For this assignment, you’re going to write an Amazon.com style review of 1984 by George Orwell. Your review should demonstrate an essay written at the level of a second-semester senior class student. The composition should be free of grammar errors, and it should cover at a minimum:
Rate the book X many stars out of five.
Write a paragraph for each of the numbered items below:
1. Write an introduction paragraph that previews your review (essay), and share background information about the novel including pertinent information about the author and time period in which the book was written (is the book a good example of a past literary movement?).
2. Describe the setting and the book’s main characters including the protagonist(s) and the antagonist(s). How does the author primarily introduce the characters? Is it through dialogue, description, action, or a combination of these methods? Include a quotation that demonstrates character introduction and the author’s tone.
3. What is the main theme of the story? Authors and literary critics will often refer to the theme of a story in terms of the authors observations/lessons/or a moral that can be applied to my life. It is a big part of your connection to the author. Authors use many approaches to share their views on life. Here are a few theme statements:
Human judgement is imperfect.
Love cannot be bought.
Getting revenge on someone else will not fix your problems.
Learning to forgive is part of becoming an adult.
Explain the major and at least one minor theme in the story you read. Within this paragraph, share a quote or a conflict or events that are evidence of the main theme.
4. The point of highest tension between the protagonist and antagonist in a story is known as the story’s climax. In many modern stories, the climax occurs close to the end of the story. Identify the climax in your story and explain why it is the climax.
5. After the climax is the plot elements of falling action and resolution (also known as denouement). Explain the falling action and resolution events of your novel’s story. Were you impressed or let down by the end of the story? Was there irony at the end? Would you rewrite the end if you could? How would your end be different?
6. Write a conclusion paragraph that reviews all these main idea paragraphs and wraps up the review by explaining why you believed the author wrote the book, who the author wrote the book for, and whether you recommend the book to others (or not).
Submit this book review as your literary analysis essay. Points will be taken off for any missing parts (if you’re missing any of the six paragraphs) or if the review isn’t in final draft form (no or few spelling, grammar, content issues).
