Government control

Question 1

What was Orwell influenced by?

2

Answer 1

• Nazi Germany

- Soviet Russia

Question 2

What have critics called Big Brother?

1

Answer 2

• “Hitler, Stalin like figure”

Question 3

What did Orwell mention about his writings?

1

Answer 3

• Everything he’s “written from 1935 onwards either directly or indirectly challenges totalitarianism

Question 4

What did Attwood’s concerns stem from?

1

Answer 4

• Ronald Reagan’s religious rule in USA, he used religion to manipulate people

Question 5

What examples are there in THT that support Attwood’s comment “if you use the word of God to further your argument who can say you’re wrong”?
2

Answer 5

• “Praise be”, “be blessed by thy fruit” (characters)

- Ruthless “eye” (gaze of God)

Question 6

What is Atwood protesting in terms of the religiousness in the novel?
4

Answer 6

• Use of ideology to control people
• Saliently how it’s used to justify female subordination
• Due to bibles importance on fertility e.g. “go fourth and multiply” satirised in book, women >to vessels
• Direct link to Reagan’s presidency where women’s reproductive rights were limited, warning

Question 7

What does Orwell protest?

1

Answer 7

• Lack of free thought and individuality

Question 8

How is Orwell similar to Atwood in terms of control?

1

Answer 8

• Portrays satirical, exaggerated world where ctrl of thought extreme - a “crime”

Question 9

What did Orwell famously state and what is he protesting?

3

Answer 9

• “Man “truly dies” when he “loses his ability to take on a new thought”
• Complacency (don’t take adv of freedom they have) similar to “freedom to and freedom from”
• In society there is conflict between “individualism” and “discipline”

Question 10

How does Winston rebel and protest Orwell’s idea of conflict between “individualism” and “discipline”?
3

Answer 10

• Beginning small - writing in “diary” in “alcove”
• Eventually - full sexual affair with “Julia”
• Winston’s rebellion embodies individuality, breaks several rules of regime (punishable - “vaporisation”)

Question 11

How does Attwood also protest conflict between “individualism” and “discipline”?
2

Answer 11

• Although accused of being a “passive protagonist” by critics, Offred does rebel
• Convo w Offglen, affair with Nick

Question 12

What do Winston and Offred both do and what does this suggest?
2

Answer 12

• Both “everyman” (women) characters, relatable to readers also flawed
• Inspire rebellion/change

Question 13

What was Atwood’s novel labelled as and what has this led to?
1

Answer 13

• “Feminist dystopia”

- Inspired protests around the world

Question 14

What has Atwood’s “feminist dystopia” inspired?

2

Answer 14

• 2016 women’s rights march, countless signs inspired by THT/Atwood’s message e.g. “nolite te bastardes carbodorum”

Question 15

What did Boulding argue about hate week?

1

Answer 15

• Similar to Stalinist efforts to replace religion with devotional services to the state

Question 16

What is the sentence starter for paragraph 1?

1

Answer 16

• Both Atwood and Orwell illustrate the manipulation of religion, as a form of totalitarian control

Question 17

What is an example of control of language in handmaids tale and how can you interpret this?
2

Answer 17

“The counters are like candies, made of peppermint. I would like to put them in my mouth, the letter C crisp, slightly acid on tongue, delicious”

• Manipulation of Offred through reading materials yet another way in which government controls woman’s thoughts and actions through lang

Question 18

What were methods of control of language in 1984?

3

Answer 18

• Newspeak
• Doublespeak
• Thought crime