Advanced Higher English Dissertation- EEK!

Well I've got to decide what I'm doing for my AH English dissertation by the 15th of June (everyone else has until the 22nd but I'm going to Tanzania on the 17th) and I'm really stuck.

I'm quite interested in dystopia themes and was considering doing something along the lines of how manipulation of language conveys dystopia eg. Newspeak in "Nineteen Eighty-Four" and Nadsat in "A Clockwork Orange". I would have also considered looking at "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Brave New World" as well.

I was actually feeling quite confident about it until a girl in my class basically told me I'd fail if I wrote anything on Orwell/Burgess/Huxley because those authors are done so often- basically ruling out any dystopia dissertation.

I've got to have the first draft done by the 20th of August so I'm really panicking! Does anyone have any idea where I can go from here?

OP

Bump?

I don't know too much about all this as I've just begun AH English also. But I'm pretty sure it's fine to do a dystopian dissertation: my teacher seemed to think so anyway as a couple of us in the class expressed interest in perhaps doing such a topic for our dissertation.
I'd recommend simply asking your teacher to confirm, but I'm pretty sure it will be fine :smile:

As long as you don't plagarise, I see no issue with covering quite a popular topic: it's bound to happen :smile:

Reply 3

Quick-use

20

Original post by scotland369

Well I've got to decide what I'm doing for my AH English dissertation by the 15th of June (everyone else has until the 22nd but I'm going to Tanzania on the 17th) and I'm really stuck.

I'm quite interested in dystopia themes and was considering doing something along the lines of how manipulation of language conveys dystopia eg. Newspeak in "Nineteen Eighty-Four" and Nadsat in "A Clockwork Orange". I would have also considered looking at "The Handmaid's Tale" and "Brave New World" as well.

I was actually feeling quite confident about it until a girl in my class basically told me I'd fail if I wrote anything on Orwell/Burgess/Huxley because those authors are done so often- basically ruling out any dystopia dissertation.

I've got to have the first draft done by the 20th of August so I'm really panicking! Does anyone have any idea where I can go from here?

Your friend sounds like an oxyMORON. :wink:

I don't think you'd fail for doing those authors, it sounds perfectly fine to me. Other people may have done it - so what? You just need to make it plenty better! You're better off doing something you prefer, enjoy and feel good at, as opposed to something you're forced into doing.

Although, having said that, I'm sure there are other, more modern novels on a 'dystopia', if you will.

Ask your teachers if your choices would be decent, and if so, then go for it; if not, then ask for alternatives to do with a 'dystopia'.

Reply 4

scotland369

OP

2

Update: I asked my teacher and she says the authors are fine but admits "1984" is a bit "overdone"...

I'm sort of panicking as one girl in the class has already handed in the first 1000 words of hers and I don't even know where to begin :/

Reply 5

Martyna156

what? you're starting your dissertations already? I only had one period of English, so far! we are meant to start around Septmeber-October? :O

Reply 6

robotfunkychicken

Don't listen to that girl :P Just because it's been done doesn't mean what you're doing has been done, and everyone has new ideas. I did Brave New World, Never Let me Go and The Road which was totally about dystopian worlds.
As for not starting it and running late, i left myself 3 nights before the deadline before i actually sat down to write anything. Cue energy drinks and very little sleep. Felt like s**t after but i managed to get my A so it was worth it :P

Reply 7

Laroch

5

I finished my dissertation in class on the deadline in May. I finished my creative writing folio the week before, on the deadline for that as well.

Ultimately, I still got an A.

You have a year, seriously, don't get stressed yet.

(In case you are interested, my dissertation was on Hardy, so I cannot really help with Dystopian fiction, sorry)

Advanced Higher English Dissertation- EEK!

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