Prose Essay "Animal Farm"

Prose Essay #2: George Orwell’s Animal Farm Throughout George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the employment of allegory and satire criticize promoted socialist principles under an oppressive government, which consequently, results in dystopia. The animals’ envisioned future of “a society of animals set free from hunger and the whip” became “a time where no one dared speak his mind, when fierce, growling dogs roamed everywhere, and when you had to watch your comrades torn to pieces after confessing to shocking crimes” (Orwell 64). Suppressing the opinion of the public domain, the pigs validate their prominence through intimidation. So, the animals remain tentative to speak out against the government, which invited more corruption in the process. When these atrocities become habitual, all hope for change is lost. It is concealed beneath an obstruction of language, undermining the pursuit of perseverance. Providing historical context to Animal Farm, Orwell employs an allegory in order to satirize Joseph Stalin’s management of the Soviet Union. Napoleon, the unquestioned ruler of Animal Farm, suppresses revolutions once the animals learn to experience “terror of the dogs, and of the habit, developed through long years, of never complaining, never criticizing, no matter what happened” (Orwell 97). Of course, the explored methods of secret police, interrogations, public executions, and body guards were used by Stalin when changing the infrastructure of Russia. And, yes, this change promised the Soviet Union’s economic development. This change even promised an improved standard of living. Because no one is truly immune against temptation. When given the opportunity, man and animals will descend into darkness, an inescapable chasm. And although the pigs “declared contemptuously that [the] stories about Sugarcandy Mountain were lies,” the animals held the expectation that an improved world existed outside Animal Farm (Orwell 85). Yes, they were correct. While living on Animal Farm, however, the animals were concealed in darkness, believing the lies fabricated by the malevolent pigs. Church, an unrelenting faith in a heaven and a life beyond perception, excuses the pigs, allowing them to continue ruling over the animals. Through using an allegory to compare the explored actions of Stalin and the pigs, Orwell crafts Animal Farm as a censure of the Soviet Union, and, by extension, any totalitarian dictatorship that impedes natural rights. Of course, through ruling over the animals, the imagined golden future is impossible, a fabricated story designed to conceal the pigs’ ascension to power. Employing propaganda to emphasize their successes, the manipulation of the truth remains obscured beneath ignorance. The unquestioned leaders of Animal Farm, the pigs convince the animals that “the Commandment had not been violated; for clearly there was good reason for killing the traitors who had leagued themselves with Snowball” (Orwell 66). This observation, however, is an expression of denial. For so long, the animals believed in Animal Farm and the preconceived notion that individuals should be equal under the commandments. Unfortunately, the animals have inadvertently recreated Manor Farm. What was the difference between Manor Farm and Animal Farm? The government that represented the public domain. Of course, the hardships endured under the management of Mr. Jones were only perceived to be worse because of the slogan “Four legs good, two legs better!” (Orwell 133). Time and time again, an objective truth is concealed beneath ignorance. Under the false pretense that the standard of living would improve, the animals supported an oppressive government under the leadership of the pigs. While animals considered themselves to be immunized against “man’s vices,” the pigs eventually become indistinguishable from man (Orwell 4). What could have happened that allowed the pigs to implement such an oppressive government? An unrelenting faith in the future and a willingness to accept the consequences of changing the future. Unfortunately, this conception of a utopian society is undermined by the vice of power. The pigs that once represented Animal Farm are gone. Now, Manor Farm exists under the pseudonym Animal Farm. That is, the guaranteed freedoms of utopian societies are concealed beneath the manipulative government, which creates dystopic societies.

Prose Essay "Nineteen Eighty-Four"

