Handmaids Tale Essay

PLANNING

“A character who overcomes difficulties becomes more engaging.”

Offred, whose actions and thought processes give us more insight into who she is as a character

Progression of her feelings towards Gilead as the text advances. Offred becomes more engaging but not necessarily in a positive way

Why is offred engaging? -Intelligent, a lot of insight into the things she thinks about.

Overcomes difficulties: 3 difficulties that show a lot of character development for example:

2. Being taken to jezebels by the commander/seeing moira for the first and last time and hearing her story

3. Her meeting with Nick near the end of the book? Wanting to stay in the red centre because of him/not wanting to spy for her fellow handmaids

Introduction – How certain difficulties made Offred more engaging but also lowered our opinion of her as a character

“But who can remember pain, once it’s over? All that remains of it is a shadow, not in the mind even, in the flesh. Pain marks you, but too deep to see. Out of sight, out of mind.” The Handmaids Tale, a dystopian novel written in 1985 by Margret Atwood, details the life of a handmaid by the name of Offred. Atwood weaves many obstacles into the novel which shape and mould the characters as the story progresses. We, as the reader, can see how these events affect the main character Offred through her thoughts, actions and her intelligent nature. The three main events that inspired a change in Offred’s character are the trip to Jezebels, enforced by the Commander, the Arranged meeting with Nick in order to conceive and —****

Body Paragraph One- difficulty number 1 how this started to develop offreds story and give the reader insight into who this character is

The Handmaids Tales actual storyline takes place over quite a short period of time. Margret Atwood skillfully weaves certain scenarios into the story that test Offred’s overall spirit and willingness to overcome these events. One such event that developed Offred’s story was her trip to Jezebels, orchestrated by the Commander and this occurrence can be seen as the climax of their time together. In the book, Jezebel’s is a strip/sex club where women who do not qualify to be a Handmaid or Martha go and references Jezebel, Queen of Israel, from the Hebrew Bible. These women work for the Republic of Gilead, most sharing the opinion that working as a prostitute is a better lifestyle than that of the Handmaids or being sent to the colonies. In being prostitutes, the women also gain a sort of superiority over the men who come to Jezebel’s, as they pose a threat to men through the way in which they can enhance their sexuality. It is for this reason that the Commander dresses Offred up and brings her to Jezebels, for his own enjoyment in seeing- His disappointment when she does not share the excitement he feels about a genuine sexual encounter makes the fantasy of conspiracy fade. [how offered overcame]. Atwood references the notion that a patriarchal society often divides women into two categories: the virgin and the whore.

Body Paragraph Two- A new difficulty later on in the book that may have shown who Offred really is and piqued the interest of the reader, thus making them more engaged in the story.

Offred’s constant exposure to conspiracy and rule-breaking leads her to test the limits on how far she can go. This freedom also aids in her losing sight of how corrupt Gilead really is, because for her, she would rather be content with the bare minimum over a possibility of freedom.

Body Paragraph Three- How these two events made Offred more engaging and whether we liked her more or less because of these experiences. A negative or positive feeling towards her character by the end of the book?

Conclusion- Summary, how its hard to imagine her exact situation and the things she would be feeling but personal real world experiences regarding coronavirus(?) give us more insight into her feeling trapped and controlled by a higher power.

thursday find quotes*

“What the Commander said is true. One and one and one and one doesn’t
equal four. Each one remains unique, there is no way of joining them
together. They cannot be exchanged, one for the other. They cannot replace
each other. Nick for Luke or Luke for Nick. Should does not apply.”

“I was thinking of Nick,” she says. . . “What about the Commander?” I say.
“Well,” she says, with firmness; no, more than that, a clenched look, like a
purse snapping shut. “We just won’t tell him, will we?”

“In order to do this I became reckless, I took stupid chances.”

“The fact is that I no longer want to leave, escape, cross the border to
freedom. I want to be here, with Nick, where I can get at him.
Telling this, I’m ashamed of myself. But there’s more to it than that. Even
now, I can recognize this admission as a kind of boasting. There’s pride in it,
because it demonstrates how extreme and therefore justified it was, for me.”

