Hello readers! Welcome back to my fifth and final post regarding 1984. Today I will be discussing whether or not 1984 is worthy of being studied in an AP class.
George Orwell's writing style alone could land 1984 in an AP class, but the meaning behind his words is also fitting for an AP class. Books that are read in an AP Literature class must be of literary merit. A book of literary merit is one that is particularly well written with a theme that encourages discussion about controversial topics, and 1984 certainly fulfills these criteria. Orwell's writing style is exceptional as he utilizes multiple rhetorical choices, including an extensive use of selection of detail. His selection of detail forces the reader to think, because he doesn't always explain exactly what happened, leaving it up to the reader's interpretation. For example, the beginning sentence of the last chapter is "The Chestnut Tree was almost empty" (287). This may seem like a normal sentence, but it is a drastic change from the end of the last chapter. At the end of Chapter V of Part Three Winston is still in Room 101 with O'Brien by his side after being threatened with rats, his worst fear. Orwell chooses to start Chapter VI of Part Three very abruptly without any explanation of how Winston got out of the Ministry of Love and returned to a normal life. Orwell chose to leave out those key details in order to show how Winston was brainwashed by the Party. Winston is just dropped back into his normal life and nobody notices anything different, which goes to show the power of the Party and their brainwashing techniques.
Orwell also chooses to use snippets of a different language in 1984. Throughout the book there are words from Newspeak, the official language of the Party. Newspeak always pops up when Winston is at his job at the Ministry of Truth. He receives little notes that direct him to change information from past publications in order to reflect the Party's current version of the truth. One note that Winston receives reads "'Items one comma five comma seven approved fullwise stop suggestion contained item six doubleplus ridiculous verging crimethink cancel stop unproceed contructionwise ante-getting plusful estimates machinery overheads stop end message'" (168). This message is almost impossible to decipher making it difficult to read sections of the novel with a lot of Newspeak. However, I found out once I finished the book that there is an Appendix titled The Principles of Newspeak that explains a lot of the definitions of Newspeak words. It certainly would have been helpful to know of its existence before I had finished the book! The Party implements Newspeak in order to discourage creativity in literature and conversation. Newspeak is a unique little detail that makes 1984 more memorable and makes the reader admire all of the time Orwell spent crafting his masterpiece.
Orwell also includes an reference to Emmanuel Goldstein's novel, actually including three chapters from the novel. If you don't remember who Emmanuel Goldstein is from my previous posts, he is the face of the rebellion against the Party and the leader of the Brotherhood. He supposedly is the author of a book that all Brotherhood members read to educate themselves on the truth behind the Party. Reading the excerpt from Goldstein's novel requires a high level of focus and comprehension as it is very dry, making it an AP level reading assignment. Orwell includes parts from Goldstein's actual novel to contribute to the point of view he uses. He uses a third-person limited point of view to make the reader seem as if they were in Winston's shoes, and reading the actual novel instead of reading a summary about it makes the reader feel closer to Winston. The themes within 1984 are also at an AP level, forcing discussions about the best form of government, our uncertain future, and the true values a human holds.
AP classes require texts that raise discussions and draw your attention to things that you weren't aware of before. One topic that comes up in 1984 is the concept of selfishness. I've talked a lot about Winston and Julia's relationship, but I never really addressed how it ended. Both Winston and Julia are brought to The Ministry of Love to be interrogated, and they both give each other up, despite insisting that their love is strong enough to withstand the interrogations. Room 101 is where Winston finally turns on Julia, and I assume it is where Julia gives Winston up as well. It is where you have to face your worst fear, and to get out of the punishment you must wish it upon someone else. In Winston's case his fear is rats, and Winston saves himself by transposing his punishment onto Julia. He screams "'Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don't care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones'" (286). I think that Orwell's inclusion of this detail is to start a discussion regarding human morality and make his readers wonder how far humans can be pushed before they surrender their morals. Winston and Julia swear they would never betray the other, but love does not trump pain, and they both wish horrible things on the other in order to protect themselves. I think that this opens a discussion about the true character of human beings. If this book were read in an AP class then students would start talking about whether or not humans at their center are cruel and selfish. In 1984 the characters put their own welfare above those of others, and students could potentially discuss if this is an accurate reflection of our world today.
