Newspeak. Newspeak is the one of the main ways the Party is able to control the citizens, and your sentence really explains its importance and adds to the complexity of the paragraph. In your last sentence, I agree with you that Orwell wrote the novel for an audience that is living through the rise of totalitarianism, but I feel he is not only writing to them but to everyone else as well. Other than that, your response was amazing!
I love the detail you took to elaborate on newspeak and the overall easy to understand precise on 1984 whether you read the book or not.
George Orwell’s science fiction book, “1984” (1949,) asserts that a totalitarian government can control everything about their citizens: what they do, how they think, and even what they know/don’t know. Orwell supports this idea by ending the book with the main character “rehabilitated”, as he was brainwashed into loving their leader again and abandoning all of his doubts about the government’s honesty with the people of Oceania. Orwell’s purpose is to call out this form of government, specifically to warn readers in the West of the effects that this totalitarianism and rise of communism can have on every citizen when the leaders have that much power, especially with the developments of new technology. Orwell’s intended audience was people in the West who, at the time, were unsure how to react to this change in government, but Orwell had seen first hand (in Spain and Russia) the effects of that kind of dictatorship with leaders like Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin.
I really like your argument, especially when you used the idea of “brainwashing” to show the power the Party had over their minds. I love that you interpreted Orwell’s audience as people who were experiencing the totalitarian government at that time. That’s such a smart observation using facts from that time period.
I thought your overall claim was clear. However, some of your sentences do run a little long. That’s not necessarily a bad thing just be careful about being too wordy because you don’t want water down your argument.
I feel enjoyed your 3rd sentence, I felt it was very strong and conveyed the most depth in analysis. My critiques being you linger on Orwell for a little too long rather than the novel itself and your sentences run a bit long. Condensing some of the repetitive elements to shorten that could help. 🙂
Bier, Brooklynn 3B
George Orwell’s novel, “1984”(1948) asserts that one way a totalitarian regime attempts to stay in power is by denying its citizens their individuality. Orwell supports this claim by creating a character, Winston, who attempts to regain his individuality but fails due to the ways and consequences of the totalitarian regime. Orwell’s purpose is to inform the readers about the skewed idea of individuality and uniqueness in order to warn readers of the dangers that come with a totalitarian government. In this novel, Orwell is writing to the citizens, primarily in the West, who will be the current and future people to invoke change in the government.
I liked how you touched on the idea that individuality would be the downfall of a totalitarian government and how that is reflected in the book. I think its interesting how reflecting on that idea can change how the reader views their society and their role in it.
Your main idea was clear and easy to comprehend. Something that caught my eye was the slightly confusing structure of your second sentence. You could shorten it by saying “Orwell supports this claim by creating Winston”, describing what the character attempts, and ending the sentence with “[…] due to the structure of the totalitarian regime.”
I really appreciate the fact that you included the people of the future in Orwell’s audience. It reminds readers that this book is not only fiction, but a warning to the future.
I didn’t think of thinking of the book as this, this is an interesting new perspective for me because as it is similar to mine it is also different. I disagree though with the last point you made about how Orwell is mainly writing to people in the west. I think that totalitarianism is possible anywhere, including the east because of the very human aspects of it.
Loved the direction that you went in with this analysis. Very good commentary on the totalitarian government and how it effected individuality. Well dpne.
I really liked your constuction of the idea of individuality. It is another perspective that defines the novel well. I loved your last line because it directly address Orwell’s message well. History repeats itself and I think you embodied that very nicely in this precis!
I had a very good understanding of the book, but it seems that i failed to think of the book this way! I really loved how you used the example of Winston who is trying to “regain his individuality.” Awesome job!
George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (1949), asserts that totalitarian regimes with the main goal of establishing an obedient populus need to implement inhuman practices to achieve that goal. Orwell illustrates this through a narrative, following protagonist Winston Smith, a man living the imagined totalitarian dystopia of Oceania, and, in showing all the simple freedoms he lacks, Orwell is able to highlight the atrocities of Winston’s world. Orwell’s purpose is to warn of the dangers of certain authoritarian government practices like mass surveillance and police states, and how they could eventually lead to an Oceania of our own. Other than some scant political and technical terminology, the language of 1984 is accessible to just about anyone over fourteen, and given Winston’s everyman quality, that makes sense; because anyone can be trapped in a regime, Orwell is trying to reach the widest audience.
I think this precis is well written especially because you went into depth when discussing the control the government had on their people. You did this by giving great examples from the book to prove Orwells reasonings.
I like how in-depth you went with your précis. The detail in Orwell’s purpose was my favorite sentence you wrote; it was strong and clear. The only thing that stuck out to me was that half way in the first sentence, at “populous need,” it didn’t have the same flow as the rest of the paragraph and maybe add more detail in how Orwell supports this claim.
You did a great job explaining Orwell’s purpose but, some of the sentences were too wordy and hard to read. For example the first one could be rewritten as: “George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (1949), asserts that totalitarian regimes need to implement inhumane practices in order to achieve an obedient populous.” to convey the message in a more clear way.
I think you did a great job. This is a really good précis. I really like they way you went into detail about Orwells purpose in the novel.
Good job! You’r precís is very well written and in and excellent format. the details and wording are nice and clear.
Orwell was well aware that the decline of of speech and language would have political and economical causes. his way of thinking was that “when the general atmosphere is bad, language must suffer.” if thought can corrupt language, language can also corrupt thoughts. and this is the overall premise of ‘newspeak’. totalitarian system uses language to restrict and repress rather than be open or broaden innovative thinking. Orwell created newspeak with this in mind, without a single word for freedom therefor it doesn’t ever exist. the party is constantly controlling and refining newspeach with the ultimate goal that no one will ever be able to conceptualize any ideas that may go against or rebel with the party absolute power. the overall point of newspeak is meant to make all other ways of thinking impossible thus removing all heretical thoughts.
I really liked reading all of the arguments that you provided about your thoughts on Orwell’s intentions! I liked how you showed the connection between corrupt language and thoughts and how they correspond with one another! Something you might add or change might be to make your first argument more to the point and mention “newspeak” and how it has negative effects on peoples use of speech and thought. And also, if you stick with the original argument maybe provide some of the political or economical causes!
I liked reading all the arguments for as to why Newspeak was invented, you were very clear as to why and how it was created. I think the only thing I would say here is to follow along with the rhetorical precis model for this specific assignment.
George Orwell’s dystopian novel, “1984” (1948) proves that a totalitarian society is dangerous and oppressive because freedom and all individual rights are eliminated. Orwell supports his claim with a fictional story that depicts how a government, consumed with gaining power, manipulates the mind, strips away liberties, and destroys loyalty by utilizing torture and suffering. Orwell’s purpose is to warn readers of the terrors of totalitarianism in order to make them uneasy and fearful of a socialist society and to give his audience an idea of how life would be if socialism surfaced in the future. Given how detailed Orwell explains each situation in 1984, he wrote the book for a mature and influential audience who could be empowered by his writing, grasp the heavy concept of communism, and actively work to prevent a communist government from forming in their country.
I 100% agree with your argument that Orwell’s story demonstrates how we are at danger of losing our individualism, if we don’t change our ways sooner than later. I also love how you interpreted his purpose. I agree that he is warning us of this dystopian future with no loyalty and only suffering. It’s amazing how his work from decades ago is so relevant to our lives. This is really well written!
I have one little critique. I would also add that Orwell is also speaking to people who aren’t as influential, as long as they care about humanity. Because you need everyone to fight for our future.
George Orwell’s novel, 1984 (1949), demonstrates that the fear of consequence, especially physical pain, is the most effective method for manipulating a society. Orwell communicates this idea by telling the story of an individual’s rebellion and how it is quickly shattered through torture and mental manipulation. Orwell’s purpose is to shock the reader with violence and pain in order to force the reader to reflect on their own lives and actions and how they are controlled by the consequences around them. Based on the language and historical references in the novel, Orwell is writing to active members of a developing society who may be becoming skeptic of how their society is being run.
Your rhetorical précis is so well-written and perfectly capsulated what “1984” is about and Orwell’s intentions while writing the novel. I think the purpose that you wrote is very true and matches very well to what I wrote in my précis even though we both worded it differently. It’s very impressive how well you summed up everything in a thorough manner even though you didn’t mention totalitarian governments at all.
I feel that, although your rhetorical analysis is correct in regards to the violence and physical pain aspects of the novel, I disagree about physical pain being the most effective method of manipulation. The Thought Police, the ever-changing Newspeak language, and the chains of Party Loyalty all lead back to the fact that the manipulation of one’s brain (emotions and thoughts) is the most effective form of manipulation. I do agree with your point of view that Orwell meant to “wake up” his readers.
You wrote a great precis. I really enjoy the part about Orwell causing people to reflect on their lives and actions. I definitely agree with this statement because it really displays how Orwell’s purpose was not just to write a fictional story but to really warn his audience of danger. Also, if you wanted to add some information to the second sentence, you could briefly refer to the government’s role in the torture and mental manipulation. Other than that, your response was really good.
George Orwell’s novel, “1984 (1949)”, warns us that future men and women might become thoughtless beings and lose their ability to “stay human”. Orwell proves his claim by using Winston’s journey to show when we’re most desperate, we conform to being mindless people, forgetting our love and humanity for one another. Using a future dystopia, Orwell shows his purpose is to demonstrate how easily our minds are manipulated, in order to hopefully encourage people to keep their power over their individualism, their freedom, and the truth. Given his purpose, Orwell is speaking to the American public, mainly those who are concerned about the future of humanity and are willing to combat the prominent threat the loss of human quality poses to society.
I liked how you mentioned that the people of the future may become thoughtless beings and lack the ability to remain “human” if someone comes to power and starts abusing its potential. I also thought that it was interesting how you mentioned that it was a message to the American public because you can definitely see (especially now) how it can be perceived in that way. I really enjoyed reading your interpretation and how you incorporated the connection between now and to when the book was published!
I agree with everything you stated above. I love how you mentioned that people can “lose their ability to stay human”. You are right, while they are under the influence of the Party they almost act as puppets to the government and only do what is allowed of them. Overall everything is very clear and very detailed.
I love the mention of desperacy as a way to manipulate people into conforming, it’s exactly the sort of assessment of human nature Orwell intended to write.
Simpson, Paige
1a
Dystopian novel 1984, published in 1949 by George Orwell, proves that too much power becomes dangerous. Orwell backs his claim by showing the corruption of “The Party,” in that they rewrite history and fully control citizens’ lives. Orwell’s purpose is to address what could happen if the government gets too much power, as reflected in “The Party ideals,” in order to make the reader aware of how power and control change society. Given the time period 1984 was published, Orwell is writing to young adults and up to warn them of the dangers of too strong political powers.
I loved how you mentioned the time period that the intended audience was in because that certainly plays a huge role in how the readers interpret the material. Im sure that the audience compared events in the book to current events the were observing in real life and the message of the book must have influenced their opinions. So interesting how the same influence carries on today and to modern readers.
I like how it was simple and easy to read. You weren’t too wordy in trying to explain your claim. I also liked how, even though you added ‘given the time period,’ your opinion of the intended audience is very much prevalent today.
George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (1949), embodies a dark, grim future that strips away privacy and uses powerful language to suppress the natural impulses of the average citizen. Orwell backs this claim by consistently referencing the lack of privacy due to telescreens and the party, the repetition of certain phrases, and the inability for citizens to do as they please. Orwell’s purpose is to point out the dangers of a totalitarian government in order to warn society about the damage this type of regime can cause. Based on the purposeful language used in the novel, Orwell intended to write for an audience with knowledge about their surrounding political environment and how society’s freedoms can be easily stripped away.
I 100% agree with everything that you mentioned. From Orwell having Winston describe the Party’s actions and purposes in a specific manner, to having him go through a journey that points out the dangers of living in a tyrannized society, I think that you summed up everything very well. I also loved how strong and clear your point was, and it was super easy to understand.
I agree with your thesis and how the government achieves this. I like the way and the words you chose to write your précis with. I would suggest maybe being more specific in how Orwell backs his claim.
I think you summed it up very well. You gave specific ways the party controls people, and integrated them into your precis very nicely. I agree totally agree with you on Orwell purpose.
