AP Open Question Prompts 1-3

AP Open Question Prompt: 1970. Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.

           

            Following World War II, the government acknowledged the prospect of a strong and centralized government to unify their purpose, using power to enforce their political regime. Although the prevalence of governmental intervention threatens to undermine the private interface of the human existence, the mind perpetuates its image as a sanctuary to preserve the truth. Throughout George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, Winston Smith endures oppression, manipulation of the truth, and propagandistic devices employed by the Party until he decides to sacrifice his moral convictions and concede to the cause of conformity.

            Through an abuse of power, the Party oppresses prospective revolutions, using the impending consequence of human mortality to discourage the emergence of truth. When astutely observing that “No one who had once fallen into the hands of the Thought Police ever escaped in the end,” Winston observes an invasion of privacy (Orwell 87). Highlighting the consequence of death toward any act of defiance, the Party intimidates the public domain into an inexorable submission. Having the sensation of “stepping into the dampness of a grave” when agreeing to collaborate with O’Brien, Winston recognizes how launching a revolution to challenge the Party’s omnipotence will inevitably end with his demise (Orwell 184). Through inducing his own demise, Winston communicates how the ability to change the world for future generations outweighs facing his own mortality. Maintaining a shred of hope amongst the darkness, Winston demonstrates that individuals can make a difference in the world.

       Employing propaganda to promote their political organization, the Party continues to validate their prominence over the general population. Admitting that the “process of continuous alternation was applied not only to newspapers, but to books, periodicals, pamphlets, posters, leaflets, films, sound-tracks, cartoons, photographs—every kind of literature or documentation,” Winston reveals how the Party’s ascension into power is supplemented by its censorship of the printed word (Orwell 46-47). Of course, through manipulating the truth, the Party is able to change the once unalterable past, discouraging any inkling of defiance. Although Winston confesses that “his heart went out to the lonely, derided heretic on the screen” during the Two Minutes Hate, he recognizes that Emmanuel Goldstein, the leader of the Brotherhood, is the “sole guardian of truth and sanity in a world of lies” (Orwell 17). By empathizing with Goldstein, Winston identifies his true purpose in life: to use authentic evidence to deprecate the image of the Party, initiating change.

            Eventually becoming aware of the Party’s austerity, Winston sacrifices his moral convictions in order to ease the burden on his conscience. Foreshadowing his own imprisonment, Winston’s anticipation of venturing “in the place where there is no darkness” misconstrues the pervasive irony surrounding O’Brien’s words (Orwell 111). Unfortunately, the Ministry of Love’s intentions in indoctrinating Winston are successful when exposing him to the blinding lights, physical abuse, and interrogations. Through choosing to acknowledge that “there was just one person to whom he could transfer his punishment,” Winston sacrifices his moral convictions, betraying his beloved Julia in order to save himself from facing his fear of rats (Orwell 329). Committing the ultimate act of betrayal against the woman that he once loved, Winston accepts his futility in changing the world, abandoning his perception of the truth and assimilating into the culture being created by the Party.

            Becoming disillusioned by the atrocities committed by the Party, Winston immunizes himself from the darkness of the world, sacrificing his ideal conception of the world in order to preserve his sanity. Through surrendering the will to change the world, Winston Smith conforms to the culture imposed by the Party. Unfortunately, he confesses that the past, present, and future is unalterable and that the truth is predetermined by the desire of the Party.

             

AP Open Question Prompt: 1977. Choose an implausible or strikingly unrealistic incident or character in a work of fiction or drama of recognized literary merit. Write an essay that explains how the incident or character is related to the more realistic plausible elements in the rest of the work. Avoid plot summary.

            Following World War II, Vladimir Lenin responded to the stagnant economy of Russia with a progressive gravitation toward socialism to preserve equality. Using an allegory to explicate the experiences of the Bolsheviks in the Russian Revolution, George Orwell, in Animal Farm, acknowledges a true comprehension of the vices exploited by the human race during their pursuit of virtue.

            From humble beginnings, the pigs of Manor Farm promote an ideal conception of the world, preaching the virtue of equality to engage a revolution against the oppressive Mr. Jones. When commenting that “Man is the only creature that consumes without producing,” the animals differentiate themselves from the members of the human race, contradicting their status on the social hierarchy of Manor Farm (Orwell 4). Developing their argument with the exposure of the abuses endured by the animals, Old Major, representative of Lenin, encourages the animals to launch a revolution in order to change the outcome of the future. Of course, the promotion of an improved standard of living is revered by the animals on Manor Farm who eventually follow in the footsteps of their deceased leader and force the humans into exile. Incredulous toward their apparent success in the creation of Animal Farm, the animals “could hardly believe that it was all their own” (Orwell 15). Setting an example for the future generations of animals, the inhabitants of Animal Farm use manual labor to validate their ascension into power over the humans. Without the leadership of Old Major, however, the promise of equality begins to degenerate when the animals discover the benefits of engaging in conspicuous consumption.