**Having trouble forming a main statement/question to write my essay around.

Frankenstein Writing Portfolio

Would our nature and essence change if we were raised away from society and civilisation? In 1755, Jean-Jacques Rousseau sought to educate the people of the time on a philosophy that he had developed. He was a Genevan philosopher in the Enlightenment period, where religion was the reining This philosophy was comprised of three parts, the

switches the perspective, allows us an insight into the characters thoughts

first point – in depth- what the theory is, how is it understood/ taken by the public. discuss the time period/connect to theory. how gothic fiction came about.

In 1755, Rousseau released a book, titled ‘Discourse on Inequality’. The book explored the ‘State of Nature’ theory which Rousseau was a heavy believer in, but as it turned out, others were not so eager to jump on board. The ideas presented in the book were not well received by the general public. It was published at a time where religion was the only explanation for anything and science was a new concept to the people of the time. Rousseau believed that the optimum state of humanity was not in the future, with science and explanations, but rather in the past. He felt that the development of civilisation was corrupting humanity, as if every step away from the state of nature, was a step in the wrong direction. Believing in this theory so whole-heartedly, Rousseau saw mankind in it’s natural state as kind, wise, judicious and noble, that most of our flaws, greed, envy and pride were attribute to straying so far from our state of nature. The weight of religion was so heavily imprinted into society, that people were angered at the book for challenging their beliefs and ideals thus resulted in the book being banned in many countries.

second point –

third point

conclusion

If I could change anything about daily school life, it would be…

When I was asked whether anything should be changed about the way that the school is run, my immediate thought was that there should be a compulsory, designated reading time. Reading has been a big part of my life, as I find that I retain more information from books then I do from alternate sources, such as the internet, or from teachers lectures. Reading improves your spelling, extends your vocabulary, and lets you explore other worlds. It teaches you to see things from a range of different perspectives, as no author will a tell a story the same way, and no two persons will ever read the same book. Another great thing about books, and reading overall is the variety you get. There are books about mostly every subject in the world, from fictional worlds to ancient philosophers, the history of art and a book of every word in the English language. Sure, the internet can give you results to a question in a split second, but rarely do these answers stick in your head. Reading from books also limits distractions such as drifting off into other tabs and straying from your work. There are people I know that haven’t picked up a book in over a year! This seems crazy to me, as I couldn’t go a week without reading a book or two. Not only do books open you to a whole new world, but they stay with you once you have read from cover to cover. After you have finished these books, you collect these stories, stories that have taught you life lessons and painted your dreams into words on paper. Adding a compulsory reading time would benefit not only the students, but the teachers and I feel that applying this to our daily school life would improve our overall grades and outlook on life.

I am conflicted about zoos. I worry they’re an extension of our other colonial activities, marking our territory at the apex of the natural world, and a form of species-level dominance that shares a root with the domination of men over women and of majority over minority. Or perhaps I’m overthinking things. Maybe they’re just a playground to take the children, rather than go stir crazy at home? Whatever they used to be, zoos are now playing a different role in conservation and reminding people of the challenges humans have created for the diversity of global fauna.

Settings in Frankenstein

-Geneva

-Ingoltsald University

-Frankensteins home

-An island

-Cabin in the mountains

-The hovel

-The De Lacey family cottage

-Switzerland

-Graveyard

-Church

-By a river

-Walton’s boat

-The Arctic ocean

-In the Swiss Alps

-The De Lacey Mansion

-Honeymoon location

-Europe

The De Lacey cottage.

“. . .a small room was visible, whitewashed and clean but very bare of furniture. In one corner, near a small fire, sat an old man, leaning his head on his hands in a disconsolate attitude. “

Frankenstein – An Analysis

Following the class’ reading of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, we will now delve into the depths of the novel to uncover some of the ideas that Shelley presents to the reader. We are looking at the novel as a work of gothic fiction and an artefact that examines the very human emotion of fear.

VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN

Describe three key moments for Victor Frankenstein in the text. Explain why these moments were crucial to the development of his character. Support each moment with a quotation from the text. 

