Essay

Assignment Sheet: Art Imitating Life
The society depicted in 1984 is frightening, indeed.  Most of the fear experienced by the reader comes with the realization that Winston Smiths world shares many similarities with our own.  In this assignment, you will research news stories to find an example of INGSOC in practice.
Using the Motlow Library Databases, locate a news story that directly relates to the Oceaniac society of 1984.  Here is a brief list of issues to consider while you conduct your search:

Doublethink
Distortion of history by a social power
Manipulation of media by a social power
Relationships controlled by a social power
Surveillance
Human equality
Celebration of hatred
Terrorism and its aim/effect
Torture and its aim/effect
Revolution and its aim/effect
The apathy of the subjugated masses

In your thesis, you will defend that the news story illustrates that Orwells fictional construction of Oceania reflects our own reality.  Here is a summary of what jobs you must accomplish in each part of the assignment:
Introduction- Be sure to get the readers attention, give any pertinent bridge information, and present your thesis statement.  Here is an example of a possible thesis for the assignment: Shin Dong- Hyuks captivity within the North Korean gulag shows the power of physical torture and emotional brainwashing present in 1984.
Body Paragraphs- In the first body paragraph, you will need to summarize the news story you select.  The other body paragraphs will compare the news story with the novel, each paragraph focusing on one specific similarity.  For example, in my thesis, I will need at least three body paragraphs.  The first will summarize Dong-hyuks experience. I will need at least two other body paragraphs in the essay, one comparing torture and its effect and the other comparing emotional brainwashing and its effect.  I will need to use at least two sources in my essays body paragraph: the news story and the novel.
Conclusion- Here, I will resound my main points and close the essay.
General Requirements: Papers that do not follow all of these requirements will not be graded.

Minimum Length: 3 full pages (can be longer), 12 pt. font, times new roman, 1 inch margins, double spaced, NO EXTRA SPACING BEFORE OR AFTER PARAGRAPHS.
Outside sources: Necessary.  Students must use at least two: the news story and Orwells text.
Must include correctly formatted parenthetical citations and works cited page.
Must submit an electronic version of the final draft to the digital dropbox on MSCC Online. The document must be a Microsoft Word document.

Due Date- in Course Work Outline – No late papers will be accepted!