Neville, Noelle 2A
George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (1949), suggests that the world could end up in the same situation as Oceania if humankind does not realize and retaliate against attacks on individuality and personal freedom before it’s too late. Orwell backs this claim up by showing, through Ingsoc and Big Brother, the power that lack of freedom and personal will can give to the ones who have taken it away. Orwell’s purpose is to warn readers of a probable future where autonomy is destroyed in order to help readers realize the importance that personal thought and nonconformity have in stabilizing the world as we know it. Orwell’s message is directed to the citizens of the world, who live their daily lives under government and political leaders.
I think it is intresting that you said Orwell’s message was directed towards citizen who are actually under the control of government. I have not yet read any comments that has seen it this way. To me personally I said that the intended audience would be young adults to warn them of this terrible government and show them the dangers. I do like this approach, and I can tell you fully understood this book.
I completely agree with what you are saying here. Orwell is 100% warning us about the dangers of authoritarianism and a lack of retaliation. I would say though that the word “suggests” seems a little soft for the gravity at which Orwell displays his warnings in “1984.”
I agree that Orwell’s novel was a warning for future generations where autonomy may be destroyed. I had always thought the book was written for the citizens that aren’t in totalitarian societies so they can prevent them.
Sabrina Westbrook 4B
George Orwell’s dystopian novel, “Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949),” argues that a totalitarian government would likely have negative effects on a society, as well as the people in it, due to the controlling, monitoring, and no-privacy practices it presents. This theme is proven throughout the novel through scenarios of torture, and well as the minimization of language usage, resulting in the dominance over every individual’s thoughts. The author seems to be attempting to describe the dangers of a totalitarian government in order to warn the future of the obstacles that fascist style rulings may present. Orwell may have intended to direct this novel towards the people alive at the time, in relation to what “might have been” post-World War Two, as well as any future society’s, directing them to tread with caution to avoid any similar circumstances.
I like how you used many examples to support your argument, it helped make it super clear! I’m a little confused as to why you spelled out “nineteen eighty-four,” because Orwell simply used the numbers. Overall, it is obvious that you understood the main themes of the book. Good job!
I appreciate the underlining connection you have made with the books purpose to both present time and past events. This point is needed to be discussed to show how similar our governing has been to the book’s ideas for such a long period of time. also value how direct you were with explaining the book’s theme and intention and it is clear you have a deep understanding of the it. Great job!
As for constructive criticism, I would say, like the person before me, to keep the book in number form as that is how the author intended it!
George Orwell’s novel, “1984 (1949)”, argues that the future may hold a society run by a strict government that claims total control over the behaviors and lives of its citizens. He supports this claim by providing a vividly haunting example of this kind of society with the inclusion of his Newspeak language that reflects on the thought process, alongside other defining characteristics that elevate the story. Orwell’s purpose in writing this novel is to demonstrate the effect of the information fed into the brains of society by those in power in order to send people into a world that may be closer than we think. The work challenges his advanced audience to apply their current knowledge of a few history events and English standards as they read to further their understanding of his intention throughout the novel.
I thought that your point was incredibly interesting. Thinking about the fact of having this kind of repressed society becoming more of a reality is absolutely terrifying and I never really thought about it as I was reading the novel. Your message was so easy to understand and I though that you did a great job interpreting the book in such an interesting way!
Your message is spot on! I really liked how you explained who the audience was. I thought it was very important that you included the examples of Newspeak and other things that happened in the story that supported your claim.
George Orwell’s 1984 (1949), explains how totalitarian governments brainwash their citizens. Orwell demonstrates the mind control the Party has over its people by regulating the flow of information, lowering the intellectual ability of the people, and giving them a common enemy to rally against. Orwell’s purpose is to educate readers about the dangers of a totalitarian government in order to raise awareness in Western nations about communist states, such as the Soviet Union. Orwell writes to those who are unsure about the effects of a fascist government in the post-war era and start of the Cold War from the perspective of someone living under the rule of an oppressive oligarchy such as the Party.
I loved how you were very clear about who Orwell was writing to and how his intention was to help people become aware of what is unknown to them. You were very straight to the point throughout the four sentences! The only feedback I would give is that instead of Orwell writing to raise awareness in Western Nations, maybe write all nations in the world, because ehe was writing to ALL people unaware about the effects of a racist government!
I like how clear and consistent you were with your point. You did a fantastic job explaining Orwell’s intent with his writing, and your use of evidence is strong in supporting your claim. I don’t really have any criticism to give aside from possibly changing Western nations to all nations.
Wang, Christina 4B
George Orwell’s book, “1984(1949),” predicted that humans would totally lose their freedom if they were controlled by totalitarians. Orwell created a fictional utopia and displayed the struggles and sufferings that Winston, the main character, went through as he lived under the governor’s dictatorships. Orwell’s purpose was to dig for the deep humanity, both virtuous and evil, inside humans and expose it out for people to acknowledge, or even for some others to continue his legacy and dig deeper. This book is suitable for everyone who has a good handful of vocabulary, but furthermore for humanity thinkers who want to learn more about human nature.
You clearly have a very good understanding on what the story stands for and I really love how you worded the sentence that was describing Orwell’s purpose for writing “1984”. i also really like your last sentence on who the intended audience is since it really differs from what I wrote. The only constructive criticism I would give you is to rewrite your first sentence and take out “would totally lose” because I think it makes your rhetorical précis sound less formal.
I think it’s interesting that viewed the novel as a prediction, I had always thought of it as a warning. It could definitely go both ways. This was a great précised just remember to watch out for punctuation!
Acosta, Juliana (2a)
George Orwell’s political fiction novel, “1984” (1948), refutes that a government that is not closely monitored and kept in check can quickly become a highly destructive and controlling force that will go by any means to obtain power. Orwell supports this claim by portraying a dystopian society in which every person’s thoughts and actions are controlled by a power thirsty government called the Party. Orwell’s purpose was to warn of the dangers of a totalitarian government by establishing a story that portrayed the life of a human being in the middle of a strictly controlled and monitored world, where upon being discovered as rebellious, he was subjected to a form of brainwashing. Given the language and complex ideas addressed in this novel, “1984” was meant for a more intellectual audience; one with a strong willingness to question the status quo.
I really like your thesis. The only feedback I have is that I would maybe give more detail about how Orwell supported his claim. Maybe pick a specific moment that really supports your thesis. I completely agree that Orwell was speaking to an intellectual audience. I would also give a little detail about the “intellectual audience”. Maybe just specify their focus: Are they humanitarians? Are they scientist? I think your statement was really well written.
I loved the word choices used to describe many ideas you discussed, an example you used being “a power thirsty government.” I feel by doing this the reader is able to get a better understanding of each important person or group discussed. My only suggestion would be to go into more detail about how the book portrays a “strictly controlled and monitored world,” mentioning ideas such as the telescreens.
* Air jazz hands*
I completely agree with everything stated within your precis. Governments are not meant to be all-powerful pinnacles of society, they are meant to improve society and listen to the people. To leave a power uncheck, it to let is grow and fester in the worst way imaginable.
George Orwell dystopian/science fiction book “1984” (1949), argues the negatives of totalitarianism and how this type of governing can heavily influence a society and one’s way of life. This theme is heavily depicted in the restricted rules set by the Party onto the citizens of Oceania, examples such as limited speech resulting in limited thoughts, as well as constant watch over each citizen for any unusual behavior. The purpose of this novel is to describe a situation of an over controlling power and the damages that come with this in order to warn and help the reader to identify clues of a possible similar future in one’s society. The tone of the novel is dark and pessimistic, and it can be assumed that the intended audience were the people alive at the time the book was published, relating to the dangers of the dictator Hitler and World War II just coming to an end, as well as future generations to continue to keep watch of how governing is being handled.
I think your rhetorical précis was very intentional and very easy to follow. The one constructive criticism I would give, would be to check your punctuation. In the first line, I suggest adding an apostrophe then an (s) to show the possession of George Orwell’s book. Also, Make sure your précis is all written in the same tense. For example, on line 3, you say, “heavily depicted”, but the rest of your précis is in present tense. I suggest saying, ” This theme heavily depicts the…”. Other than that, I think its great!
I like how you included the tone of the book into your précis. I also liked how you addressed World War II, and how this book might have affected the people living during that time. It is clear that you understand the meaning of 1984. Good job!
Reddy, Maya
2A
George Orwell’s book “1984” (1948) proves that totalitarian regimes are alarmingly skilled at controlling their citizen’s actions, words, and thoughts. Orwell supports this claim by transforming mundane things into physical or psychological weapons of the government, such as technology, language, and history. Orwell’s purpose is to expose the dangerous manipulation tactics used by totalitarian governments in order to ensure that those not under totalitarian rule will never allow themselves to be controlled in this way. Given the historical situation when the novel was written, Orwell is writing for an audience of western people who have not experienced the totalitarian rule of the east.
I think your rhetorical précis was written very well and it shows that you obviously understand George Orwell’s intentions on why he was writing “1984”. As for the sentence where you were talking about how he supported his claims, adding more details from the story like Newspeak or the televisions would improve your already great précis.
I really like how you wrote out your précis because you gave strong points and reasonings. I also like how you broke down how the government uses their power to control people. It shows that you knew the author’s intensions.
This was written very well and everything had a purpose. It was very clear that you understood Orwell’s intentions and the audience he was trying to reach. Like Aileen said in her comment, I would also agree that adding some specific detail as to the tech, language, and history in “1984” would make it even better.
George Orwell’s book, “1984”(1948), argues that the human psyche and thought process can be molded and shaped through time and government control. In “1984” the people of Oceania, who were at one point in history a functioning, individualistic people, are now being controlled by their every thought to bend to their authoritative government’s will, which they do without question. Orwell’s purpose here is to warn us of the dangers in trusting the government too much and not sticking up for what we believe in in order to prevent us from seeing the cruelties of Big Brother come to life. Given the simple, accessible language, yet complex themes, “1984” is written for anyone who wants to question the world around them.
I agree with your opening line and can tell you have a clear undertanding of the book. The only constructive criticism I would give to you is in your last sentence I would go into more detail about the intended audience. Just saying “anyone who questions the world around them” is very vague and leaves me looking for more. Other than that you did a very well job!
Your opening statement is very clear and concise, as well as the evidence you use. I don’t really have any constructive criticism for you because of how well you were able to support your claim.
Very well wording and reasoning! I totally agree with your last sentence it is very true, its definitely an eye opener.
Goldammer, Mia (3B)
George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (June 8,1949), explains the importance of a person’s language and freedom of thought. Orwell supports this claim by providing examples of what might happen in the future if these human rights are retracted, such as the government controlling which events “actually” occurred, which words someone can and can’t use, and denying the ability to think to oneself. Orwell’s purpose is to show how important it is to be able to share human thoughts with the rest of the world in order to make the audience realize how much someone’s life could be impacted by not being able to express what they are thinking and believe in. Given the absurd language and frightening events that occur throughout the novel, Orwell is able to establish a strong relationship with his intelligent audiences, by giving them a snap back into reality of how serious freedom of thought and the ability to express one’s beliefs are, and the consequences that may exist if these certain rights are taken away.
Your précis is very well done. Your claim made in the first sentence was very well thought out and I think that it captures the essence of what Orwell was trying to convey. Your support for this claim was very detailed and it proved how your claim was accurate. I think you did a very good job in explaining what Orwell’s intention behind 1984 was.
I think the points you addressed in your precis were very well detailed. I really like how, at the end, you greatly described how Orwell really touched his audience with the main theme of the novel.
In George Orwell’s nightmarish novel, 1984, he proves that when under a totalitarian government, it has the power to manipulate and lie to its citizens. The main character, Winston Smith, one of few who questions the Party’s morality, says, “The proper thing to do was kill yourself” before the police could imprison and torture you. This shows how having independent thought from Big Brother, could result in your death. Because The dystopian government shown in 1984, is able to kill its citizens for rebelling the Party, it is also able to manipulate its own citizens.
I think that the points you made in this précis were very accurate; however, I think you could have worded it differently to improve its fluency. I think that your main point should’ve been that having independent thoughts in this novel was prohibited instead of how the government could lie and manipulate the public. This way the support you gave would support your previous statement instead of having to support the support later. This would take this précis to the next level.