The first key moment in they text that helps to develop Frankenstein’s character is the chapter where, after slaving away for months and months trying to create a new being, it finally comes alive. It is at this point in the novel where Frankenstein realises what an atrocity he has created, and that he was indeed blinded by the passion he had for infusing life into in inanimate body. A paragraph or two before the creature rises, Frankenstein looks upon his creation in awe. “His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! – Great God!” He is lost in the exhilarating feeling of bringing a life into the world that he doesn’t, at first, realise the abomination he has spent the previous two years building. However, once the body is complete and he has lost the thill of creation, Frankenstein has a chance to take a step back and ‘admire’ his handy work. “For this (the creation of the monster) I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” This scene is so important in aiding the development of Frankensteins character, as it opens his eyes to the fact that this horror that he has created is exactly that, his. Frankenstein has to take full responsibility for what he has created but his following actions reflect on what kind of person he is. “Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room, and continued a long time traversing my bedchamber.” The theme of Frankenstein fleeing from his problems is repeated throughout the text and greatly represents his character.

William’s death brought a whole range of emotions upon Frankenstein and this major event effects his character greatly. He weeps for the loss of his younger brother after reading a letter from his father entailing the detains of his death. Frankenstein convinces his friend Henry Clerval to accompany him on the journey back to Geneva, and so they set off the next morning.

When he decides against making a second creature,

There are some key traits that commonly surface for the protagonist in gothic fiction. 

  • A God Complex
  • A distressing event in their earlier life
  • A flaw in their moral compass
  • A moment of recognition or revelation

Explain what is meant by each of the statements above and identify how Victor Frankenstein displays these common traits. Use quotations from the text to support your answers. 

Having a God Complex means that you essentially insert yourself into the position that God would be in. You would consider yourself superior to the rest of human or animal life, and would disregard the demands of society, considering yourself to be deserving of special privileges. In the novel, Victor Frankenstein regards himself as all of these things and it is evident throughout the chapters how this effects him and those he interacts with. The most obvious portrayal of Victor Frankenstein’s God Complex is when he decides to create the monster. He tries to create life. The reason this point of the novel is so important is because he doesn’t just resurrect something that was dead and revive it, but rather gather parts of already dead things and physically build a life. This is essentially what God would do and so Victor is acting in the place of God. “A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me.” He is implying that the creation or creations that he brings into life would be indebted to him as his is their sole creator, much like how humans refer to God as. In essence, Victor is trying to become a superior being to the rest of the human race; setting himself above them by creating life.

A distressing event in one’s past can majorly impact someone’s future events.

Creature Analysis:

Explain how the creature learns about the world around him in the text. Support your answer with quotations from the text.

After surviving on the bare minimum for months on end, the monster arrives at a small village which is sparsely populated and settles down at a hovel which is joined to a small cottage. This cottage he dares not enter, but rather observes from afar, knowing that if he were to reveal himself he would find himself faced with more looks of horror and aggressive notions which would in turn drive him out of the village. As the days pass, the monster begins to learn things about the place he resides. The first, the hovel in which he lives provides shelter, warmth and very convenient way of observing the seconds thing he learns. A family live in the cottage which the hovel is next too, and consists of a girl, a boy and a blind old man. This is the DeLacey family.

Describe the reaction that people often have toward the Creature. How does this reaction seem unfair? Do the Creature’s intentions deserve the response he gets from people?

Describe three moments for the creature that shape him into the vengeful monster he becomes. Explain how these moments would cause an individual to lose hope in humanity and turn against them. Use quotations from the text to support your answer.

