Feraco
SFHP
30 May 2008
1984 Creative Project
These











are some of the major themes and motifs of 1984:
Love (as well as each of the other Star Points)
Humanity (i.e., what makes us human?)
Oppression
Loss
Fear
Memory
Conflict
Freedom
Enlightenment
Secrets
Corruption
These








are some of the major characters in 1984:
Winston
Julia
O’Brien
Parsons
Syme
Ampleforth
Charrington
Prole Woman
While you’re already working on a formal analytical essay for 1984, I wanted to
give each of you an opportunity to stretch your other creative muscles a bit
before semester’s end! I’ve designed a few different types of creative projects
for you to work on; choose one to complete, and prepare to share it in class for
roughly three minutes. You’ll present during Finals Week, and will be graded
during the period. As a result, late or makeup work is not possible.
Option One: While Orwell seems to have constructed a system that beats down
anyone with a personality, he still manages to create characters that stick out
in your mind. Using your own artistic abilities – either drawing or painting (no
collages this time) – create images that represent three of the major characters
symbolically/metaphorically. In other words, don’t just draw O’Brien as
O’Brien – draw an object that symbolizes him, or take the terms that Orwell
uses to describe him and use them to create a visual metaphor. Be as creative
as you’d like to be, provided your work remains school-appropriate (after all,
you get to explain the meaning to us if your work is confusing!). You may also
take a look at the major themes or motifs I’ve listed here, and do the same
type of project for them.
Option Two: Just as literature lovers dig beneath the surface of a book to find
a better understanding of it, music fans often find deeper meanings in the
songs they love than a catchy hook. Make a mixtape of songs that you feel
represent 1984 in some way; you may decide whether they relate to the
characters, plot, symbols, or themes. Write a short blurb (three legitimate,
meaningful sentences) for each song explaining why it belongs on the mix (the
connections to the text, or the personal meaning it holds for you); these will be
what you present, so make sure they’re good!
Option Three: Write a fictional account of one of the characters’ lives at a
different point than when we see them – the reason O’Brien is the way he is,
for example. You can even flesh out Winston’s childhood once his family has
disappeared. You’ll be using your narrative skills for this project, and you’ll
need to have a favorite part to present to the class!
Option Four: Come up with a project idea that I haven’t mentioned (or
designed) yet! Run it by me before beginning your work on it; if I approve, feel
free to push into whatever creative endeavor suits your fancy.
Projects are worth twenty points, and will be assessed based on the following:





Meaning
Creativity
Effort
Skill
Presentation
Those of you who finish high school with a project you’re proud of can expect
to earn all twenty points, whereas projects lacking in one of the five areas
above will earn less credit. Again, your project will be presented during your
English final. If you have any questions, please see me or write to me well
beforehand.