Random Quotes
, - “At the sight of the words I love you the desire to stay alive had welled up in him, and the
taking of minor risks suddenly seemed stupid” page 125 (towards bottom): shows power of
survival instincts of emotions and relationships
- “And even now, though his intellect told him that the message probably meant death - still,
that was not what he believed and the unreasonable hope persisted, and his heart banged, and
it was with difficulty that he kept his voice from trembling as he murmured his figured into
the speakwrite.”
- “With hands locked together, invisible among the press of bodies, they stared steadily in front
of them, and instead of the eyes of the girl, the eyes of the aged prisoner gazed mournfully at
Winston out of nests of hair.” page 134
- “But you could not have pure love or pure lust nowadays. No emotion was pure, because
everything was mixed up with fear and hatred. Their embrace had been a battle, the climax a
victory. It was a blow struck against the Party. It was a political act.” page 145 (end sentences
of chapter 2): shows the inconsistencies of Winston behaviour where he onced believed it was
pure and also shows loss of intimacy and inability to connect. The party has infiltrated the
purest of love and connection and has corrupted it.
- “Winston watched it with a sort of vague reverence. For whom, for what, was that bird
singing? No mate, no rival was watching it. What made it sit at the edge of the lonely wood
and pour its music into nothingness? He wondered whether after all there was a microphone
hidden somewhere near.” page 142: Winston understanding beauty of freedom
- (Winston) ‘I KNOW that you will fail. There is something in the universe—I don’t know,
some spirit, some principle—that you will never overcome.’
(O’Brien)‘Do you believe in God, Winston?’
‘No.’
‘Then what is it, this principle that will defeat us?’
‘I don’t know. The spirit of Man.’’
‘And do you consider yourself a man?’
‘Yes.’
‘If you are a man, Winston, you are the last man. Your kind is extinct; we are the inheritors.
Do you understand that you are ALONE? You are outside history, you are nonexistent.’(p.
309)
- “But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the
victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.” page 342 (last lines of the novel)
- “O’Brien’s urbane manner and his prize fighter's physique. Much more it was because of a
secretly-held belief - or perhaps not even a belief, merely a hope - that O’brien political
orthodoxy was not perfect. Something in his face suggested it irresistibility.” page 13, part 1
- “But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live - did
live, form habit that became instinct - in the assumption that every sound you made was
overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement was scrutinised.” page 5, part 1
HSC English 1984 Study
In this common module students deepen their understanding of how texts represent individual and
collective human experiences. They examine how texts represent human qualities and emotions
associated with, or arising from, these experiences. Students appreciate, explore, interpret, analyse
and evaluate the ways language is used to shape these representations in a range of texts in a variety
of forms, modes and media.
,Students explore how texts may give insight into the anomalies, paradoxes and inconsistencies in
human behaviour and motivations, inviting the responder to see the world differently, to challenge
assumptions, ignite new ideas or reflect personally. They may also consider the role of storytelling
throughout time to express and reflect particular lives and cultures. By responding to a range of texts
they further develop skills and confidence using various literary devices, language concepts, modes
and media to formulate a considered response to texts.
Students study one prescribed text and a range of short texts that provide rich opportunities to further
explore representations of human experiences illuminated in texts. They make increasingly informed
judgements about how aspects of these texts, for example context, purpose, structure, stylistic and
grammatical features, and form shape meaning. In addition, students select one related text and draw
from personal experience to make connections between themselves, the world of the text and their
wider world.
By responding and composing throughout the module students further develop a repertoire of skills in
comprehending, interpreting and analysing complex texts. They examine how different modes and
media use visual, verbal and/or digital language elements. They communicate ideas using figurative
language to express universal themes and evaluative language to make informed judgements about
texts. Students further develop skills in using metalanguage, correct grammar and syntax to analyse
language and express a personal perspective about a text.
General Definitions from Rubric
Anomalies: a deviation from what is expected or assumed to happen
Paradoxes: opposing and/or conflicting ideas, concepts or statements
Inconsistencies: a lack of predictability and consistency
Human Qualities
● A ‘quality’ is a distinctive or essential characteristic, property or attribute.
What motivates us as humans?
, Context of the novel
Video Notes 1: 1984 context: https://orwell.ru/library/essays/wiw/english/e_wiw
● Published in 1949 - not long after Stalin’s reign
● Communism society
● The great purge = 1930s
● State seized all private property to become communal
● Stalin create a totalitarian government to eliminate opposition
● Killed, tortured and executed millions
● Spanish Civil war = when stalin funded the socialist republican government in the battle
against fascist nationalist
● WWII represented the destructive power that totalitarianism in 1984 represent with Adolf
Hitler
● Hitler made people killed = non-persons
● Orwell was a supporter of SOCIALISM and was determined to create better living conditions
for the poor
● He believed that a form of ethical socialism offered a fair society
● In 1984, the political system was called INGSOC = English socialism. He named i that
because he saw Engliand just as vulnerable to totalitarianism as any other country
● 1984 is an ANTI-TOTALITARIAN novel, not an ANTI-SOCIALIST one. It was considered a
novel of political prophecy
Orwellian (adjective): come to characterise a dystopian totalitarian future.