I think the example you gave in your précis was very intentional and helped the understanding of how horrible BB’s totalitarian way of living was. That being said, I also suggest going back and looking at the précis instructions. The instructions said you have to add the year it was published, the second sentence being the thesis, and so on. Just go back and check! Lastly, I suggest rewording your last sentence because to me, I could be a little unclear to follow. Try this! “Because The dystopian government, demonstrated in 1984, can kill its citizens for rebelling the Party, it can also manipulate its own citizens.” Other than that, it was great! 🙂
I think the example you gave in your précis was very intentional and helped the understanding of how horrible BB’s totalitarian way of living was. That being said, I also suggest going back and looking at the précis instructions. The instructions said you have to add the year it was published, the second sentence being the thesis, and so on. Just go back and check! Lastly, I suggest rewording your last sentence because to me, I could be a little unclear to follow. Try this! “Because The dystopian government, demonstrated in 1984, can kill its citizens for rebelling the Party, it can also manipulate its own citizens.” Other than that, it was great! 🙂
I don’t know why it just added my comment to top when I clicked the reply button, but I put this under Myles Smith’s précis.
I like how you were able to clearly understand how overpowering the Party was in the book, and how you brought deep discussion to this idea. A suggestion I would make to improve your writing would be to pay a bit more attention to some grammar mistakes present. Also, I might suggest a different word then “nightmarish” to describe the book, possibly being “dystopian fiction.” Overall, good job!
kayanan, asia (1A)
George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (1949), explains how language and technology in this totalitarian government were used as tools of oppression amongst the dystopian society of Oceania. Orwell supports this claim by using his novel to predict how he believes the government (the Party) will use these ideas, such as Newspeak and telescreens, against society rather than a way that benefits them. Orwell’s purpose is to make the audience ponder about the importance of power one can obtain in order to show how overly-dominating someone can be towards others if in that position. Given the fact that the novel was published just after WWII, Orwell is writing to the world in hopes of bring awareness to the threats of socialism and danger that could possibly occur in the future, if conformity is left uncontrolled.
Your précis was worded very well, as well as provided various sources of evidence to support your claim. I also enjoy how you talked about importance of power, as it has been an uncommon theme in many of the précis I’ve read. And to conclude, your connection to WWII and how Orwell’s message applies to the time period this was published in really ties this précis together. Overall good job!
Your précis was very well written, I especially appreciated how you worded Orwell’s purpose for writing the book. I agree that Orwell demonstrated very important power dynamics throughout the novel, and how this authority can quickly and easily get to one’s head. Including the time period (after WWII) was a great choice as well to provide context.
Your response is written well. You backed your claim with relevant examples and developed the paragraph nicely. I like how you used the word “awareness” in the last sentence because it really helps to describe the reason for Orwell writing his novel. One critique is to be more specific with how the party uses Newspeak and telescreens against society in the second sentence. This will just add to your already great precis. Good Job!
George Orwell’s book, “1984”(1948), argues that a totalitarian government is dangerous and how it could ruin modern society. Orwell backs this claim up with examples of how the totalitarian government uses their power and authority to control and manipulate people. Orwell’s purpose is to exhibit ways the totalitarian system is corrupt in order to warn people in modern day society that if this form of government were to be enforced, they would control every aspect of human life. Given the complexity and deepness of this book, Orwell wrote this to educate critical thinkers of what (in his mind) was to come of the future.
This précis is very well worded and makes various important references to the book and Orwell’s intention. I agree with your claim on how governments manipulate their citizens, and I think if you provided a more in depth example on how they did so your précis would be better than it already is. Overall amazing job!
I agree with the general point you’re making. The only thing I would say is that I feel like you’re missing specific textual evidence from the book. Your formatting was great though!
I definitely agree with the purpose that you provided for this novel. Orwell was demonstrating how corrupt the totalitarian government is and how damaging it can be to society. I also think you could expand your diction choices to make it even stronger, for example, instead of repeating modern day society, you could use “to warn people in 1949 of what might happen in the future”, or other alternatives.
George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (1949), reveals that the totalitarian government controls society mentally and emotionally for their own sake. Orwell backs his claim by showing the effects of changing the past, controlling what people can and can’t say using their language, Newspeak and being constantly under surveillance by the telescreen. Orwell’s purpose is to write about the dangers of a totalitarian government in order to inform the readers to be aware of a society that allows no freedom. Since this novel was published not long after World War 2, when the socialist movement started, Orwell was writing to inform the entire world of the threats and terrible things that can occur from a totalitarian government.
This précis was extremely well written and I agree with the claims you made. The evidence incorporated also provided a more compelling argument and gave context and insight into the books content. The connection to World War 2 also provides a connection to the real world and time period of when the novel was released. Overall amazing job.
I thought it was very effective that you used the example of changing the past. That part seemed to be overlooked a lot and I thought was a huge impact on the society. I really like who you thought the audience was. The timing it was published makes perfect sense to your claim.
George Orwell’s book, 1984 (1948) asserts that language is of central importance in the creation and bounds of ideas that humans can make and express. Orwells solidifies this idea by enacting the opposite and creating an oppressed dystopian society in which language is manipulated to fit the controlling parties agenda. Orwell’s purpose is to demonstrate the power of an totalitarianism government has over the people based off the Nazi germany and Stalin’s seperate government views. Orwell uses 1984 as a warning towards future readers to recognize the value of freedom and the oppressive way language can be used.
Jones, Tori (3B)
I really like your argument. It flowed really well with your claim and your purpose. The ending kind of repeated what you said in the beginning, but I don’t think it was too similar. You have a strong rhetorical précis. 🙂
I like how you brought up the Nazi and Stalin as examples to relate in the real world. Personally I think that this book goes deeper than just how words affect human ideas, and I think the intended audience could be stated more clearly. Overall the precis is pretty good.
Your précis was very well written. I liked the connections you made to real life dictators, Hitler and Stalin. Overall good.
Hey Sidney!
Your submission looks great. I really loved the way that you used the Nazi and Stalin examples to further solidify your arguments. The only thing that I would change would be your final sentence. Just go over punctuation and some super minor grammar errors and you’re good to go!! 🙂
George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (1949), proves that a totalitarian society restricts individuality and crushes the spirit of all mankind. Orwell supports his argument through a televised Big Brother, three slogans, War Is Peace, Freedom Is Slavery, and Ignorance Is Strenght, and four Ministries of Truth, to point out a tyrannical government in a totalitarian society. Orwell’s motive is to prove that people will abandon their own beliefs in order to prove that an ignorant mind will find purpose with whatever is preached to them by an authoritative figure. Given that Winston, tortured to the point of exhaustion and complete submission, succumbed to BB, proves that the author is writing to a modern society and explaining that governmental power and abuse may easily alter today’s world.
I love how you used multiple examples in your précis to support what you said Orwell’s intention was. I also think that your claim that a totalitarian society ruins individuality and spirit is very accurate and matches what Orwell was trying to convey. The only “criticism” I have is that there are four Ministries and the Ministry of Truth is one of them. Other than that, I believe that the claims you made were very intentional and appropriate for this discussion.
I really like your reasoning and what you said about what the author intensions were for the book and towards the audience. I also feel like your points in this were strong and valid.
Willis, Katherine (1A)
George Orwell’s book, “1984” (1948) asserts the idea of totalitarianism and how the toxicity negatively shapes our thinking and dangers our society. Orwell develops this claim by showing us the reality behind the government in this certain society and the emphasis on domination through power. Orwell’s purpose is to demonstrate and even warn people from the destruction that can come from these totalitarian regimes and how society as a whole can ultimately get lost in the control. Orwell is writing to future generations to show them a better understanding of how the government can dictate societies around the world.
Jones, Tori (3B)
Your main point was good, but by the claim it kind of got repetitive throughout the rest of the paragraph. I think finding a specific supporting claim/or claims to support your argument would make a stronger rhetorical précis. 🙂
I like how your claim is direct and detailed, and I also like how you dive a little deeper into the description of totalitarian and how it relates to the book!
Wooldridge, Makaylee – 3B
George Orwell’s dystopian 1984 novel (1948) explains to modern society the damage that can come from embracing totalitarian regimes; and mourns the loss of personal identity while demonstrating how to effectively rid a person of their independence. Orwell backs this claim up by showing the extensive sexual repression and the prohibition of individual thought, the Thought Police. Orwell’s purpose is to show the impact that government has on citizens in order to show awareness that we can have our own thoughts and shows the gullibility of people and thinking that “whatever the government says, goes”. Orwell is telling us as his audience the extreme cases in which the subtle cases of today are taken out of hand, like slang and the control of out thoughts.
Jones, Tori (3B)
You had a good argument for your claim Makaylee. I suggest you go into more detail and provide text evidence. Other than that, It was good! 🙂
You followed the format of the rhetorical precis very well. Maybe you should rephrase your second sentence so that it is clearer what you mean by “the Thought Police.” This could be achieved by mentioning the Thought Police then elaborating on how they control people, so that your syntax is clearer.
Criticism aside, your train of thought was and I enjoyed reading this piece.
*Criticism aside, your train of thought was clear and I enjoyed reading this piece.
I thinks the points you made in your precis were very well thought out. The way you explained how the totalitarian regimes were riding the people of their independence was a very strong description.
Jones, Tori (3B)
George Orwell’s novel, 1984 (1949) proves that a totalitarian government is an endangerment to one’s mental, emotional, and physical well being. Orwell confirms this by creating a government that dismantles free thought and using the Newspeak language to manipulate its citizens with their lack of words with negative connotations. Orwell created Newspeak in order to have a system where One’s mind and actions were controlled to its fullest potential. The fearful and grim tone of the novel was used to make the audience experience worry and trepidation like the characters in the novel.
Your précis is very well thought out, and I liked the examples you used to support the theme. I am curious as to who you think the audience is? I think that would add a lot to your précis. Overall you did a good job!
Wow, your précis was extremely intentional, thoughtful, and said precisely what Orwell’s thoughts were on a totalitarian government. I really like your thesis and how it pretty much summed up exactly what he was doing throughout the novel. The only thing I would suggest is to reword your last sentence to help it flow better. I would switch around some words to sound like this, “The novel’s fearful and grim tone is used to make the audience experience worry and trepidation like the characters in the book.” Other than that, it was amazing!!!
Your piece was extremely intentional and well dictated! My only concern is that the evidence doesn’t really elaborate on the impacts of totalitarianism on physical and emotional well-being. One way you could tackle this issue would be to focus more on the impacts Winston’s government had on him as an individual, rather than its impacts on the society as a whole.
I appreciate your use of vocabulary, it made your ideas a lot more concise and comprehensible.
Sorokina Aleks P2
In 1949 George Orwell wrote and published a dystopian novel, 1984, to teach his readers the importance of questioning every idea the government is trying to feed them. Orwell creates an imaginary totalitarian world, where no one is allowed to reject or rebel against the ruling party’s ideologies. He emphasizes tactics the party uses to keep people in order, such as constant fear and brainwashing, to illustrate how easily the government can manipulate people into doing what they want. Orwell writes for anyone wishing to challenge their perception of politics.
I really like how you used the word brainwashing, because that gives me a clear depiction of what the Party was doing. I really loved that you bring up the importance of questioning your government, because that is so important in present day as well. I would suggest possibly elaborating a bit more on the intended audience. Great job 🙂
Overall, I enjoy the way that this is written because it gives the reader a clear idea of what the premise of 1984 is, even if they haven’t necessarily read it. Though two changes I would make would be to elaborate on the intended audience as well as put the year that “1984” was published in parentheses, as to better adhere to the format of the rhetorical précis.
George Orwell’s novel, 1984 (1949), proves that pain is the most successful method of totalitarian control. Orwell supports this by having the main character, Winston, completely conform to the government’s control after severe physical torture. Orwell’s purpose is to show how mentally destructive physical pain can be in order to bring awareness to how awful totalitarianism and psychological control can be in government. Given the novel’s dark and intense themes, Orwell is writing to a well educated audience with decent knowledge of human psychology
I like how you had a clear argument and also evidence to back it up. I also like how you went into detail about the pain that the government caused to provide a sense of imagery! Good job!
It fascinates me that you used the pain from the torture Winston got under the government’s control! I thought that was a different approach and really important! I agree with your claim that physical pain can be effective to changing your mentality.
George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (1949) asserts that people are terrible by nature but believe themselves to be good when compared to a larger, more corrupt system. Orwell supports this claim by describing how Winston rebels against his cruel society through agreeing to acts that are as immoral as the work he does for The Party. Orwell uses Winston as an everyman in order to make the audience aware of their hypocrisy when they say an action is wrong but continue to support the system that does it. Given the well-structured syntax and relatively basic vocabulary of this novel, Orwell is writing for an audience with a general education and a decent understanding of the English language.
