This lesson plan helps students analyze the major themes, symbols and motifs in *1984* by George Orwell using a visual storyboard organizer.
Subject: English Language Arts · Grade: 10–12 · Time: 45–60 minutes
Major themes
| Theme | Description | Key scenes |
|---|---|---|
| Totalitarianism | Government control over all aspects of life | Ministry of Truth, Thought Police |
| Surveillance | Constant monitoring destroys privacy | Telescreens, "Big Brother is watching you" |
| Truth and reality | The Party controls what is true | Ministry of Truth, rewriting history |
| Language as control | Limiting language limits thought | Newspeak, doublethink |
| Individual vs. state | Winston's struggle to maintain identity | His diary, his love for Julia |
Symbols
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Big Brother | The Party, totalitarian control |
| Telescreen | Surveillance, loss of privacy |
| The paperweight | The past, beauty, Winston's connection to history |
| Room 101 | Ultimate fear, breaking the human spirit |
| Newspeak | Language control, limiting thought |
Motifs
- Doublethink: Holding two contradictory beliefs simultaneously
- Rewriting history: The Party constantly changes the past
- Torture and interrogation: Room 101, O'Brien's manipulation
Activity: Storyboard the themes
- Open Storyboard Creator with a 6-panel layout
- Choose 3 themes or symbols from above
- For each, create 2 panels: one showing it in the novel, one explaining its meaning
- Add captions with text evidence
- Export PDF or share a live link