Video Notes 1: George Orwell Social and Historical Context:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Q3qqRQGB4
● 1903-50 (George Orwell life); born in India
● Characteristics of his writing: lucid prose, awareness of social injustice, opposition to
totalitarianism, support of socialist democracy
● Experienced British imperialism first hand
● Middle child
● 1904: England
, - “At the sight of the words I love you the desire to stay alive had welled up in him, and the
taking of minor risks suddenly seemed stupid” page 125 (towards bottom): shows power of
survival instincts of emotions and relationships
- “And even now, though his intellect told him that the message probably meant death - still,
that was not what he believed and the unreasonable hope persisted, and his heart banged, and
it was with difficulty that he kept his voice from trembling as he murmured his figured into
the speakwrite.”
- “With hands locked together, invisible among the press of bodies, they stared steadily in front
of them, and instead of the eyes of the girl, the eyes of the aged prisoner gazed mournfully at
Winston out of nests of hair.” page 134
- “But you could not have pure love or pure lust nowadays. No emotion was pure, because
everything was mixed up with fear and hatred. Their embrace had been a battle, the climax a
victory. It was a blow struck against the Party. It was a political act.” page 145 (end sentences
of chapter 2): shows the inconsistencies of Winston behaviour where he onced believed it was
pure and also shows loss of intimacy and inability to connect. The party has infiltrated the
purest of love and connection and has corrupted it.
- “Winston watched it with a sort of vague reverence. For whom, for what, was that bird
singing? No mate, no rival was watching it. What made it sit at the edge of the lonely wood
and pour its music into nothingness? He wondered whether after all there was a microphone
hidden somewhere near.” page 142: Winston understanding beauty of freedom
- (Winston) ‘I KNOW that you will fail. There is something in the universe—I don’t know,
some spirit, some principle—that you will never overcome.’
(O’Brien)‘Do you believe in God, Winston?’
‘No.’
‘Then what is it, this principle that will defeat us?’
‘I don’t know. The spirit of Man.’’
‘And do you consider yourself a man?’
‘Yes.’
‘If you are a man, Winston, you are the last man. Your kind is extinct; we are the inheritors.
Do you understand that you are ALONE? You are outside history, you are nonexistent.’(p.
309)
- “But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the
victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.” page 342 (last lines of the novel)
- “O’Brien’s urbane manner and his prize fighter's physique. Much more it was because of a
secretly-held belief - or perhaps not even a belief, merely a hope - that O’brien political
orthodoxy was not perfect. Something in his face suggested it irresistibility.” page 13, part 1
- “But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live - did
live, form habit that became instinct - in the assumption that every sound you made was
overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement was scrutinised.” page 5, part 1
HSC English 1984 Study
In this common module students deepen their understanding of how texts represent individual and
collective human experiences. They examine how texts represent human qualities and emotions
associated with, or arising from, these experiences. Students appreciate, explore, interpret, analyse
and evaluate the ways language is used to shape these representations in a range of texts in a variety
of forms, modes and media.
,Students explore how texts may give insight into the anomalies, paradoxes and inconsistencies in
human behaviour and motivations, inviting the responder to see the world differently, to challenge
assumptions, ignite new ideas or reflect personally. They may also consider the role of storytelling
throughout time to express and reflect particular lives and cultures. By responding to a range of texts
they further develop skills and confidence using various literary devices, language concepts, modes
and media to formulate a considered response to texts.
Students study one prescribed text and a range of short texts that provide rich opportunities to further
explore representations of human experiences illuminated in texts. They make increasingly informed
judgements about how aspects of these texts, for example context, purpose, structure, stylistic and
grammatical features, and form shape meaning. In addition, students select one related text and draw
from personal experience to make connections between themselves, the world of the text and their
wider world.
By responding and composing throughout the module students further develop a repertoire of skills in
comprehending, interpreting and analysing complex texts. They examine how different modes and
media use visual, verbal and/or digital language elements. They communicate ideas using figurative
language to express universal themes and evaluative language to make informed judgements about
texts. Students further develop skills in using metalanguage, correct grammar and syntax to analyse
language and express a personal perspective about a text.
General Definitions from Rubric
Anomalies: a deviation from what is expected or assumed to happen
Paradoxes: opposing and/or conflicting ideas, concepts or statements
Inconsistencies: a lack of predictability and consistency
Human Qualities
● A ‘quality’ is a distinctive or essential characteristic, property or attribute.
What motivates us as humans?
, Context of the novel
Video Notes 1: 1984 context: https://orwell.ru/library/essays/wiw/english/e_wiw
● Published in 1949 - not long after Stalin’s reign
● Communism society
● The great purge = 1930s
● State seized all private property to become communal
● Stalin create a totalitarian government to eliminate opposition
● Killed, tortured and executed millions
● Spanish Civil war = when stalin funded the socialist republican government in the battle
against fascist nationalist
● WWII represented the destructive power that totalitarianism in 1984 represent with Adolf
Hitler
● Hitler made people killed = non-persons
● Orwell was a supporter of SOCIALISM and was determined to create better living conditions
for the poor
● He believed that a form of ethical socialism offered a fair society
● In 1984, the political system was called INGSOC = English socialism. He named i that
because he saw Engliand just as vulnerable to totalitarianism as any other country
● 1984 is an ANTI-TOTALITARIAN novel, not an ANTI-SOCIALIST one. It was considered a
novel of political prophecy
Orwellian (adjective): come to characterise a dystopian totalitarian future.
Video Notes 1: George Orwell Social and Historical Context:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Q3qqRQGB4
● 1903-50 (George Orwell life); born in India
● Characteristics of his writing: lucid prose, awareness of social injustice, opposition to
totalitarianism, support of socialist democracy
● Experienced British imperialism first hand
● Middle child
● 1904: England