Great job, Molly! Your précis made me think of the angle of Orwell using Winston’s character as a way to force us to reflect on our personal behaviors in a new way. The only feedback I could give you is to maybe consider changing “society” to “government” or something of the sort to specify that he is rebelling specifically against the system that controls all their lives.
I really like your interpretation of the book, as it differed from mine greatly. I never thought to look at the book in the perspective of human nature. Great response!
Hey Molly!
This looks wonderful! Your description is awesome and beefs up your argument so that it has more substance. The syntax of your final statement stands out and is super refreshing to see after so many similar structures. Awesome work!
George Orwell’s, “1984” (1949), proves that something as simple as our everyday language can rewire the way we think. He supports this claim by creating a world in which the government places restrictions to the language the citizens use, along with other restrictions to elements of everyday life. Orwell’s purpose is to bring awareness to how truly important choice of language is and to get the reader to think about how the language they use affects the way they think. Orwell is writing to impressionable and young minds that are in charge of the future.
I think you used the format of the precis very well and to your advantage. Describing the audience as “impressionable and young minds that are in charge of the future” was really a great way to word it.
Your précis was worded very well. You went into great depth explaining how to government places restrictions on its people. Overall you did a very job explaining Orwells purpose for writing the book.
I love the way your first sentence is worded, because it really hooked me in> You have a great argument, and support it very well. Great job!
You did a great a great job of following directions. I like your attention to detail.
George Orwell’s 1984 (1948), argues that language has the power to shape a society. Orwell supports this idea by portraying the Party using their power to use language to their advantage in order to control their society. Orwell’s purpose is to showcase the dynamics of a totalitarian government to his readers. Since the novel was written post-war explaining a society ruled by a controlling higher power, Orwell is writing to the world.
I think you made a good point in your précis. I agree with your statement saying that Orwell used language as a form of power in his novel, because he wants us to recognize how language shapes each individual. Overall, good job.
Hey Queen! Girl, you have done it again. Constantly raising the bar for us all and doing it flawlessly. I’d say I’m surprised, but I know who you are!
Ok but actually, you made a really good point about how the Party uses language to their advantage. I agree with your statement about how Orwell is writing to the world. It’s a simple précis, yet says so much.
Very good points! I really like your explanation to the use of language and how the Power uses it to their advantage. Great job!
In George Orwell’s novel, “1984 (1948), asserts that the government can control the ways you think and speak by applying a language that suits what they want you to think. Orwell supports this claim by showing us the effects of the language and how it enables the citizens’ minds to possess any negative thoughts towards the government, “party”. Orwell’s purpose is to show the world how easy it is for language to manipulate us in order to educate us on how the media might persuade our thoughts with things such as newspeak. By showing the use and effects of newspeak throughout the novel we learn what it does and just how much the government can control people by just the use of language.
I like how you used the media as an example of how we are already being persuaded and more-or-less controlled by the government almost as if this is our generations “newspeak”. That honestly made me think a little bit… I believe you did a good job with this, enjoyed reading it! 🙂
Nice précis! I will say, though, that there are a few small errors that contradict your points. For example, in the second sentence you state that the language enables people’s minds to have negative thoughts on the party. I think the word you’re looking for is prevent, as enable means to allow. (“..the effects of the language and how it prevents the citizens from having negative thoughts toward…”) Also, sentence three would make more sense if you replaced “in order” with “and”. Other than that, its easy to tell that you’ve put much thought into this book and its message, and understand Orwell’s purpose well! 🙂
I really enjoyed reading your précis very nice job!I loved how you said how easy it is for language to manipulate us, I totally agree with you.I also liked how you added how the media persuades our thoughts with newspeak.This is a really good point to talk about, in fact it made me think a little.
While it is clear that you have spent a decent amount of time understanding Orwell’s intent and context, I will note that I feel as if the sentences about WWII and Hitler should have been placed in the third sentence. While it is true that Orwell wanted to warn people of overbearing governments, I feel that his own purpose was more closely tied with what was directly affecting him at the time. This is all just food for thought, its an excellent precis regardless.
George Orwell’s 1984 (1949) argues that our use of language is far more powerful and influential in the modern world than people would initially believe. Throughout the story, we see an emphasis on how media and authority very meticulously use language to control the citizens by making it incredibly limited and void of elaboration. I believe the author’s purpose was to get the reader to think more about the media and the way in which information is given to us in order to make more conscious decisions about news and politics. By presenting us with an incredibly hyperbolic version of a world where language is used strictly to control, Orwell is able to much more effectively show the audience why we should put more intentionality and thought into the words we say.
This précis overall is great and covers Orwells reasoning for writing the book perfectly. I agree with your statement on how language is used to control our thoughts. I enjoyed this précis a lot.
Great job Bowen! After reading this, it’s obvious to me that you not only read the book, but also put extensive thought into the author’s intention and persuasive methods. In sentence two, I would say “in the novel, the media and authority use language to control citizens … which emphasizes Orwell’s point.”, because at the moment it is unclear wether you are talking about our current government or the government in the book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your précis, as it was very elaborate and explanatory! 🙂
Great job, Bowen! After reading this, it’s obvious to me that you not only read the book, but also put extensive thought into the author’s intention and persuasive methods. In sentence two, I would say “in the novel, the media and authority use language to control citizens … which emphasizes Orwell’s point.”, because at the moment it is unclear whether you are talking about our current government or the government in the book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your précis, as it was very elaborate and explanatory! 🙂
George Orwell’s book, “1984” (1949), asserts that Big Brother may eventually control the world’s population. Orwell’s theory is shown with examples written in the book like, thought police, the Party, Big Brother and room 101, that the government may come to such circumstances. Orwell’s purpose is to warn readers of the future government in order to prepare for their potential actions that are represented in the book, such as torture/brainwash when rules are broken to break them into respecting the Party’s rules just how Winston was for rebelling with Julia. Orwell is writing to an audience that will listen and people who most likely were alive around the time he released it, (1949), around the time after WWll had accrued and many people were victims of dictator Adolf Hitler. He wants to make sure people are aware and fight to keep their own beliefs and thoughts so they don’t have to submit to repugnant cruel ways.
I think you have the right idea about Orwell’s message in 1984. When you edit it, though, make sure to read it one more time as a whole to make sure your sentences and overall précis make sense! It has some punctuation errors and incomplete thoughts, especially on the second sentence.
I think that you are heading in the right direction. I like how you worded this précis and made sure to make you statements very clear. I do not think this book is about Hitler, however, because it was written a few years after the fall of Nazi Germany.
George Orwell’s dystopian fiction, “1984”, (1949) warns readers of a possible future and his fear that could very well happen if they’re not cautious. George achieves this by writing and publishing a novel with the setting and plot set in the dystopian future he fears and foresees. The purpose is to make the reader feel as if they are in this book and realize how horrible it would be in order to pass the theoretical experience onto their minds to ultimately make them oppose any future similar to the one depicted in 1984. With the complexity and artistic choices in the novel, it can be inferred George Orwell’s target audience is people who are very well educated and open minded intellectuals, who can be thought of as awake amongst sleeping cattle of the mindless mass, with the goal of giving an important warning.
Overall your ideas are very creative and well thought out, though I would expand upon how Orwell shows the effects of people not being cautious. Additionally, I also enjoyed how you described people who are well educated and open-minded as “awake amongst the sleeping cattle of the mindless mass.”
I totally agree with you that this book works as a warning of the world becoming terrible if the authoritarians get in charge, and I love your simile about how the audiences are probably the “awaken cattle” among all the other “sleeping” ones. I think it would be better to be more specific on how the author achieved his intensions for the book.
George Orwell’s book, ”1984”(1949), shows that the totalitarian government of Oceania will do anything in their will power to control humans thoughts and actions to keep their control and influence over the humans. This is supported throughout the book because it shows how the government uses psychological manipulation to affect and change the way people think and remember things. They do this by limiting things they can do and say. The government came up with with restricted language they could use which is called newspeak. The author’s purpose of this book was to show the audience how totalitarian governments could be especially in today’s world. I also think Orwell’s purpose of writing this book was to show how manipulative the government cold be under our noses and we the people not even notice it. The government can control us so easily and us people are so bind to see it wether it’s through social media or even through people sometimes.
I really enjoyed all of the details you included in your précis to ensure that the key notes that comprise the novel were included! I feel that you could consider simply adding information at the end that describes who Orwell’s intended audience was and/or how he communicates with said audience.
This précis has a very smart, and concise message, however you could use this information to relate it to a more general idea of government in the real world. You did some of this in the last sentence, but you could make it stronger by elaborating on it. 🙂
This is super strong. I appreciate your thoughtful views on Orwell’s intent, but i think it could benefit from specific evidence from the novel to further prove your point. Overall very good !
George Orwell’s novel, 1984 (1949), argues that a want of power leads to manipulation to gain as much control and power as possible. The author uses Winston, a character who strays from the Party’s control, to show how the people in power tortured people who fought their control to manipulate them into falling back into the beliefs and commands of the Party. Orwell intends to show people how cruel people in power can be to keep that power in order to bring awareness to the patterns he sees in the world to try to prevent what he believes to be the worst case scenario. Based on the way the novel is written and the context around the time Orwell wrote 1984, I believe the world as a whole is his audience based on the fact that he seems to want everyone to hear his predictions to try to prevent them from coming true.
Your precis is great! It was very easy to understand, and explains the book in a way where I can tell you not only read it, but really dug deep into its true purpose. I like how you included the idea that someone who craves power will do anything it takes to maintain that position. Though there is not much to revise in my opinion, I would suggest rereading your second sentence and rewording it in a way where it’s less lengthy. Besides that, really great job!
I think that this précis is great, Kate. The only revision I would make is to shorten the sentences by just a hair, but besides that, I looks amazing.
Hey Kate!
This is beautifully worded and shows exemplary understanding of the book. You have a lot of substance to your precis, which makes it even more impressive. The only thing that I would change is revising your second sentence so that it is a little bit more straight to the point. It’s a little wordy and I think with the surrounding sentences showing your understanding of the book, you could easily get away with less substance in that sentence. The final sentence is wonderful as it has a different structure than most of your classmates, allowing it to stand out. Great job!
George Orwell’s final novel, “1984” (1949), exemplifies the impact of a totalitarian governing system and the way it shapes freethought and control. Orwell builds the downfall of ones self-understanding through his character’s descent into conformity. This dystopia was inspired by the coercion of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, written to bring forth issues concerning authoritarianism. Placing any reader directly into an environment to understand the true malice of tyranny.
The writing used in this précis is very impressive! You made good use of the vocabulary to connect each idea. I would simply suggest including more detail as to how exactly Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union inspired Orwell’s novel so that the précis is more comprehensive.
The précis overall is great I like the way you said how it shapes and controls us!.The only thing I would suggest is to add a little more detail to your reasonings on the Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union for a better understanding.
Aside from some grammatical errors, namely in the last sentence, this précis presents it’s argument very accurately. My one word of advice would be to try to expand your sentence structure to better accommodate the scale of the ideas you’re trying to communicate.
Your précis is well written and the connection to Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union is well thought out as well. You could also expand on your ideas, possibly go into more depth in the last section, to make the last part a sentence instead of a fragment, and adding details about why Orwell chose to write the novel the way he did, or what his ultimate goal was.
George Orwell’s novel,”1984″(1949), proves that the totalitarian government will always be superior over us humans, due to the fact that language is appreciably more powerful and influential in the modern world then what people seem to believe it is.Orwell backs up his claim by having his main character, Winston live an unfair and controlling life as he rebels againts the party .Throughout the book Orwell supports his argument by having an organization called Big Brother, which represents three slogans.These slogans are inscribed in massive letters on the white pyramid of the Ministry of Truth.Out of the three quotes, the one that drew my attention was”Ignorance is strength,”meaning..If citizens are ignorant of the truth, they cannot challenge the government or the decisions made by those in power.Orwell’s purpose on writing this novel was to show us how manipulative and controlling the government can be.In many cases several people are totally ignorant and blind enough to agree on what the government says wether its on the news, social media, or any other source.