AP Prose Essay #1: George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four Personal convictions. A moral compass that perpetuates an ideal conception of a conscience. A conscience that is incapable of change, no matter the impending consequences. Throughout George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four the employment of satire and degradation of language operates to criticize socialist principles that result in dystopia, preserving the relativism of truth by using propaganda. Revealing the detraction from moral convictions, Orwell satirizes an ideal conception of the future conceived through revolution. Admitting to O’Brien that he and Julia will do “Anything that [they] are capable of” to undermine the totalitarian regime of the Party, Winston induces his mental degradation, sacrificing morality with the intended purpose of changing the future for the following generations of human beings (Orwell 199). Of course, Orwell explicates how no one is immunized against vice. When given the opportunity, individuals will descend into darkness and recreate dystopia. Unfortunately, this is an unavoidable truth of life and the “complete truthfulness” promoted by the Party is concealed beneath ignorance (Orwell 40). Truth is relative. What determines an objective truth? Individual perception, but, more importantly, whoever remains in power. Immunizing conscience against carnal emotions and impulsive nature, Orwell highlights that detraction from morality can be prevented through the perception of an objective truth. Time, a natural progression of our character through learning experiences, is controlled by the Party in order to manipulate the truth. Although Winston believes to have held “unmistakable evidence of an act of falsification” at one instance in time, O’Brien convinces him that this was a fabricated thought to preserve his conception of Emmanuel Goldstein and the Brotherhood, which would undermine the actions of the Party and change the outcome of the future (Orwell 86). Coming to the realization that the ascendance of the Party corresponded with the disparaging failures of the totalitarian dictatorships preceding it, Winston acknowledges the hopelessness of the pursuit of the truth and chooses to abandon his moral convictions and assimilate into the causes of the Party. Demonstrating the concealment of truth from the public during a time of warfare, Orwell foreshadows the future, a future where the deplorable actions of the government are validated by an invasion of privacy. Conceding that “the middle sixties” were “the period of the great purges in which the original leaders of the Revolution were wiped out once and for all,” Winston becomes an existentialist, questioning the meaning of his existence and becoming disillusioned from the Party’s manipulation of the truth (Orwell 86). This exposure to the deplorable actions of the Party eventually serves as an excuse for Winston to abandon the moral convictions which made him unique in the first place. The creation of Newspeak, and, consequently, “the destruction of words” and colloquial language operates to remove public opinion and the prospect of a revolution (Orwell 59). The Party is an oppressive government, manipulating language to suppress individual conceptions of the future. In this way, the social hierarchy is maintained and the world is devoid of hope. Truth is relative. Truth is determined by the government in power at an instance in time. With the truth obscured beneath ignorance and the destruction of colloquial language, however, there is nothing to promote change. Nothing to influence the future. The world will remain the same, concealed with a darkness created by an oppressive government.

Poetry Essay #1 "Conscience"

AP Poetry Essay #1: Henry David Thoreau’s Conscience What is conscience? Yes, conscience is an instinctive response And yes, conscience is a series of moral convictions that operate to supersede impulsive desire. However, when exposed to individual perception and unrestrained emotion, the conscience is capable of change. In Conscience, Henry David Thoreau employs apostrophe, anaphora, and an alternating rhyme scheme and meter to communicate how the virtuous conscience is undermined by the complexities of the truth. Through the promotion of his ideal conception of conscience, Thoreau acknowledges how our instinctive nature is corrupted by carnal emotions. Asserting that “Conscience is instinct bred in the house,” Thoreau recognizes that “Feeling and Thinking propagate the sin[s]” that undermine the intrinsic principles of morality (Thoreau 1-2). And through censuring emotion, Thoreau explicates how this detraction from morality is an inevitable experience that humans must endure in order to gain perspective, learning from the consequences of their actions. Using parallel structure to emphasize the need for a conscience which is unalterable, Thoreau associates a virtuous conscience with simplicity. Commenting that “A conscience worth keeping” is “A conscience wise and steady” and “A conscience exercised about/Large things,” Thoreau demonstrates the pertinence of using moral convictions to as a guidance to achieve success (Thoreau 16, 18, 22-23). Under the assumption that an unrelenting moral conscience will contribute to eternal salvation, Thoreau communicates his perception of the world, a time where conscience was not convoluted by the complexities of life. Employing an alternating rhyme scheme and meter throughout this poem, Thoreau portrays how the conscience is not immunized against corruption. The conscience can be changed. When criticizing the Calvinist doctrine of predestination, Thoreau contrasts the desire to be “predestinated to be good” with the virtue of honesty, which allows individuals to be “false to none” (Thoreau 25, 28). Of course, the disillusionment endured when exposing moral conscience to incriminating allegations is self-induced. Exploring the pervasive contradictions in a perception of good and evil, Thoreau writes “If not good, why then evil,/If not good god, good devil” (Thoreau 35-36). Without the infrastructure of a conscience undeterred by perceptions of the truth, Thoreau astutely observes that you will concede to temptation, sacrificing your integrity. While a conscience will function for individual perception of an objective truth, it is not unalterable. Encountering the vices and darkness of the world is a disheartening experience, and, consequently, individuals will change their perception. And their conscience. Truly, in the end, nothing can be immunized against corruption. Not even the conscience.

