AP Worthy?

Having finished reading 1984 last week, I’ve returned to answer the question “is 1984 AP worthy?”

There is no doubt in my mind that 1984 is of literary merit. It’s got a whole lot more than just plot. There are complex characters as seen in Winston’s constant growth from timid to rebellious to conforming, and there is complexity in Winston’s relationships, especially his love-hate relationship with O’Brien. There are symbols, such as the glass paperweight which symbolizes Winston’s hope for societal change (and upon shattering, symbolizes his hopelessness). And there’s a ton of social commentary. Throughout the novel, Orwell parallels Oceania’s clearly miserable society with those of the totalitarian regimes of the 1940s, specifically the Soviet Union.

Although “literary merit” seems ambiguous, 1984 checks all of my boxes. 1984 has sufficient merit to be taught in an AP class.

Because of its literary merit, 1984 would be incredibly helpful on the AP exam. In fact, 1984 could’ve easily been used in last year’s free choice question:

Select a novel, play, or epic poem in which a character holds an “ideal view of the world.” Then write an essay in which you analyze the character’s idealism and its positive or negative consequences. Explain how the author’s portrayal of this idealism illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole.

Winston, the main character of 1984, is determined to inspire change in Oceania’s society-- he believes in freedom of thought and speech and dreams of a world, which he calls the “Golden Country,” where he lives in total peace without fear of Big Brother. Winston thinks that this dream is possible, saying that “hope lies in the proles” (69). He believes that if the proles (people of the lower class) were to rise up against Big Brother, then personal freedoms would follow. Winston’s idealism ultimately leads to his downfall because, through his rebellion, he is caught and tortured until he loses all of his passion for life. 

1984 could also have been used for 2015’s free choice question:

In literary works, cruelty often functions as a crucial motivation or a major social or political factor. Select a novel, play, or epic poem in which acts of cruelty are important to the theme. Then write a well-developed essay analyzing how cruelty functions in the work as a whole and what the cruelty reveals about the perpetrator and/or victim.

In 1984, the cruelty of the Party inspires fear in all Party members. The Party’s cruelty is central to the theme because it is this fear that restricts the social freedoms such as speech that Orwell argues are essential for happiness and a fulfulled life. It is also this cruelty which breaks down Winston’s resolve before filling his mind with propaganda, which Orwell also firmly warns against.

While 1984 is helpful when answering AP questions, I don’t feel like it is necessary to add it to our AP Lit curriculum because it is so similar to Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Winston is almost a mix of Brave New World’s main characters Bernard and John; Julia is very similar to Lenina; O’Brien is like Mustapha Mond; and, to top it all off, both books are set in a futuristic London. Both books predict a future where all personal freedom has been taken away by a totalitarian government and individuality is nonexistent. The main difference between the two books is that Orwell’s society operates on fear while Huxley’s operates on pleasure. Teaching both is unnecessary.

So which of the two should be taught? I preferred reading 1984 more because I found Orwell’s style easier to read, but I thought it was a little slow in the middle. I also thought the totalitarian regime of the Party was a little unrealistic. I liked the premise of Brave New World better, but I didn’t find the story as gripping as that of 1984. Overall, I enjoyed 1984 more than Brave New World but preferred Huxley’s ideas over Orwell’s.

Beyond simply enjoying the book, I’m glad I read 1984 because I feel more culturally literate. People throw around the phrase “Big Brother” often with increased monitoring by our governments, and I feel like I have a better understanding of the world around me because I can completely understand these references. I’m not sure if these terms come from 1984, but “sex crime” and “thought crime” are Newspeak (Orwell’s condensed English) in Oceania which makes me think that these terms came from this book. Sex and thought crimes are phrases commonly used today (but not at the time of publication) which may or may not have originated from 1984.

However, if I were to choose one of the two for our curriculum, it would be Brave New World because I think the totalitarian government that relies on pleasure to keep the population passive is far more realistic. While I understand how Orwell’s society perpetuated, I can’t see people allowing it to start. On the other hand, I can easily see western society falling into the patterns of the World State in Brave New World. I think it is more important for us as American students to learn about the dangers of a trap we are more likely to fall into. For this reason and this reason alone, we should not incorporate 1984 into our AP Lit curriculum, and instead, we should read Brave New World.