I love how in detail you went into the specifics of the novel and how you explained the ways in which the government gained control over the people. I also love how you implemented the argument Orwell made into our real world situations today and connected the two. It made me wonder if the society created in “1984” is really as far off as i think it is from ours. When you revise your precis, I recommend you go back and check for punctuation errors, and also make sure to add an “in order phrase” in your purpose sentence.
I really like how you presented Orwell’s major claim. However, the sentences explaining how he backed up his argument were super long, so maybe try to summarize them into one sentence. I also agree with Kaitlyn, you should add an “in order” phrase to your author’s purpose. Lastly, make sure you state who the audience of the book is.
Williams, Amira (4b)
George Orwell’s book, “1984” (1949), proves the phycological effects of totalitarianism and explains the negative effects of constant observation and manipulated memory. Orwell backs up his claim by using descriptions of the phycological damage totalitarianism does by showing those same effects in his characters. Orwells purpose was to inform the reader of what life would be like under a totalitarian like government, in order to warn readers what can come from embracing and accepting that type of lifestyle. Orwell’s audience was everybody and anybody who would listen, so he could reach and warn as many people the dangers of socialism, totalitarianism, and comfortability.
I like how you talked about the influence the totalitarian government had specifically on people’s thoughts and minds. In your second sentence, maybe add an example or two of specific effects the characters endured. I agree with your intended audience, because even as I read the book now in 2020, i read it as a warning sign, so I cannot imagine what it would have been like reading in 1949 when communism was rising. Overall, it’s really good!
I really like how you said Orwell’s audience was anyone who would read and listen to his claims. The set up is really good and nothing is too wordy or hard to read. The only thing I would say is there are a few errors with punctuation, but other than that it is really well written!
George Orwell’s book, “1984” (1949), asserts that the government has the ability to rule our lives at a questionable extent. Orwell backs this claim up with extreme examples of how the government can achieve total power, such as their ability to implement hidden surveillance, limit our vocabulary, and alter the past. Orwell’s purpose is to point out the horrors of having a totalitarian government in order to provoke fear against the future government among the readers, and make them want to maintain a democracy. Given the timing he released his novel, Orwell is writing to the people of the nations still unsure about how to approach communism, due to the rise of that form of government in the Soviet Union.
I like how you made sure to get all of the main points out but didn’t overwrite to make the post boring to read. I see that you put the purpose of the novel, but I couldn’t really tell who Orwell had wrote if for.
I appreciate how concise and to-the-point you made your précis. Your third sentence might need some re-working in order to better flow, but other than that, your thesis was clearly communicated and your points were accurate.
Your précis was a very clear read. All of your points were spot on and I liked your connections to communism.
I really enjoyed your response because it was along the same lines as my response. Even though are topics are similar, you brought up many different points that I didn’t. Great job!
In George Orwell’s 1984 (1949), Orwell shows what a world would look like when the government controls everything about society, from its language to down to what items the citizens will get every week through their rations. This is shown in the book with the government removing words from the dictionary and adding new words to limit thought, changing who they were at war with every year to make the people feel patriotic to Oceania, erasing thoughts and pieces of media that go against their narrative, having constant surveillance on every citizen to make sure that they are following their laws, and making people vanish and pretend that he never existed by erasing all mentions of him. Orwell wrote 1984 in order to warn the public about communism; Orwell is well known for being opposed to communism and socialism, and this book was written in the height of Stalin’s reign. As the book is a fictional novel that does not have very complicated vocabulary, as well as the fact that Orwell generally wrote novels for the common people, Orwell intended it to be read by the mass market.
You don’t need to go on to give examples of how the Party controls its people in the second sentence since you already gave sound examples in the first. I also disagree with the way you present your thesis because it seems to write off the complex history of the Party’s rise to power and rule as just being: the rise of communism. The country of Oceania may have its roots in socialism, but by the time of the events of the book, it is something completely different.
I love how you were very specific on the examples of how the government was controlling the citizens, and I love how you brought up Stalin, relating this book with like a real-world example. I also agree with you that this book was intended for a broad audience. I think it would be better to look at a wider view, like the humanity in general, instead of focusing just on the rulers themselves.
I love how you expanded upon the points you were trying to prove, by giving in-text examples from 1984. Overall I think your précis is very well written, though I find the second sentence a bit wordy and long.
George Orwell’s timeless novel, “1984” (1949), tears back the curtains and explains how an oppressive, totalitarian government would control its population by example of the Party and Oceania. Orwell develops this by deeply rooting the dystopia in his present world by going into great detail about the Party’s history and contrasting it with real world regimes. Orwell takes such care in placing his fictional storyline in our own history books in order to question the reader’s perception of their own governments and warn them about the future that he predicts. By doing so, Orwell develops a much more cautionary and educational relationship with his intended audience.
I really like how the first three sentences you set up were very clean and concise. I think your last sentence could go more into detail about the type of audience he is writing too, and not just the relationship he develops with them.
The imagery in this précis is very dramatic and effective! The thesis might need some rewording thought because even thought I like the “tears back the curtain” element, it might be more successful if you wrote it more concisely like “George Orwell’s novel ‘1984’ asserts how an oppressive totalitarian government would…” and you continue with your argument. good job!
You included lots of detail in your précis which I liked a lot. The metaphors you used were very appropriate and made your writing that much more interesting. Keep it up!
George Orwell’s text, “1984(1949), asserts that totalitarianism is a very controlling government system and the dangers it poses to society, if it were to become a reality.To display this, Orwell creates the most extreme totalitarian civilization and describes the ins and outs of how it is operated,essentially a dystopia city.Orwell’s purpose is to warn people of a very possible future in order to convulse the readers into changing the state our world was coming to. Given the time period this was published, it was written for the people who had just endured World War 2 however this book is still relevant to our world today.
As a whole, I think your ideas are pretty well thought out. I do think you could have worded your first sentence differently. I had to read it another time just to make sure I understood where you were going with it. Other than that it looks nice!
You did a great job of explaining Orwell’s intentions with this book! There are a few grammar mistakes you could fix, but the overall idea you had is solid.
George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (1948), illustrates the lengths people put into authoritative positions can be to prevent themselves from being removed from office. Orwell supports this by showing how the lives of the people of Oceania have been affected through the lack of privacy in their own homes, the constant changing of information, and the forced shows of respect and admiration for their leaders. The author shows us the lack of freedom and personal expression as well as the behind the scenes work of the Ministry of Truth in order to remind us that it is not at all impossible for humanity to end up with a future like Oceania’s.
Given the use of an expansive vocabulary, Orwell is writing to an audience with a good grasp of political knowledge that is also well educated and is willing to question everything their government does.
Tisdale, Marin (4B)
I think you did a great job of explaining what you believed Orwell’s intentions were without going too off track. The third sentence is a little repetitive (repeating second sentence) and I believe you could make that more concise. Other than that, I really enjoyed reading this!
You’ve done a great job piecing together ideas from the book to explain the horrors of the year 1984. I think your claim seems a little scant from the broader concept of the novel which isn’t strictly the lengths people go to stay in power, and falls closer to power’s domain over the people. The only adjustments linguistically would be a couple of grammatical errors. Ex.) “and the forced shows of respect of admiration.” shows could benefit from being exhibits or displays. The 3rd sentence seems to repeat the claims of the second one.
George Orwell’s novel “1984” (1949), shows that a society that has control over what its people sees has control over what they do and think. Orwell depicts this by creating a hypothetical society called Oceania, that falsifies every piece of news whether it’s within the walls of Oceania, or in the outside world, thus controlling any and all perspectives any one citizen can have on a certain issue. 1984 was written in 1949, right in the middle of the second Red Scare, and in all of this paranoia, Orwell wrote the novel in order to warn its readers that this paranoia can only go downhill if it goes further. Given the fact that it has an actual narrative instead of the book just being an essay of sorts, the novel is most likely aimed at the average reader of the time.
I think that your ideas were very clear and that you made many accurate points. You made it very obvious to the readers of your comment what Orwell’s intentions were, and I appreciate the history you included to help us further understand. One suggestion I have is that you could try to make the grammar of the sentences a bit simpler.
Your argument is very solid with good detail, however in your thesis you could specify that the “government is controlling the people” instead of a broad term like “society”, which could me misconstrued as the government, included with the people as a collective.
I like the way your paragraph flowed and all of the ideas connected and made sense. I also like the way you said a little about history to help us understand Orwell’s intentions.
George Orwells’s novel “1984” (1949) argues that the use of language affects the way humans perceive information. Orwell supports this claim through situations in his story where people are limited thinkers due to “newspeak”, directly designed to limit the mind. His purpose is to affirm that the readers understand this in order to keep them educated so this story doesn’t become a reality. Based off of the author’s purpose, his audience is everyone that can or will read this story.
I think that the point you were making was very clear and well explained throughout your paragraph. I think that overall this could have more detail and more explanation as to why you think that was Orwell’s purpose or why that was Orwells audience. I appreciate how you made this simple and easy to understand, but again overall it could use more detail and text evidence.
I agree with everything you said and your claim about how language affects human perception. I wouldn’t mind if you went in deeper and added some more detail to some of your explanations. Overall, Good job!
in george orwell’s novel “1984”, is a story where the government has control over your thoughts language. orwells shows examples of this by the government having control of peoples negative thoughts towards the “party”. orwell’s reason for this is to show us how the media can have influence and sometimes control what we think in society. through methods of newspeak
You did a really good job at explaining the overall main idea of the book. There are many grammatical errors like the capital letters and mis-used punctuation. Your précis could have had a lot more detail like explaining how Orwell shows the effects of mind control in the book. I think you also did a good job on explaining Orwell’s reasoning to make “1984”.
I completely agree with Amira, you did a great job summarizing but had a lack of detail and a lot of grammatical errors.
I read your post, and I think there are somethings that could be done differently. I feel as if the sentences are too short to fit your full ideas in thoughts into them, and there are some grammatical issues that need fixing. I feel like if you fixed those two things, you could make your post much better then it is in its current state.
George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984” (1949) provides a warning about the dangers of over-surveillance, blind, thoughtless, consumption of media and totalitarian governments. This is displayed by focusing on the at first mundane life of Ministry of Truth Winston Smith and his struggle between wanting to betray the party he’s lived and served under all his life in order to find happiness, love and freedom, and wanting not to be killed and tortured by the thought police. Orwell relays his constant thoughts of disloyalty to the party and of a better life in order to point out the flaws in totalitarianism and socialist and communist parties. The tone of this piece is dark, it is one of hopelessness because that’s all that awaits those under governments with unlimited, unchecked power, a life of hopeless dread with no hopes of escape or happiness.
You did a really great job of using examples in Orwell’s book on how to back up your claim that this book is a warning what life would be like under a strict totalitarian like government. There are are a few grammatical errors and the second sentence is a little hard to understand. I did notice that you were missing who the audience was and why was he writing to them. Overall, this is really well explained!
Your rhetorical précis caught my attention, not because it was convenient on the comments section of the blog, rather because you intertwined intense emotions with every sentence of your analysis. Happiness, darkness, loyalty, hopelessness. All of the things you described within your paragraph are spot on, especially the focus of unchecked power being the fall of happiness and freedom.
D*MMMNN MADDIE! You really popped off with this one!! XD
Really well written and sentences, long enough yet not too wordy. Your idea is very clear and summarizes the book well. You forgot to point out the intended audience, but over all best one I’ve read so far!
George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (1949), asserts the dangers of totalitarianism. Orwell backs this claim up with his story where thinking and free will becomes limited and individualism and human instinct is eradicated to create a “perfect” society. Orwell’s purpose is to warn people of the signs and threats of a government that manipulates facts and uses fear in order to achieve conformity in order to prevent future totalitarianism and preserve free thinking. Given the technical language used in the novel, Orwell is writing to people around the globe during and after World War II with the knowledge of how destructive dictation can be.
I think you have a really strong idea and message, however some of your wording could be fixed. In the third sentence, you use “in order to” twice in a row which makes the flow of the sentence choppy. You could just say “use fear to achieve conformity” or you could even say “use fear to obtain conformity.” Otherwise, I think your idea is well written.
First of all before I continue, I’d like to say this gives a well written summary of the book and is well written. Though, there is one factual issue in this paragraph that I see with the last sentence. World War Two ended in 1945 I’m afraid, therefore Orwell couldn’t have been writing to people around the globe during World War ll. If you fixed this one issue, I think it would make what you wrote better.