Poetry Essay #2 "All Is Vanity, Saieth the Preacher"

AP Poetry Essay #2: Lord Byron’s All Is Vanity, Saieth the Preacher Vanity is a deplorable but unavoidable truth of life. When given the chance, individuals will take advantage of the opportunities they are given and will descend into darkness. Although the past remains unalterable, the key to eternal salvation is to show remorse. Through demonstrating remorse, individuals can continue living while improving themselves. In All Is Vanity, Saieth the Preacher, Lord Byron employs paradoxes and personification in order to acknowledge how the vice of power consumes the human race, undermining their sacred moral principles. Delivering this oration through the perspective of a preacher, Byron demonstrates how the prevalence of temptations plagues the moral character of the individual. Epitomized as the messengers of God’s eternal words, preachers are perceived to be infallible, incapable of relenting to the temptations of the world. Exposing the concealed truth beneath this assumption, Byron recognizes how the insatiable desire of the preachers validate their deplorable standard of living, asserting how “There rose no day, there roll’d no hour/Of pleasure unembittered” (Byron 13-14). Yes, the civil obligation of the preachers is to deliver the timeless messages communicated by the Holy Bible. What happens to this valiant cause? The preacher is consumed by a pursuit of material commodities, which, consequently, prevents them from experiencing true pleasure. Although at one instance in time “Fame, wisdom, love and power” were possessions of the preacher, the temptation of accentuating their status through the acquisition of “mortal prize” clouded their judgment, leaving them to ruminate over the consequences of their actions (Byron 1, 7). Through a remembrance of their previous mistakes, the preachers initiate a repentance of their sins, modeling the virtue of forgiveness. With an unburdened conscience, preachers are able to demonstrate how achieving eternal salvation is an enviable option for the entire human race. Through personifying intrinsic qualities of the human race, Byron communicates how an indulgence in vices is an inexplicable truth of life. Constrained by the grievous mistakes endured during the past, the preacher strives to account for the days “Remembrance can discover/Which all that life or earth displays/Would lure me to live over” (Byron 10-12). Expressing a willingness to change, the preacher comes to the evident realization that the capability to change is achieved through an acceptance of your past. Although the solution to the preacher’s detraction from morality is unclear, Byron expresses how this resolution will not “list to wisdom’s lore” and will perpetuate the number of “souls that must endure it” (Byron 21, 24). An unavoidable and unfortunate truth of life, the preacher resolves to improve the content of his character to set an example for the human race. The preacher is indistinguishable from the members of the human race. The only difference is the preacher’s emotional capacity. The internal desire to change. Now, the triumph of the human spirit becomes individual perseverance against the obstacles. With a recognition of the past and an unrelenting quest for self-improvement, the preacher validates his status as a messenger of God.

A Fitting Epitaph Powerpoint

Analysis of Lord Byron's "All Is Vanity, Saieth the Preacher"

Lord Byron All is Vanity, Saieth the Preacher

Analysis of Close Reading

Fame, wisdom, love, and power were mine, And health and youth possess’d me; My goblets blush’d from every vine, And lovely forms carress’d me; (4) I sunn’d my heart in beauty’s eyes, And felt my soul grow tender; All earth can give, or mortal prize, Was mine of regal splendour. (8)   I strive to number o’er what days Remembrance can discover, Which all that life or earth displays Would lure me to live over. (12) There rose no day, there roll’d no hour Of pleasure unembitter’d; And not a trapping deck’d my power That gall’d not while it glitter’d. (16)   The serpent of the field, by art And spells, is won from harming; But that which coils around the heart, Oh! Who hath the power of charming? (20) It will not list to wisdom’s lore, Nor music’s voice can lure it; But there it stings for evermore The soul that must endure it. (24)