Another discussion that arises after reading 1984 is the structure of a successful government. Oceania is an attempt at a perfect society with their slogans of "war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength" (16). I have already discussed the irony of their beliefs at length, but it is an aspect of the novel that deserves to be elaborated upon. If this text was included in an AP Literature class then students would talk about the similarities between the Party's beliefs and those of America today. Perhaps they would find that some of the aspects of our societies aren't that drastically different. For example, America is almost always at war somewhere in an ironic attempt at keeping the peace between nations. We go into war hoping for peace, but years go by and lives are still lost. This raises the question of whether or not war results in peace. This question could be debated in an AP class after finishing the novel. Students could use the Party's method of thinking, arguing that being at war unites the country. However, I don't think this argument would fit our current society, because the wars we are involved in take a backseat to our everyday lives. I don't think students would need to further discuss the "freedom is slavery" idea, as I think Americans are quite free in terms of freedom of speech and religion. However, students could definitely talk about the idea that "ignorance is strength." Even in America, the land of the free, some information is still kept from its citizens. An example of this is censorship, which is basically when the government withholds information for reasons of safety, obscenity, and political incorrectness. This does happen in America today, and students could compare instances of censorship with 1984. Of course in 1984 the censorship is a lot more extreme, with citizens not even knowing who they are at war with. However, there are still many small similarities between America and 1984.
1984 would also be very helpful for the AP Literature exam. According to the College Board Question 3 of the exam requires "An analysis that examines a specific concept, issue, or element in a work of literary merit selected by the student" ("AP English Literature and Composition"). 1984 would fit many of the practice prompts that we've reviewed in my AP Literature class. You could use 1984 to respond to the prompts that focus on character development or themes such as government control and rebellion. For instance, Winston drastically changes over the course of the book, going from quietly rebellious to openly rebellious, and then ending up as an orthodox citizen. His development could be used to talk about rebellion or reacting to injustice. 1984 could also be used to discuss the dangers of a government with too much control.
In conclusion, I believe 1984 should be added to the AP Literature curriculum. It is an excellent novel that raises many important conversations regarding our current society. After all, George Orwell wrote 1984 in 1949 to imagine what a future with a totalitarian government would be like. We may not have a totalitarian government, but there are some scary similarities between Oceania and America today. I understand that most AP Literature classes already read similar novels such as Brave New World or A Handmaid's Tale, and I think the three novels are somewhat interchangeable in terms of their themes. However, I think 1984 is particularly fitting for an AP Literature class because it was written as a prediction for the future, meaning its similarities with the world today were actually prophesied by George Orwell in 1949. This would add an interesting twist to conversations regarding these futuristic novels.
Thank you for sticking with me these past few weeks. Let me know your thoughts on my blog below!
George Orwell's writing style alone could land 1984 in an AP class, but the meaning behind his words is also fitting for an AP class. Books that are read in an AP Literature class must be of literary merit. A book of literary merit is one that is particularly well written with a theme that encourages discussion about controversial topics, and 1984 certainly fulfills these criteria. Orwell's writing style is exceptional as he utilizes multiple rhetorical choices, including an extensive use of selection of detail. His selection of detail forces the reader to think, because he doesn't always explain exactly what happened, leaving it up to the reader's interpretation. For example, the beginning sentence of the last chapter is "The Chestnut Tree was almost empty" (287). This may seem like a normal sentence, but it is a drastic change from the end of the last chapter. At the end of Chapter V of Part Three Winston is still in Room 101 with O'Brien by his side after being threatened with rats, his worst fear. Orwell chooses to start Chapter VI of Part Three very abruptly without any explanation of how Winston got out of the Ministry of Love and returned to a normal life. Orwell chose to leave out those key details in order to show how Winston was brainwashed by the Party. Winston is just dropped back into his normal life and nobody notices anything different, which goes to show the power of the Party and their brainwashing techniques.
Orwell also chooses to use snippets of a different language in 1984. Throughout the book there are words from Newspeak, the official language of the Party. Newspeak always pops up when Winston is at his job at the Ministry of Truth. He receives little notes that direct him to change information from past publications in order to reflect the Party's current version of the truth. One note that Winston receives reads "'Items one comma five comma seven approved fullwise stop suggestion contained item six doubleplus ridiculous verging crimethink cancel stop unproceed contructionwise ante-getting plusful estimates machinery overheads stop end message'" (168). This message is almost impossible to decipher making it difficult to read sections of the novel with a lot of Newspeak. However, I found out once I finished the book that there is an Appendix titled The Principles of Newspeak that explains a lot of the definitions of Newspeak words. It certainly would have been helpful to know of its existence before I had finished the book! The Party implements Newspeak in order to discourage creativity in literature and conversation. Newspeak is a unique little detail that makes 1984 more memorable and makes the reader admire all of the time Orwell spent crafting his masterpiece.