George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (1949), asserts that a totalitarian government is a hazard to our freedom of thought. Orwell proves this by showing how the Party uses Newspeak and the Ministry of Truth to shrink citizens’ vocabulary and regulate information; dismantling freedom of thought and human nature along with it. Orwell’s purpose is to point out the similarities between the Party and our government in order to bring awareness to the reader of how the government may be infringing upon our freedom of thought. Orwell adopts a fearful and dismal tone to warn and cause the audience to experience how miserable and terrifying a world with a totalitarian government would be.
I completely agree with this! I think you could let your thoughts flow better from sentence to sentence, if that makes sense. It feels sort of choppy.
I think you did a great job, you seemed to have followed the formula very well. I thought maybe you could have used more general terms and evidence rather than just the Ministry of Truth though.
I think you did a very good job and I agree with your thoughts! For the most part I would say everything flows well, except for maybe the last sentence.
George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (1949), argues that constant exposure of a totalitarian government causes physical and psychological manipulation and will destroy one’s sense of self and freedom. Orwell supports anti-totalitarianism by describing scenarios in which the Party tracks their citizens, forces Newspeak onto them and demolishes historical knowledge by dismantling information to gain complete control. Orwell’s purpose is to warn the world to beware totalitarianism in order to prevent the spread of authoritarian governments. Given the language used in the novel, Orwell is writing to an audience devoted to saving the future of our government.
I completely agree with your precis, but you missed an oxford comma in the 2nd sentence. Everything else looks great.
I think you wrote a very smooth precis, the only thing I would say is to use a different verb other than “argues” as it seems rhetorically inaccurate. This is because globally, the general populous was against totalitarian governments after the end of WWII due to fighting and defeating Nazi Germany. (Who is George Orwell arguing with?)
George Orwell’s dystopian novel, “1984” (1949), explains what would happen to us in the future if we were to allow the government to have all power. Orwell backs this claim by creating a very realistic future where the government controls everyone and everything even time itself. Orwell’s purpose was to open the eyes of the public of where our society is going in order to warn people to educate themselves beyond just what is right in front of them in the media from the government. Given the moderately simple reading level, Orwell’s audience is everyone, anyone who wants to listen to what he is saying.
I agree with your main idea that you presented. I believe that your 3rd sentence is a little wordy and a bit of a run on. I personally would fix that by either adding some commas or re wording the sentence. For example I would say, Orwells purpose is to warn the public of where society is going in order for people to begin educating themselves beyond what the media provides.
George Orwell, in the book 1984 (1948), claims that having a totalitarian government is harmful to human society. Orwell supports his claim by illustrating how unprogressive the society is and describing how poorly treated the citizens of Oceania are. The author’s purpose is to show how bad this kind of government can be in order to make sure readers know that the kind of government they have now is better. The author establishes a formal relationship with the audience.
You wrote a nice, simple and neat precis. One thing I would recommend is to elaborate on whom the audience exactly is that George Orwell attempts to reach.
you did a very good job at presenting the idea(s) . however, your last sentence could have ended a bit stronger . overall , very nice work .
I think that you wrote a very convincing and well thought out précis! However, I would elaborate more on your last sentence as the directions were to describe what the target audience was, so it would make it clearer to the reader if you elaborated on what that audience was. Other than that great work!
Kendall Stafford 1A
George Orwell’s novel “1984”(written in 1949), argues that the emergence of totalitarianism governments will lead to various forms of manipulation (physical and psychological), oppression (intellectual, linguistic, and technological), and will cause the removal of all individual and societal freedoms. Orwell supports, and attempts to persuade others towards, an anti-totalitarianism belief system by illustrating hypothetical situations where the government (The Party) strips their people of liberty and knowledge through the constant removal of information from history, the tracking of their citizens’ movements and thoughts, and tirelessly commiting to reinventing the english language (Newspeak) in order to grow in power and extend their control. Orwell’s purpose throughout the novel is to warn nations and people around the world about the dangers of an all-powerful government in order to create more societal self-awareness and to prevent the spread of totalitarianism. Through the writer’s language, it can be inferred that Orwell’s intended audience was a group of people who are committed to the safety and future of their world.
Great vocabulary and communication of your thoughts throughout the whole precis. “Through the writer’s language, it can be inferred that Orwell’s intended audience was a group of people who are committed to the safety and future of their world.” was a great way to convey your feelings and conclude your thoughts!
I agree with everything you said, it was very intentional and well thought out. Everything was very purposeful and the punctuation was good. I believe when you began talking about Orwell’s purpose it got a little wordy. Otherwise, great job!👍
I agree with everything you said, it was very well thought out and intentional.
Everything had a purpose and was meant to be there, including the punctuation. I believe that when you talked about Orwell’s purpose you got a little too wordy. Otherwise, Great job!
In “1984” by George Orwell, there is a certain theme that the government can control the way you think and do by manipulating our language. Furthermore, Orwell supports such theme by showing the reader the effects and techniques of manipulating thought by language on the citizens of Oceania. Orwell’s purpose is to bring light to a very plausible scenario and also keep mind how social media could be affecting our thoughts as well. Throughout reading “1984”, I have learned from the many techniques the government could control us and control their power with something as base as language.
I thought your precis communicated your position very well. You did have repetition, for example the word language but besides that you have a great view on the novel, good job! 🙂
For the first sentence, you did not include a rhetorically accurate verb before your clause. I also suggest not clearing stating “there is a certain theme”, instead use stronger words to make your thesis statement. Your second sentence is good. In your last sentence, I think the audience is more general and not personal. Instead of saying “I have learned” you can say “the audience learned”. Overall, you can clearly see you have an understanding of 1984. Good job!
In general, I like the points you made. I like how you related Orwell’s purpose to our own thoughts.
George Orwell argues that freedom is one of the most important things a person can have. Orwell does this by constantly making points throughout the book about how society for the common person in Oceania is terrible without the freedom the common person has in the real world. His purpose is to show the importance of freedom through showing the bleak alternate city of London with it’s grimy streets, crumbling houses, limited food, a massive class gap, and impoverished people. Orwell is writing to people in developed countries so they can get an understanding of what life would be like without the freedom they have currently.
Firstly, you didn’t include the novels name and date it was published. The second sentence seems wordy and a bit like a run on. To help fix it, I would try and make what you are saying more clear and condensed, because it’s a little confusing as of now. I think your third sentence is good, but I think the lack of freedom in Oceania isn’t limited to just the people who lived in those impoverished areas. I think your overall message is well thought-out and good though.
Your précis had a lot of good evidence from the book to support your claim! Next time I would suggest you double check your work carefully, because some of the requirements are missing (date and title of novel). You have good details in your précis, I would just suggest working on making your thoughts more clear to understand. Overall, good job.
1984 George Orwell, “1984(1948)”, proves that the control in which language and higher powers could have on the scope of human thought is very frightening yet real. Orwell supports his ideas through descriptive scenarios of the reality that one day no person will have free will and portraying everyday privileges as rarities. The purpose is to create a version of society that shows the contrast of modern day life to the totalitarian regime impending from past wars in order to shine a light on the importance of free speech and thought. His intended audience is the people who live with the same concerns and the people of the future who will reflect on the novel to compare the predictions that Orwell made about how corrupted society in the future could be.
I completely agree with your first sentence, and I like how you said it is frightening yet real. That is very true. Your ideas are all there and very well thought out, I would just say that some of your sentences could flow a little better between ideas, and it might benefit you to organize the second sentence in a different way.
I like your analysis of the book, you touched on everything very well. However, some of your sentences were a bit confusing to read and disrupted the flow of your argument. Your argument could also benefit from more text-based evidence to support how Orwell executes his purpose.
George Orwell’s “1984” (1948) asserts that there are dangers of a future totalitarian government. Orwell proves this claim by creating a dystopian world which demonstrates the oppression and control that is experienced in this kind of world. Orwell’s purpose is ultimately to warn the audience against a world that is overly censored and monitored, in order to prevent and bring awareness to the many negative effects of a totalitarian government, and to reveal the underlying ways the government can brainwash us by regulation without us knowing. According to the main purpose of this novel, it would make sense that Orwell is writing to all the people who are part of a nation and have control over decisions made by the government.
I think your message is well written. In the second sentence I think you could change the second usage of world because it’ll make the sentence sound better and less repetitive. The third sentence is a bit of a run-on. I think you could say instead of “purpose is ultimately to warn” I think you could say “purpose is to ultimately warn.” Also instead of “against a world” you could say “from a world.” And then I think you could say “brainwash us without our knowing,” instead of “brainwash us by regulation without us knowing.” It makes the sentence seem less of a run on.
I think you have done a really great job at getting Orwells main idea across to the reader. Along with the notes from Noelle, I believe that maybe making some connections to the story will help your claim. For example, talking about one of the ways Orwell shows the government controlling its people.
Because you kept it simple, It was very clear to understand the main purpose of 1984. Not only that, but your use of words/diction really helped bring your opinion to light. I totally liked that you just didn’t list examples to support your claim but rather went into detail with it, great job!
i really like your statements, they really encapsulate the whole book. I wish the last sentence was more definite of what you believe versus “it makes sense”.
Your thesis is spot on , I felt very enlighten and it was nice to see how you sequenced explaining dystopian and the dangers that follow
In George Orwell’s book, 1984 (1949), Orwell examines that any type of government can gain control over citizens through controlled perception. Orwell supports this claim by describing how the citizens of Oceania view the war with Eurasia, using their reaction to the movie of fleeing refugees to show how consumed by propaganda they have become. Orwell uses this description in order to demonstrate how susceptible humans are to the influences of government propaganda. Orwell’s audience is anyone who is able to understand the influence any form of government holds over the people, because of the written perspective of 1984.
I completely agree with what you said Orwell’s claim was and how he supported it. You could improve your précis by possibly broadening the author’s purpose to fit the entire message of the book, rather than just your example of how he supported his claim.
I wish that your statements were more a summarization of the whole book rather than a single point, so we get was Orwell was trying to say overall instead of what he was trying to say in just a portion.
For the most part, your précis was very good. I think you missed a bit on the purpose, as you described a plot point rather than Orwell’s purpose as a whole.
George Orwell’s dystopian novel, “Nineteen Eighty-Four (1948)”, asserts a warning for the future about how human nature will be controlled such as thoughts, language, and actions by a government run by “Big Brother”, who is always watching. Orwell proves this claim by adding certain features to the novel such as telescreens, microphones, spys, Big Brother propaganda, Newspeak, and the slogan,” War is Peace Freedom is Slavery Ignorance is Strength” showing how easy humanity can be taken away from an individual. Orwell’s purpose is to show the direction that the government is heading towards in order to warn the reader to realize who the people truly are that are in the office and the certain policies they are inputting and the ways that affect them on a daily basis. Orwell’s novel is intended to be read by an educated young adult to an older adult as they are the ones that have the right to vote.
I totally agree and love how you explained and went into depth about Orwell’s purpose!
I love that you gave specific examples to support your sentences however I do see some punctuation mistakes. For example, in line 3 , it seems to be a run-on sentence. I suggest simplifying your sentences or adding commas. Overall this a good paragraph, and I understand your message.
I think you did a great job in executing the main purpose of 1984! I really liked that you also included specific pieces of evidence to support your claim. I must say that I totally agree with you ; I could not imagine myself living in a society of that sort!
This is the one !! Amazingly written , and has the honest truth on how the book was meant to be depicted as.
Lukas Gandara
1A
In George Orwell’s novel 1984 (1948) affirms that everything we do can be watched by the government and the idea that we have power and freedom is a fib. Orwell supports this idea by showing how little it takes to be apprehended by the government and spied on. Orwell’s purpose is to educate us on being more careful in order to assure that we are more safe and knowledgeable. It seems that Orwell is writing to the average Joe to inform them of being careful.
I think you did well in explaining the main purpose of 1984 however I believe you could’ve gone more depth in exactly how he showed in. Your sentence was in general terms. The first sentence also has a grammar mistake before the word “affirms”. I think it’s supposed to say “Orwell affirms”. The last sentence repeats itself from the 3rd sentence, so I would suggest using a different word then “careful”.
I think you did a great job keeping it short and sweet and getting straight to the main idea of 1984. I personally think you cold dive in just a little deeper and offer a few more connections towards the book.
could****
Your explanation of the main purpose of 1984 was well explained.However, I think you could have clarified your reasonings or gone more into depth.I would just be careful with your grammar and use more complex words.
