Practise External

Discuss the extent to which you agree with your chosen statement. Respond critically to the statement by making a close analysis of the text(s). 

The most satisfying text is one that is uplifting and optimistic. 

Everyone likes a happy ending; therefore they are popular in many types of texts. This is not true, however, for dystopian literature. Dystopian texts explain oppressive society issues and often provide readers with warnings for the future. Dystopian literature does not need to be optimistic to encourage readers, because the connection between fiction and reality is enough, which is the reason why I disagree with the statement. The novel Nineteen Eighty Four, written by George Orwell opens doors to a new way of looking at the world and the society we are currently living in. In his novel, George Orwell introduces the idea of a totalitarian government that possesses all the power over its citizens. The government uses many tools to gain control and while stripping citizens off all privacy through telescreens, the party also seems to manage manipulating the citizens thoughts. An omnipresent companion of Winston which is the main character in Nineteen Eighty Four, is BIG BROTHER. The slogan ” Big Brother is watching you” is with the citizens on every step they take and makes the thought of escape almost impossible. The feature of constant control indicating a less happy and optimistic environment, which supports the idea that texts can be satisfying without being uplifting. Another sophisticated idea of the party is its slogan: “ War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” The juxtaposition of this slogan is not detected by the citizens of Oceania, though it is always in their minds. While the reader realised how wrong theses ideas are, it seems impossible at the same time that a whole population believes it. This, however, is another feature of the book that makes it even more interesting and compelling. Nineteen Eighty Four introduced another character called O’Brien, who is a member of the party and later triggers Winston into believing he was like-minded. O’Brien confronts Winston with the idea that “Who controls the past; controls the future. Who controls the present; controls the past.” In this very moment Winston realised how much power the party possesses over its citizens. The idea of a manipulation from such a big capacity is scary but also compellin. It draws attention to the text and transforms Nineteen Eighty Four into a thrilling novel. This moreover proves the  point that a text does not need to be optimistic to be successful. 

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