Development Unit: 1984
Author George Orwell once wrote that one of his great motives for writing was his “desire to push the world in a certain direction, to alter other people’s idea of the kind of society that they should strive after.” In this unit, we will read and analyze Orwell’s seminal novel 1984 to explore the question: How can stories send messages to societies? We will analyze the novel to examine how authors use literary elements such as characters, conflict, setting, and imagery to create a dystopian society that is reflective of modern societies. We will read a set of informational texts to further explore how the central ideas and themes found in the novel are connected to contemporary issues. To demonstrate our understanding of the text and topic, we will write our own narrative story to communicate a powerful message to society.