Good Job, I think you could have added a little bit more details and more information about who Orwells intended audience was and what his purpose was for writing this book.
Gonzalez,Mariana 3B
George Orwell, dystopian fiction, “1984” ,June 8,1949, Orwell’s main argument is to prove how totalitarian regimes have changed humanity and how the Party has nearly absolute control over the lives of the citizens,in which will severely affect the future. Because “Big Brother is always watching” , Orwell used the figure Big Brother to emphasize the immense power and control the Party has towards what people think and what they do.The author uses different forms of manipulation such as the telescreens,newspeak,thoughtpolice, the alteration in history,and ministries in order to prove that a totalitarian government has full control over the people and to help visualize how life would be with this type of government.Orwell creates a cautioning tone to alert the world of the dangers of a strict communist government and how to approach these governments after taking in consideration the absolute political authority other countries had.
The main idea should’ve been more applicable to the real world than to the world of 1984. Orwell wasn’t exactly trying to make assertations about The Party, or about Big Brother, or about Oceania, but about real world government entities that resemble those things.
This was a lengthy and interesting take. You used lots of evidence from the book which I liked a lot. Keep it up!
Your précis was very good! I think you did a great job using evidence from the book to support your text. There are some run on sentences, but overall good job!
Locke, Cameron 1A
Orwell’s book “1984” (1948) asserts that individuality is important and that totalitarianism is extremely dangerous. He proves this by writing about how his main character, Winston, is living in this dystopian society where the Party is in complete control of the memories, history, and emotions of everyone involved and his desperate attempt to cling to the individuality that he has by committing crimes against the Party by writing in his diary and joining the anti-party brotherhood. Orwell illustrates Winston’s life this way in order to show the readers how important it is to keep a sense of self and to appreciate the freedom we have and not take it for granted. Orwell establishes that his audience is looking in on Winston’s life through a third-person point of view so we can see how desperate he is to maintain his sense of self and the mistakes he makes along the way that lead to his eventual capture and torture.
The flow of ideas from sentence to sentence was pretty good, but the sentences themselves seemed a little awkward, especially the second one, because it tries to combine different clauses in ways that don’t make sense. I would just read everything aloud and listen very carefully for the flaws. They’re pretty easy fixes.
I can see your understanding of the text as well as the points you’re making. But, your grammar and word choice gets a little muddy when you transition into new sentences. Examples in sentence two being the use of “proving,” it doesn’t fit in that context. The same goes for the text in the following run-on sentence. A good deal of those words could be cut out leaving your notion just as strong.
George Orwell’s 1984 (1949) proves that we can have a totally different society than we do now that will be way different than now. We see the develop idea of a new language Newspeak and politics. Orwell’s purpose is to make us think higher in order to get his message from the book. Orwell establishes a relationship where he tells his audience everything straight forward.
You’ve got the formatting down, but I just feel like the ideas presented need more development to give context to what you’re saying, because, as it is now, it sounds like you’re not really saying anything.
I like the concept that you had when writing this; however, I feel that you needed a bit more detail/examples to really make this piece more informational. 🙂
The ideas you are portraying here are amazing and by adding more detail and context it would make it even better . good job !
I enjoyed reading your précis and I thought that all of the points you made were very justified, I just would like to have seen more justification. Also, I think some added clarity in your third sentence would be useful to the reader, but other than that really great job!
I feel like it could’ve been longer. You have the concepts, but there isn’t much supporting evidence.
I think this was very well written but I think that Orwell was showing a different type of politics, instead he was showing the extreme politics that lead to socialism and comunism.
I think your précis should be more about how the society was in the book, rather than you referencing it to how our society actually is. Maybe use some more points from the book and be more specific as to what his message is to the audience.
Addison Wood 3B
George Orwell’s book “1984” (1949) examines how a government can break down it’s citizens to follow their beliefs. In the ending of the book, the ministry of love uses interrogation and torture to make Winston and Julia breakdown and give up. Orwell makes the torture seem horrible and cruel in order show readers how actual torture methods in totalitarian governments are done, so we’ll fear it. Orwell seems to be writing to people that can make change in their government like young adults and teens.
I like how you used your words in this. I had no trouble understanding what you were saying which I loved. Keep up the great work!
Your idea is very clear and the sentences aren’t confusing or hard to read, but i wish you elaborated a bit more on the overall purpose of the novel, instead of just the ending. Although the torture was a pretty important part of the plot, i don’t think that the writer’s main intention was to make us fear it. Try focusing on the overall tone and symbolism of the book next time 🙂
Your précis was clear and easy to understand. Your points about the ending and the torture made perfect sense. Overall very good!
George Orwell novel, “1984 (1948), asserts a future of totalitarianism where the government has control over the peoples humanity, what they believe and personal identity. Orwell backs this claim up by creating the title of the book 1984 in the year 1949 right after World War Two to give off a real possibility to the audience for what the future could look like in a world controlled under such power. Orwell’s purpose was to inform the world of how and what totalitarianism can do in the hands of a government to people in order to not have that become the future. Orwell’s intended audience was everyone,He wanted people to know the risk and dangers of being under socialism and the different ways the government is able to have so much power also to see how human interaction affects human thoughts.
I like your precis I think you got the book really well. The last sentence runs on a little maybe you could have made it a list instead of “and” then “also”. Also, the he after the comma should be lowercase and the word see could be replaced by maybe show or demonstrate like “Orwell’s intended audience was everyone, he wanted people to know the risk and dangers of being under socialism, the different ways the government is able to have so much power, and to show how human interact affects human thoughts”.
I like your analysis of the book, you touched on everything very well. I like how you focused on the historical context of the book and the title itself. However, Orwell wasn’t warning about the dangers of socialism, he was a Democratic-Socialist himself, he was warning about the threat of totalitarianism that rising during World War Two.
George Orwells “1984” (1949) explains that the government can use language to control the way that the citizens think. Orwell supports this claim by giving us a look into a world where certain language has been added or removed to further manipulate the minds of the characters in order to keep them in agreement with the party’s ideals. Orwell’s purpose is to show the power in the way that language can be used to further manipulate our thoughts in order to point out that the way we think is a product of the language being used around us, wether that be the government’s language or even our peers. Orwell wrote this intending to reach everyone, warning them of totalitarian power.
you did a very good job at supporting your claim and your purpose . however ,you focused it more on how language manipulates our minds and how the government uses it to manipulate us , which is accurate and good and by adding other points you could really strengthen this paragraph .
This was a very good response. All I can say about this critique wise is to further explain the language. You mention the language a lot but, i feel as though maybe there is more than just the language that is important throughout the whole and its entirety. The language used to control society is a very important key-point, however, I would just liked for you to further explain some other ways that the government was trying to control the people.
I love your concluding thoughts because it is a different point of view than mine. I now think differently about the novel as a warning. Great job!
I like how you used the use of language to show how we can be manipulated. I think you did a great job.
The novel entitled 1984, written by George Orwell in 1948, asserts the idea, and completely plausible reality, that the government has the power to control how you think and speak by using a language they find suitable for the society they are creating. The purpose of the novel is to educate society on how easy it is for the government, or anyone in higher power, to manipulate, and in turn control you, with language and media. George Orwell backs up his argument by projecting the effects language can have on a society’s mind, making their judgment on the government impaired and clouded so they are unable to produce negative opinions about said government “party”. The novel makes it easy for us to see just how much the government can control us through language by showing the effects newspeak had on the citizens.
Your argument was very nicely supported by your points about how the government is controlling its citizens. I thought your precis flowed well from one point to another. Be sure to not overuse a comma when presenting because it can seem repetive. Other than that, this was a very stong first draft!
Your response is very well written. The structure of your sentences makes the paragraph very easy to understand. At the end, maybe you could be a bit more specific about who Orwell’s audience is. This is the only criticism I have because you wrote a great precis.
George Orwell’s novel, “ Ninety Eighty- Four” ( 1946) asserts that the role of propaganda and totalitarianism in the novel plays the role of truth and facts within politics and the ways in which they are manipulated. Orwell backs up his claim by giving this novel the government of totalitarianism and making it his theme, his characters and the rebellion they act on shows that. in order to support his claim his main purpose is to push the world in another direction politically . The relationship Orwell has with his audience is very unique where he is telling people to not believe everything the government tells the people .
Overall, this was a nicely formulated precis. Your explanation of the novel is backed up well with your following sentences, hoewever, be specific on the relationship between Orwell in his audience. How is he communicating his message and what are his tactics to do so?
Bravo!
I like your précis, i agree that his intentions are to push the world in a different political direction. I think you organized the précis well. If i had to change anything i would just say the vocabulary could be a little more thoughtful.
George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (1948) depicts a totalitarian society where civilians are stripped of their individuality in exchange for complete loyalty to their government. The main character, Winston, challenges the authority of the government by formulating his own opinions in disguise but ultimately fails and faces punishments as a result of his actions. Orwell’s purpose is to enrich readers into finding their own individuality despite any handicaps holding them down. Orwell is targeting the free Western hemisphere to rebel at any control their government poses on their citizens to secure their individuality.
I like how touched all the valuable point from the book through your précis statement. I honestly have no criticism for your statement because it was well written.
I think this is a strong précis! I appreciate how you make a specific point of Orwell’s intentions to influence people to own their individuality.
Rudes, Mary Natalie – 2A
George Orwell, dystopian fiction, 1984, June 8 1949 George Orwell uses his writing style to argue that the governing style of totalitarianism will turn our country and world into a dangerous place in the future. The author uses a figure called Big Brother to show the amount of control and influence totalitarianism has over people and society in general; he also shows the experiences of a person under the control of a totalitarian government and how often he was watched and controlled by the government because Big Brother was “watching you”. Orwell uses tactics like the thought police, newspeak, and Big Brother to see how people were treated and how people reacted under a totalitarian government. The author was passively warning the public and audience that was reading his book about how dangerous and unsafe totalitarianism was after experiencing the monarchy of Hitler and Stalin in Germany and the Soviet Union.
This was a very well written response and i love how everything is very detailed. I agree with everything stated here. I also love how you used references to relate back to the book and to real life. The only thing i would say is how some of the sentences could be shortened. Like the second sentence could have be shorter but otherwise, everything else looks amazing. Nice work!
Your précis statement was very good one thing I would add is to be slightly more specific. One more you can be more specific is by giving an example of how BigBrother was controlling over the party.
I really enjoyed reading your précis! The only correction I would make is the formatting of the first sentence. Rather than what you said, I would say “In George Orwell’s dystopian fiction novel, “1984”(1949), Orwell uses his writing style to argue that the governing style of totalitarianism will turn our country and world into a dangerous place in the future.” The ideas you presented were very well thought out!! Nice job!!
I like how many examples you used in your précis to further add background knowledge to your point and I agree with Anthony, maybe you could simplify your second sentence. It’s good, just too long.
I like your précis Mary Natalie. I love how you are very specific with your précis and the examples in it. I do agree that I think you should get to the point faster, other than that, really good job.
George Orwell novel, “1984”, argues that the government is trying to discretely control the people using a new language, in this case, newspeak. Orwell supports his claim by telling the story of Winston, the main character, and how he tries to rebel against the government but, ends up failing and conforms to society’s standards. Orwell’s purpose of writing this novel was to inform his readers of the dangers of a totalitarian government in order to prevent it from happening in reality. Orwell’s intended audience is to everyone worldwide to make sure his message of how dangerous a totalitarian society could be.
Overall your précis statement was doubleplus good. Bringing up Newspeak to support his claim was a great idea to use. One thing to correct is to make sure to add the date of publication. Good job, Ant!
I like that your précis brought up newspeak because, I agree, it was a subtle way of controlling the people and having them conform to the new language and the government, but how does this new language and its ability to control people have something to do with Winston’s failure of a rebellion?
I like your statement. I like how you mentioned that Orwell was describing this story through a character and how much a government can physically and mentally drain you.
George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (1948) asserts that government with total control over the people can be mentally and physically dangerous; totalitarianism takes away any personal thoughts or actions and can be draining. Orwell backs up his claim by having Winston being sent to the Ministry of Love and completely be tortured to re-control his beliefs and feelings. George Orwell’s purpose was to inform and persuade the readers about the possibility of what could happen from a controlling government in order to bring awareness to prevent a such thing of ever happening. Given Orwell’s purpose of the novel, the intended audience would be everyone especially those who we’re living in Germany being controlled by Adolf Hitler.