Rhyme scheme ABABCDCD Foreshadow "Fame, wisdom, love, and power were mine" (Byron 1) Foreshadows the loss of a standard of living Dramatic irony The preacher has induced his own demise (not being thankful for the material commodities) A preacher is a messenger of God's holiness, someone who devotes his life to living in God's image The preacher shows remorse for his past mistakes Vulnerability of humans External beauty used to be of the utmost pertinence Personification "And health and youth possess'd me" (Byron 2) Regression of the speaker An inability to stop and learn from his past mistakes "Remembrance can discover" (Byron 10) Preacher blames his conscience for a loss of memories Shows remorse for the ulalterable past Alliteration "Would lure me to live over" (Byron 12) Hastens pacing of poem Added emphasis Repentance of sins Verbal irony The preacher is supposed to be of a higher morality Paradox "That gall'd not while it glitter'd" (Byron 16) Contradicts his prominence with distcontent Ungratious Immature Human condition Is to make mistakes Learn from previous mistakes World is devoid of hope Incapable of change Gothic imagery Snakes, indicative of evil, can corrupt human nature Rhetorical question "who hath power of charming?" (Byron 20) Highlights internal struggle of preacher The preacher understands the desire for atonement An undetermined quality can lead to the salvation of the preacher

Analysis of Henry David Thoreau's "Conscience"

Henry David Thoreau Conscience

Analysis of Close Reading

Conscience is instinct bred in the house, Feeling and Thinking propagate the sin By an unnatural breeding in and in I say, Turn it out doors, Into the moors. (5) I love a life whose plot is simple, And does not thicken with every pimple, A soul so sound no sickly conscience binds it, That makes the universe no worse than’t finds it. I love an earnest soul, (10) Whose mighty joy and sorrow Are not drowned in a bowl, And brought to life to-morrow; That lives one tragedy, And not seventy; (15) A conscience worth keeping; Laughing not weeping; A conscience wise and steady, And forever ready; Not changing with events, (20) Dealing in compliments; A conscience exercised about Large things, where one may doubt. I love a soul not all of wood, Predestined to be good, (25) But true to the backbone Unto itself alone, And false to none; Born to its own affairs, Its own joys and own cares; (30) By whom the work which God begun Is finished, and not undone; Taken up where he left off, Whether to worship or to scoff; If not good, why then evil, (35) If not good god, good devil. Goodness! You hypocrite, come out of that, Live your life, do your work, then take your hat. I have no patience toward Such conscientious cowards. (40) Give me simple laboring folk, Who love their work, Whose virtue is song To cheer God along.

The conscience is unalterable (contrasted by the Party's manipulation of Winston's moral convictions in Nineteen Eighty-Four) "Conscience is instinct" (Thoreau 1) Rhyme scheme Rhyming couplets with the exclusion of several lines of the poem Alternating rhyme schemes in this poem Creates ambiguity Undermines speaker's ability to live a simple life Apostrophe "Feeling" and "Thinking" (Thoreau 2) Elevation of status of feeling and thinking Devices that allow humans to exercise their intrinsic freedoms Corruption of human nature is in individualism Anaphora "A conscience" (Thoreau 16, 18, 22) Contrasts complexities of human emotions with simplicity of your conscience Verbal irony Length of poem contradicts the valued simplicity of life Gothic imagery "drowned in a bowl" (Thoreau 12) "thicken with every pimple" (Thoreau 7) Reveals how the conscience can be corrupted by the plethora of emotions being experienced Anaphora "I love..." Internalizes virtue Shows ideal conception of how the world should operate Allusion "Predestined to be good" (Thoreau 25) To Calvinist doctrine of predestination Humans are preordained to go to heaven or hell Repetition "own" Emphasis on remaining true to yourself Implication of society's lies and deception (virtue of honesty has been lost) Anaphora "If not good" (Thoreau 35, 36) Reveals doubt clouding speaker's judgment Conscience should be undeterred by our emotions Alliteration "conscientious cowards" (Thoreau 40) Hastens pacing of poem Added emphasis toward the conscience, which is not an exercise of freedoms, but an instinctive nature Conscience equates to virtue to Thoreau