AP Worthy?

What a captivating and thought-provoking book. 1984 had elements of suspense, romance, political and science fiction, all interwoven to make this dystopian novel universally appealing. No doubt it was a great, but does it stand the test of being deemed "AP worthy"? The AP Literature curriculum intends to prepare students to read and analyze more challenging and sophisticated texts, to be able to delve between the lines, and to interpret what the author wants readers to understand. So in order to assume the title of being "AP worthy", a book needs to provide sufficient practice for identifying symbols, motifs, and themes, as well as recognizing allusions and other literary devices. It also needs to be applicable to a variety of open-response prompts that occur at the end of every exam.

1984, a winner of the Prometheus Best Novels Award, is far from being a purely plot-based book. There are subtle allusions as in the rhymes, symbols and motifs such as the paperweight and singing, complex characters like two-faced O'Brien, and messages that stem from both internal and external conflicts. Furthermore, the content of the book remains relevant today. We see pieces of their society in ours and often hear the referenced line "Big Brother is watching you." This book serves as a reminder of what we don't want our world to look like in the future. Therefore, 1984's literary layers and timeless topic make it deserving of being an AP book.


Open Response Prompts

1994. In some works of literature, a character who appears briefly, or does not appear at all, is a significant presence. Choose a novel or play of literary merit and write an essay in which you show how such a character functions in the work. You may wish to discuss how the character affects action, theme, or the development of other characters. Avoid plot summary.

Character:
-Big Brother, the omnipresent symbol of the Party
Thesis: 
Big Brother seems to be everywhere, yet nowhere at the same time. We only see ever him through his picture on posters, cigarettes, banners, and screens, never in person. Yet, everyone blindly follows this leader of theirs without even questioning his existence. His character serves the purpose of representing the society, in addition to revealing the brainwashed nature of its people.
Support: 
-Big Brother controls people's minds and tells them what to think no matter how much it contradicts logic, ex) 2 + 2 =5
-Releases unreliable information and statistics that no one questions, ex) wars, rations, production
-People blindly go along with Hate Week and Two Minutes Hate because Big Brother says to
-Thoughtcrime for not loving Big Brother

2007, Form B. Works of literature often depict acts of betrayal. Friends and even family may betray a protagonist; main characters may likewise be guilty of treachery or may betray their own values. Select a novel or play that includes such acts of betrayal. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the nature of the betrayal and show how it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

Betrayal: 
-Winston betraying Julia
Thesis:
Betraying Julia is something Winston promises to never do. While talking with O'Brien during their first meeting, he agrees to put himself in harm's way and endure most anything, so long as it does not involve breaking his loyalty to her. That all changes when he is about to have his head submerged in a cage full of rats and pleas to have it done to her instead. This act of betrayal shows the power of society to corrupt its people.
Support:
-O'Brien's initial meeting with Winston vs at the Ministry of Love after arrest
-Winston saying Julia doesn't actually mean that much to him
-O'Brien manipulating him to the point he gives in
-Winston's change in character

2005. In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening (1899), protagonist Edna Pontellier is said to possess “That outward existence which conforms, the inward life that questions.” In a novel or play that you have studied, identify a character who outwardly conforms while questioning inwardly. Then write an essay in which you analyze how this tension between outward conformity and inward questioning contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid mere plot summary.

Character:
-Winston
Thesis:
On the outside Winston appears to live the same as everyone else in the society, however, when he is out of sight of the telescreens and microphones, he expresses his internal questioning of the society. This conflict goes to show how mentally destructive a society is that attempts to totally control its people.
Support:
-Winston writing in diary and thinking freely
-Struggling to see logic in what he's being fed
-Visiting Proles to find out about past; "did it used to be better than it is now?"
-At the Ministry of Love struggling to believe

2005, Form B. One of the strongest human drives seems to be a desire for power. Write an essay in which you discuss how a character in a novel or a drama struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your essay how the author uses this power struggle to enhance the meaning of the work.

Character:
-The Party
Thesis:
The Party rules Oceania with the principles of Ingsoc. Their power-hungry motivation is purely selfish and all they want is control for the sake of having control over others. Their power struggle demonstrates how people's intentions become corrupt when they act in a selfish manner.
Support:
-Vaporizations to quell rebellion
-People of the Inner Party live luxurious lives, ex) O'Brien's house
-Emmanuel Goldstein's book about Oligarchial Collectivism
-Limit supply keep people impoverished and feed information to keep people uneducated