Orwell also includes an reference to Emmanuel Goldstein's novel, actually including three chapters from the novel. If you don't remember who Emmanuel Goldstein is from my previous posts, he is the face of the rebellion against the Party and the leader of the Brotherhood. He supposedly is the author of a book that all Brotherhood members read to educate themselves on the truth behind the Party. Reading the excerpt from Goldstein's novel requires a high level of focus and comprehension as it is very dry, making it an AP level reading assignment. Orwell includes parts from Goldstein's actual novel to contribute to the point of view he uses. He uses a third-person limited point of view to make the reader seem as if they were in Winston's shoes, and reading the actual novel instead of reading a summary about it makes the reader feel closer to Winston. The themes within 1984 are also at an AP level, forcing discussions about the best form of government, our uncertain future, and the true values a human holds.
AP classes require texts that raise discussions and draw your attention to things that you weren't aware of before. One topic that comes up in 1984 is the concept of selfishness. I've talked a lot about Winston and Julia's relationship, but I never really addressed how it ended. Both Winston and Julia are brought to The Ministry of Love to be interrogated, and they both give each other up, despite insisting that their love is strong enough to withstand the interrogations. Room 101 is where Winston finally turns on Julia, and I assume it is where Julia gives Winston up as well. It is where you have to face your worst fear, and to get out of the punishment you must wish it upon someone else. In Winston's case his fear is rats, and Winston saves himself by transposing his punishment onto Julia. He screams "'Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don't care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones'" (286). I think that Orwell's inclusion of this detail is to start a discussion regarding human morality and make his readers wonder how far humans can be pushed before they surrender their morals. Winston and Julia swear they would never betray the other, but love does not trump pain, and they both wish horrible things on the other in order to protect themselves. I think that this opens a discussion about the true character of human beings. If this book were read in an AP class then students would start talking about whether or not humans at their center are cruel and selfish. In 1984 the characters put their own welfare above those of others, and students could potentially discuss if this is an accurate reflection of our world today.
Another discussion that arises after reading 1984 is the structure of a successful government. Oceania is an attempt at a perfect society with their slogans of "war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength" (16). I have already discussed the irony of their beliefs at length, but it is an aspect of the novel that deserves to be elaborated upon. If this text was included in an AP Literature class then students would talk about the similarities between the Party's beliefs and those of America today. Perhaps they would find that some of the aspects of our societies aren't that drastically different. For example, America is almost always at war somewhere in an ironic attempt at keeping the peace between nations. We go into war hoping for peace, but years go by and lives are still lost. This raises the question of whether or not war results in peace. This question could be debated in an AP class after finishing the novel. Students could use the Party's method of thinking, arguing that being at war unites the country. However, I don't think this argument would fit our current society, because the wars we are involved in take a backseat to our everyday lives. I don't think students would need to further discuss the "freedom is slavery" idea, as I think Americans are quite free in terms of freedom of speech and religion. However, students could definitely talk about the idea that "ignorance is strength." Even in America, the land of the free, some information is still kept from its citizens. An example of this is censorship, which is basically when the government withholds information for reasons of safety, obscenity, and political incorrectness. This does happen in America today, and students could compare instances of censorship with 1984. Of course in 1984 the censorship is a lot more extreme, with citizens not even knowing who they are at war with. However, there are still many small similarities between America and 1984.
1984 would also be very helpful for the AP Literature exam. According to the College Board Question 3 of the exam requires "An analysis that examines a specific concept, issue, or element in a work of literary merit selected by the student" ("AP English Literature and Composition"). 1984 would fit many of the practice prompts that we've reviewed in my AP Literature class. You could use 1984 to respond to the prompts that focus on character development or themes such as government control and rebellion. For instance, Winston drastically changes over the course of the book, going from quietly rebellious to openly rebellious, and then ending up as an orthodox citizen. His development could be used to talk about rebellion or reacting to injustice. 1984 could also be used to discuss the dangers of a government with too much control.
In conclusion, I believe 1984 should be added to the AP Literature curriculum. It is an excellent novel that raises many important conversations regarding our current society. After all, George Orwell wrote 1984 in 1949 to imagine what a future with a totalitarian government would be like. We may not have a totalitarian government, but there are some scary similarities between Oceania and America today. I understand that most AP Literature classes already read similar novels such as Brave New World or A Handmaid's Tale, and I think the three novels are somewhat interchangeable in terms of their themes. However, I think 1984 is particularly fitting for an AP Literature class because it was written as a prediction for the future, meaning its similarities with the world today were actually prophesied by George Orwell in 1949. This would add an interesting twist to conversations regarding these futuristic novels.
Thank you for sticking with me these past few weeks. Let me know your thoughts on my blog below!
Citations
“AP English Literature and Composition: The Exam: AP Central – The College Board.” AP Central, 28 Feb. 2020, apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/ap-english-literature-and-composition/exam.
Orwell, George. 1984. Signet Classics, 1977.
Good discussion of the main ideas of the text and why it is AP worthy.
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