1984 Socratic Seminar/Discussion; Review of Atari 2600

Please turn in your Chp. 3 homework ?'s--they are due today!

Period 7: 
1984 - Socratic Seminar

Discussion questions: let's discuss the significance of the following:

1. What function do some of the minor characters (like Syme, Mr. Charrington, Parsons, Goldstein) play in the novel? What is the purpose or use of these characters? Compare/contrast them with Winston.
2. How does a government change culture by censoring (or omitting) classical literature, such as Shakespeare, Chaucer, Milton, Byron, etc. Examine your own education. How well do you know these authors and their works? Have we already "dumbed" down your education? What will be the consequences for you and your generation in the future?
3. How is our culture similar/different from the line on page 53: "There will be no thought, as we understand it now. Orthodoxy (an authorized or generally accepted theory, doctrine, or practice) means not thinking--not needing to think." Can you think of/examine any current issues where Orthodoxy is delivered to us through the media? 
4. What does Winston mean when he writes: "if there is hope, it lies in the proles"? Which characters in this novel are or represent the proletariat? (the workers--the hands that toil...the lower or working classes, etc.)
5. Explain: "Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious." What would need to happen for the downtrodden and lower classes in our society to rebel? Which factions/groups/cultures in our country are more inclined to rebelling? How is this delivered to us through the media?
6. Explain: "Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows." Are the characters in 1984 free? Is Winston "freed" at the end of this book? How? 
7. Examine pg. 102, "It was at night..." What might be your prediction about the characters in this book? Did your predictions come true? (Julia, O'Brian, Winston, etc.)
8. Why is writing a "dangerous act"?
9. Is Big Brother real? (in the novel?) (in our society?) Proof/evidence?
10. How much do you feel you are being manipulated by forces beyond your control? How does this affect your understanding or experience of "freedom"?
11. How are we controlled and manipulated by our fears? What fears as a collective society/culture do we have? What is the media's role in warning us about it? How does this fear similar/different from that which goes on in room 101?
12. What is the purpose/function of the Black Book in the novel? Does it work?
13. Other issues/questions?

The following writing prompt/preps for your dystopian fiction project: (extra credit)

Use the writing prompts from class to create your own dystopian story. Length is up to you, but remember that a good story has a beginning, middle, and end. Character is important, so you'll want to develop your character enough for us readers to care about him or her. Setting becomes an important aspect in any science fiction or fantasy story like this. Settings seem more real when they are described with specific details and verisimilitude. The shorter the story, the closer to the climax you will want to begin.

Other advice/resources:

The Writing Cafe: The Dystopian Society
5 Tips to Writing a Dystopian Story
It's a Bad, Bad World: Writeworld
What Makes a Good YA Dystopian Novel?

Some writing tips:

• No matter what, when you get stuck (and you will) remember to step into the shoes of your protagonist. What does she see, what does he think, what does she want, etc.?
• Skip to the next scene. If you don't know what to write yet, skip it and come back later. Write the stuff you know you want to see. Fill in the other stuff later.
• Take time to read. Often reading or taking a walk or doing something else for a minute can jar your creative juices to continue spilling when needed.
• Work through your writer's block. Writers block doesn't exist. It's just you not making decisions or not wanting to write. Make the decision to write.
• This is a draft. It's not ready to be published. Relax and tell a good story!
• Freewrite. Brainstorm. Use the skills we've taught you.
• Get back on the "horse"--if you stop writing, go back to it. Persistence is important! Keep writing and the story will arrive--just maybe in a lot of pieces and fragments. It's okay to have a story come out like a jigsaw puzzle that will need to be assembled later. Get the words down, then worry about how it all fits together!

When we complete our discussion on the book, let's write our Atari game review.

• Choose a game you played from the link (Atari 2600) and review the game. 
• Remember to research and provide some history/context from what you learned (go ahead and use your notes, for example) to help you write your short review (300-500 words in length).
• Don't forget to attribute your sources if you borrow ideas/information that you didn't know from other sources!

Your review should be completed by the end of period 8. Please turn your draft in to our Google Classroom.

HOMEWORK: If you are writing your own dystopian fiction piece (extra credit) please continue to work on that as well. See the sources above. Also, begin reading "Ready Player One".