Complete Sentence Outline Format for DC Research Paper
SHS and HCC Quiz Grade
Thesis: ​George Orwell warns against the kind of corrupt, oppressive society depicted in
his novel and the kind that North Korea eerily resembles, especially in the way that both
societies keep their citizens ignorant of the corruption through the alteration of history,
forbidding contact to outside societies, and censorship.
I.
Background information about novel and society or ​The Truman Show​ or political
campaign.
A. Start with a general statement about the element common in both subjects
being compared.
B. Connect that to the novel and how that element (such as reality control,
fear, propaganda, surveillance) is used in the novel and what is the
significance or purpose in the meaning of the novel.
C. Transition to how that relates to society today, ​The Truman Show​, or
political campaign today. (Just because I am representing each part with
only one sentence does not mean that when you write your paper, you are
only limited to one sentence for each part). You should give a brief
overview of the society being compared, a brief summary of the movie, or
brief status quo of the political campaign.
D. State thesis.
Now, you have two ways to format your comparison:(1) you can analyze the novel first
completely in connection to your thesis and then society/movie/campaign, OR (2) you
can compare both subjects point-by-point, which may be preferable in a longer paper
like this one.
Also, Each Roman numeral does ​not ​represent just one paragraph.
II. Start with a topic sentence/assertion about your first point of comparison, such as:
The objective of maintaining power in society involves the alteration of history so that
citizens are not aware of mistakes made by their rulers.
A. Write about manipulation of history in 1984.
1. Write about the purpose of manipulating anything written, particularly
evidence.
2. Set up the quote from the book as your proof. (always write a lead-in and
then parenthetically cite the quote).
3. Explain how that makes the Party look powerful.
B. Transition and write about how history is altered in North Korea.
1. Write about the purpose of editing history in North Korea.
2 Set up quote from one of your sources (always write a lead-in and explain
where the source came from. Parenthetically cite after the quote).
3. Explain why textbooks or other evidence is altered.
C​. Wrap up this section of your paper explicitly comparing how the novel and
North Korea are similar (or point out a contrast, too) in this area of manipulating
history. Also connect this idea back to your thesis.
II. Write a topic sentence/assertion that transitions into the second similarity (connecting
the first point), such as: Another way both regimes keep their citizens’ ignorant of their
suppression is by limiting/forbidding their contact with others outside of their own
society, presumably so that they are unaware of the comparative living conditions of
others.
A. Write about what Winston discovers in Goldstein’s book--that Eurasia
and Eastasian societies mirror his own and why The Party does not want
its citizens to know this.
1. Set up quote from novel for support.
2. Explain the significance of this kind of isolation/ignorance in
connection
to overall thesis.
B. Transition into comparison of North Korea with a sentence.
1.Set up quote from sources for support.
2. Explain the significance of this kind of isolation/ignorance in
connection to your thesis.
C.​ . Wrap up this section with an explicit comparison of the purpose
of confining citizens in the novel and North Korea--same purpose or
not? You are encouraged to bring in more support from the novel
and secondary sources, too, in order to make your ideas stronger.
III. Write a topic sentence/assertion that transitions into the third point (connecting to the
previous two points), such as: A third tactic both despotic governments utilize to keep
themselves in power is the censorship of public speeches.
A. Write about how all information is filtered through the Party first before
accessible to Oceanians.
1. Write about the purpose and process of censorship in 1984.
2. Set up quotes and provide support for censorship in the novel.
3. Explain the importance of censorship in connection to keeping
people ignorant and why that is desirable.
B. Transition into comparison of North Korea’s censorship with a
sentence.
1. Write about the purpose and process of censorship in 1984.
2. Set up quotes from secondary sources to support your idea about
how censorship keeps North Koreans oblivious to any criticism of
3. Explain how that evidence conveys/supports the idea of keeping
citizens in the dark about Kim’s abuse of power and their low
standard of living.
C​. Explicitly compare (contrast even) how Oceania and North Korea’s
reason and possibly way of censorship are similar. Are they for the same
purpose? Are there differences?
IV. Conclusion:
❏ Plan to use 4-5 quotes from ​1984
❏ If you are comparing ​1984​ to ​The Truman Show​, use​ at least​ three quotes from
each PLUS...
❏ Plan to use 5 or more quotes between your three secondary sources.