            Initiating changes to the Seven Commandments of Animal Farm, the pigs use their intellect to their advantage, manipulating the animals to work harder for monetary gain. Through manipulating the truth, the pigs thoroughly convince the animals that the Sixth Commandment, preaching the unforgivable act of murder against a fellow animal “had not been violated; for clearly the there was good reason for killing the traitors” (Orwell 66). Developing an extensive vocabulary through a comprehension of the English language, the pigs make modifications to the Seven Commandments to validate their decisions. This alteration to the founding principles of Animal Farm is concealed by the ignorance of the animals, who perceive the truth to be a component of the present which “should be reserved for the pigs alone” (Orwell 26). Expressing the successes of Manor Farm to surrounding communities, the pigs explicitly convey their elevated status on the social hierarchy, distinguishing themselves as capitalists in pursuit of material commodities that are not essential to sustain life.

            Convinced of their immunity to the vices of Man, the animals acknowledge the adverse truth that the pursuit of equality is marred with temptation. Having a revelation, the animals “looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again: but it was all ready impossible to say which was which” (Orwell 102). Unable to achieve the ideal conception of equality, the pigs eventually become comparable to Man when surrendering to the opportunity of advancement. Conversing with the famers about the evident successes of Manor Farm, the pigs demonstrate their incapacity to withhold their moral convictions, undermining their intended purpose in creating Animal Farm.

            Contradicting the valiant purpose of the animals with their deplorable actions, George Orwell demonstrates how imperfections corrupt intuition when using an allegory. And, without a consideration for the future, the animals unwittingly recreate the oppressive atmosphere of Manor Farm and accelerate the evolution of Man into animals.

           

AP Open Question Prompt: 2011.  In a novel by William Styron, a father tells his son that life “is a search for justice.” Choose a character from a novel or play who responds in some significant way to justice or injustice. Then write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the character’s understanding of justice, the degree to which the character’s search for justice is successful, and the significance of the search for the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

            Following World War II, the rise of totalitarian dictatorships was accentuated by an absence of economic progress. Throughout George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, Winston Smith searches for the truth to preserve an ideal conception of the world, eventually conceding to perceived injustices in order to conserve his sanity. 

            Wanting the set the standard for future generations, Winston writes in order to commence a revolution and undermine the oppressive political organization of the Party. Acknowledging the impending consequences of his crimes, Winston promotes how there will be “a time when truth exists and what is done cannot be undone” (Orwell 32). And when volunteering to preserve the truth in his diary, Winston commits the deplorable action of thoughtcrime. Thoughtcrime, the crime of maintaining the private interface of life, is an evident death sentence during the twentieth century. Comprehending the pertinence of preserving the truth, Winston sacrifices his intrinsic freedoms guaranteed to all humans when wanting “to stay alive as long as possible” to deprecate the image of the Party (Orwell 33). Using the concept of existentialism to accentuate his purpose, Winston demonstrates how mortality is a motive that induces pressure and, consequently, enhances our pursuit of virtue.  

Abandoning the pursuit of truth, Winston finally acknowledges the futility plaguing his actions. Witnessing the process of manipulating the truth and directly engaged in the alteration of history, he comprehends how “the lie became truth” (Orwell 86). The motive of this valiant cause, to preserve a hope for future generations, becomes concealed beneath the fear of facing mortality. Once the Ministry of Love is revealed to be “the place without darkness,” Winston recognizes that the Brotherhood is a fabricated myth, designed to undermine any traces of opposition to the Party (Orwell 111). And without the encouragement of strangers, Winston becomes increasingly dependent on his beloved, Julia, to reinvigorate the pursuit of virtue. The extension of the invasion of privacy to personal relationships contributes to Winston’s progressive devotion to the Party.  

            Without unconditional love providing protection against the world’s sharpness, Winston sacrifices his personal integrity and moral character to preserve his welfare. Encountering invasive interrogations and enduring inexplicable pain, he confesses how “he felt no love for her, and he hardly ever wondered what was happening to her” (Orwell 263). Before the intervention of the Party, this unconditional love expressed toward his beloved, Julia, was used as an act of defiance. Sexual intercourse, highlighting the carnal instinct of physical attraction, prevents conformity from dictating the laws of human existence. Eventually, the separation of lovers is concluded with betrayal when Winston comments “All you care about is yourself” (Orwell 336). Resilience became inevitable failure. And, without resilience, the valiance of the original cause degenerates, allowing for the manipulated truth of the Party to become the documented truth. With an unquestioned submission to the Party, Winston hopes to preserve his sanity and ease the burden of the truth on his moral conscience.

             Through the removal of unconditional love, George Orwell demonstrates how the operations of the Party are concealed from the population and encouraging unity. This unity, implemented through the employment of propagandistic devices and unrelenting supervision, parallels the purposes of the human existence and maintains the imposed culture of the Party.