This response was very well done. I like how you used specific points in the book to answer the questions directly. I would love to see more from the second sentence. Like maybe mention why he was sent there and how he felt about the government and why he was so against it. Otherwise, everything else looks great. Great work, Kayah!
p.s love you hehe
I think you précis was pretty good and well written. You have a good sense of the theme of the book overall and I liked how you brought up other factors of totalitarianism to support your point. i also think you should change the word “persuade” in the last sentence. I think Orwell was trying to educate them on the matter of totalitarianism rather than persuade them.
Your precis is really good. I liked how you used the specific part of the book in which Winston is tortured until the Party controlled his thoughts and beliefs.
Marsh, Ria 2A
In George Orwell’s book, 1984, he shows that when a powerful government, like totalitarianism, it has the power to manipulate people. It is shown through Winston Smith’s eyes and how you never want to question a powerful force. It shown in the book that when people do question this party, they disappear, it is like they are erased from the society and thrown in a horrible place.
George Orwell’s novel, “1984”(1949), proves that totalitarianism, repression of individual thought, and grooming citizens to follow the government’s rules will eventually lead to corruption within the system. George Orwell supports this claim by portraying it through Winston and Julia’s relationship and the steps it took from them being intimate with one another to hating each other. Orwell’s purpose is to describe the progression of someone’s behavior who belongs to a certain group in order to show what happens when you suppress someone and their thoughts for too long. I think that Orwell’s intended audience is anyone who wants to know about communism.
George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (1949), proves that totalitarianism, repression of individual thought, and grooming citizens to follow the government’s rules will eventually lead to corruption within the system. George Orwell supports this claim by portraying it through Winston and Julia’s relationship and the steps it took from them being intimate with one another to hating each other. Orwell’s purpose is to describe the progression of someone’s behavior who belongs to a certain group in order to show what happens when you suppress someone and their thoughts for too long. I think that Orwell’s intended audience is anyone who wants to know about communism.
Everything looks great. I like the way you used Winston and Julia’s relationship as a specific example in supporting your statement.
I really like how you interpreted the story because my answer was completely different than yours. You really brought a new perspective to me and I enjoyed your answer.
You did really great! Other than the last line, you have clear context and evidence supporting your arguments.
I like how you took Winstons and Julia’s relationship as an example of how the government was using their power. I liked your statement a lot.
George Orwell, political fiction, “1984”, published on June 8th, 1949, I think the main idea of the book was to showcase the idea of the state having complete subservience over everything. George constantly gave recognition to Totalitarianism in the book, also imputing Winston rebelling against it mentally and physically, just to give us an idea of what state of mind some of us would be in. The author presents this political system to show us the damages of it if it were present. Orwell creates a very dark and gloomy tone just to showcase how sorrowful life would be if Totalitarianism took over.
I really liked that you got straight to the point although your diction could be a little more clear .
I really like how well constructed your thoughts on his theme were! I think adding who his main audience was for this theme would be a helpful way to conclude.
George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (1948) asserts this article to give occasion to feel qualms about a light the indoctrinating completed by the authoritarian Party in George Orwell‟s tragic novel, 1984, and actuate a more profound comprehension of its enticing impact on Winston Smith, the primary character. Winston energetically loathes the Party and its pioneer Big Brother who administer the nation Oceania wherein he lives. In any case, in the wake of having gone through indoctrinating that likewise incorporates torment, Winston gives up to the philosophy of the Party and toward the finish of the novel his contempt towards Big Brother has gone to cherish. So as to comprehend Winton‟s change I complete a nearby perusal of the novel and apply the three expository methods for influence, ethos, logos and emotion, to the novel and exhibit when and how these requests are utilized on Winston. Against this logical foundation the examination shows that the Party‟s utilization of explanatory offers can clarify why the conditioning works effectively in its convincing point. This outcome additionally shows that these three requests assume a conspicuous function over a course of quite a while in the Party‟s inculcation of Winston. Moreover, the presence of way of talking demonstrates that there is more than Winston being tormented by his transformation. Hence, Winston isn’t just tormented into rehashing the standards of the gathering, he is likewise convinced into really having faith in them and cherishing Big Brother by the Party‟s procedure offers ethos, logos and emotion.
I love your attention to detail! The only thing was that it was supposed to be 4 sentences so maybe next time you can condense the information. Overall, good work!!
I liked your vocabulary. You went ahead and used more advanced words rather than repeated basic ones. I also liked your sort of cause and effect type of approach to analyzing 1984 in your précis. Good work!
George Orwell’s “1984” (1948), supports the idea that whoever controls the language, controls the people. He supports this claim by creating a new language, Newspeak, that limits people’s vocabulary by making up words like “ungood” to replace bad. Orwell’s purpose is to demonstrate how vital a large vocabulary is to maintain your own freedom, because without a vocabulary, you are stuck saying what people want you to say and think. I think Orwell’s intended audience is anyone who is willing to listen to and accept the fact that intelligence is the key to freedom.
I loved your last sentence in the way that it brought the entire paragraph together. Although minor the publishing date is incorrect. I feel like rather than the language it is everything that Big Brother does is extreme.
Excellent job! I liked how you included an example and it was a very clear point. You stuck with your thesis and argued with it all the way through.
In George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 , Oceania is this place controlled by a higher power. A power that influences your thoughts , language , and even your knowledge on everything . “Big Brother “ ( the anonymous leader) calls all the shots , and has his eyes on everyone and everything that happens at all times. The party he controls uses devices and technology called “telescreens” to gain information on the citizens populating Oceania. With these special high class devices , no one is exempt from being exposed by the party. Mr. Orwell depicted a totalitarian government , and how dictatorship or living in a world where human rights are sacrificed does no good for the people in the end . Bringing you to the idea of how a one world government isn’t impossible , and how the” power of the people “ varies and can simply be taken away.
Your precisis is good ! I like your tone and diction throughout and you getting straight to the point.
George Orwell’s “1984”, published in 1949, paints a bleak picture of a dystopian future where extreme government has taken over every part of a person’s life. Winston, the main character is stripped of all humanity living a series of lies under Big Brothers strict laws. The author used this book in order to illustrate the pitfalls of an extreme government, in particular the socialist government of post war Russia. This book can be seen as a warning to any time period, to all kinds of audiences being ruled over by a higher government.
I liked your diction..it added an imagery- type effect. I also liked your specification of the socialist government. I agree that it can be seen as a warning, and seeing as the article we just read about 1984 and social media, people have taken into account Orwell’s intent of relating to future generations.
In George Orwell’s “1984”(1949) the author declares that the government has the ability to control how you speak and think by using a language that would restrain how you think. Orwell backs this claim by presenting the way the citizens minds are affected, and how they are restricted from having any thoughts that go against the “party”. His purpose was to show how easily we can be manipulated by the language in the media. His presentation of the effects of “newspeak” helps us see how the government is able to quickly be in control of all of the citizens through language itself.
I really liked that you added the importance of newspeak in the book and what it represents,but I feel as if you can add to your claim a little more.
Although I agree that Newspeak was a very important element of Big Brother controlling the way people behaved, Big Brother also used physical intimidation and violence to reach their goals. In my opinion one of their biggest crimes was the manipulation of the past to fit their own needs, nobody every knew what was real or not.
George Orwells book, “1984 (1949)”, explains how the dangers of totalitarian governments affect citizens. Orwell supports his theme by showing us through his protagonist how much freedom is taken away when the government has too much power. The purpose of this is to warn readers about totalitarianism in order to save citizens from its clutches. This book is directed towards younger generations so that they can be the change in the world.
I like how you included a specific intended audience. I also liked your sepcification of the protagonist instead of just stating a name. You had a very clear explanation of the theme as well.
Your first sentence is perfectly concise and nicely sums up Orwells point. I think you added a much detail as was really needed and still got your message across quickly.
George Orwell’s book, “1984(1949),” argues that with the ridding of mental freedom, memory, and individual power, society will succumb to the wrongdoings of a totalitarian government without having the capability of knowing it. Orwell emphasizes this by telling the story of an iron-willed, resolute, and rebellious man by the name of Winston who ultimately ends up being completely brainwashed by the ruling party as a result of the helpless strain of the ending predicament. Orwell’s purpose is to prove that even the most tenacious of people cannot withstand the power of a totalitarian government in order to emphasize the imprtance of individuality and freedom. Since the book was written during the time of post world war 2, the audience is most likely a cautionary story to the public and prosterity about the dangers to society when the future lies in the hands of dictators such as Hitler.
In George Orwell’s Book 1984, published in 1949, he explains how totalitarianism eventually leads to corruption of the system because of the toll it takes on the human brain. The author supports this by telling the story of Winston and his plans to overthrow the government and how if doesn’t work out in the end and he gets captured because there wasn’t much he could’ve done in the first place. What Orwell wants us to take from this book is that we need to make sure we always think and learn because language can easily be controlled and taken away by government officials in order to take control.
In the first sentence, I think you should change the way it is worded at the beginning to match the format for the précis. Same thing with the number of sentences. It should be four. I also think the second sentence could be worded differently or even have some of the words taken out, because it gets a bit confusing reading it. Besides that I think its good
George Orwell’s book, ”1984”(1949), shows that the totalitarian government of Oceania will do anything in their will power to control humans thoughts and actions to keep their control and influence over the humans. This is supported throughout the book because it shows how the government uses psychological manipulation to affect and change the way people think and remember things. They do this by limiting things they can do and say. The government came up with with restricted language they could use which is called newspeak. The author’s purpose of this book was to show the audience how totalitarian governments could be especially in today’s world. I also think Orwell’s purpose of writing this book was to show how manipulative the government cold be under our noses and we the people not even notice it. The government can control us so easily and us people are so bind to see it wether it’s through social media or even through people sometimes. Millennials today are so attached to the media and other people’s approval not realizing that its causing them harm. I feel like the book ”1984” relates to millennials so much today because the book proved how superior people can take control of people in order to get what they want out of them. In my opinion, in order for us to break that cycle we have to stop seeking for others approval and stop being so attached to our phones and the media it carries.
I think your precis made a lot of good points, however it was only supposed to be four sentences, so I think maybe you could just consolidate your text into fewer sentences and it would be great. Also maybe use a different verb instead of “shows” like maybe illustrates or displays.
George Orwell’s book, “1984” (1949), proves that society members must question their government’s intentions within their actions. Orwell creates and supports this claim by showing the fatal effects of allowing discreetly influential people take over your outlook and opinions, the detriments that ignorance carries, and how even society members intelligent enough to be able to see the tell-tale signs of the practice of totalitarian government, such as Winston, can become blind to the government’s practices. Orwell’s purpose was to show how simple it can be for governments to deliver totalitarian control in an unalarming way in order to gain blinded followers. The intended audience would be young adults who are impressionable as Orwell wants to highlight the importance of holding your government accountable to avoid collateral damage.
George Orwell’s novel, “1984” (1948), demonstrates that excess breaches of privacy and furthermore, the development of a totalitarian government is detrimental to a humane society. He backs this claim by having the reader follow an unassuming, middle-aged man through a dystopian future in which one must sacrifice their own humanity for status and the right to live. Orwell carries the reader through the detailed everyday life of a working class man (known as a party member) in this restrictive society as he slowly begins to question his fundamental beliefs until he is forced to change them entirely in order to force the reader to ponder at what level of conformity and security do these practices become inhumane. In following a character as ordinary and real as Winston, the issues presented in his world begin to feel like the reader’s own, putting us mentally and possibly unwillingly in his worn shoes.
George Orwell’s 1984 (1949) explains his view of totalitarianism undermining everyone’s sense of humanity. He feels that the general population is brainwashed into believing whatever they hear. Orwell’s purpose is to express the dangers of running a society in the way of totalitarianism. Due to the heightened language and lack of sugar-coating, Orwell’s target audience is most likely anyone with an eleventh grade or higher understanding of English. To be more specific I believe he’s writing to anyone oblivious to the government’s true intentions.
In the dystopian novel “1984”, George Orwell describes how a totalitarian government only serves to better itself. He shows how the “common” people’s life is hell to live through, while the higher-ups live a life of happiness and luxury. Orwell warns us of this future in order to prove that today’s society is creeping ever closer to the future he describes. George Orwell takes up a cautionary tone to warn the people of the future that will, in time, come to be.