The House of Avalon

The sunlight burned into my back as I stood at the base of the steep, terracotta brick driveway. The suns rays cast shadows of nearby gumtrees onto the lavish two story house, a respected structure in amongst the carbon copy houses harboured within the city. I walked forward, noticing the obvious love and care that had gone into keeping the garden nurtured. I was greeted with the delicate sight of a rose garden, each flower in full bloom, thriving in beauty. They stood tall and proud with a deep red pigment saturating the petals. An elated feeling washed over me as I continued on over the pristine grass, a concrete staircase revealing itself, inviting me to the front door up on the second story. Halfway up the staircase I paused and was awed by a wooden platform that extended from the second floor into a balcony, a beechwood balustrade keeping anyone from toppling over into the garden below. My eye suddenly caught sight of a piece of white fabric moving in the breeze. I descended back a few steps, curious of what was on the balcony. A woman stood, waving a tea-towel, calling to two children running and giggling behind a large pine tree in the middle of the garden. The woman wore a cream blouse with frills lining the collar. An ankle height skirt that matched the colour of the blouse was embellished with decorations, pleats swaying in time with her movements. Her hair was a dark auburn shade and a top it sat a vast broad-brim hat, with a low crown and adorned with lace and ribbons. I was so captivated with her beauty that I jumped when she disappeared. It was if someone had blown out the flame of a candle, she just flickered out. I made my way up the rest of the stairs and stopped at the foot of the door. Hushed music floated through the cracks in the door, and a warm feeling flooded through me. It was unlocked and it swung open gently as my fingertips pressed against the wood. All at once I was hit with a burst of colour and life. I stood on the wood printed linoleum of a living room. The house seemed to be alive, moving, breathing life into each piece of furniture and fabric. Next to me sat a grand piano, a rich mahogany wood lining the edges. My senses were engulfed by the pungent eucalyptus polish that made the piano shine. On the other side of the piano lay a gramophone, a grand gold horn standing proud, singing a sweet tune. The muted song I had heard out the door was now an inviting melody sung by a female quartet. I walked to the middle of the room, drinking in all the colour and energy the room radiated. Pristine books sat side-by-side on a white bookcase. Upholstered traditional furniture was arranged to form a neat family area. The curtains were an apricot orange and displayed illustrations of fruit, flowers and abstract designs. I turn and turn, taking in every detail. And then I stop. No. The vibrant colour of the walls bleeds down into the floor, turning a dirty grey. I notice the plaster on the far ceiling cracks, it widens, travelling straight towards me, faster and faster. Then it stops and I look up.. and the chandelier drops.


Hanging my head, the music now sounds muted and dull; I let my eyelids close gently. Then the rush of 100 years passes in a blur. Under my feet the floor sags, the air becomes stale, musty. I stand, silent, the sickly warm air unmoving. Opening my aged eyes, an unfamiliar sight greets me. Books lean against each other like a row of pushed over dominos. The floor is littered with debris from the house. Wooden planks from the ceiling lay scattered around me. The house feels foreboding, each broken chair and splintered floorboard threatening me, a silent warning. Dread pools within me. I can’t be here. I need to leave. The once lively house was now dead, and even on its deathbed it still screamed at me to leave. I trip and stumble over the ruined books and shattered ornaments in a feeble attempt to reach the door. Piano keys are littered everywhere and looking at the mahogany piano I realise why. Right above where the piano lay, the wall behind had toppled inwards. Bricks were imbedded into the keyboard and I mourned for the once beautiful instrument. I nearly lost my footing several times but eventually made it to the weather worn door. Pulling it was no use, there was too much debris, and there was no hope in trying to move the smashed bookcase. I shout and scream and pound the door and suddenly I find myself on the other side of it. Sprawled out on the ground I feel vulnerable, a small fish in an ocean. I look towards the balcony. Half had broken off and fallen into the weed ridden garden below and the balustrade had long since been removed. The echo of memories haunts me and I scramble to my feet. Down the stairs I go, running from the misery and torment. Halfway down the staircase I trip down and land face first into the weeds. The house was toying with me, taunting and laughing in my face. I ran past the rose garden, the very garden that I once saw as beautiful. Now in the place of leaves, thorns the colour of a fresh bruise line the branches. Standing before the gum trees outside the house I feel hollow. The trees limbs are twisted and contorted into unnatural shapes. My senses long for the sweet minty smell of the eucalyptus leaves but I’m overcome by the lingering smell of dead, rotting wood. Heartbroken, empty. The bright colours and joyful music was just a facade. The life had long since been sucked out of this place and I couldn’t bear the betrayal. My head pounded and my mind was numb, buzzing like the static on an old television set. My legs screamed one word. Run. And I did run. Through the trees, over the sandbanks. The house ridiculed me for being foolish enough to think that if I ran, I would be safe. I knew that I could never truly leave, that I would forever be connected to this house but it was all I could do to just run. And I kept running.

Significant Connections

My chosen connection portrays how a controlling government causes people to feel alienated from society. The texts I have chosen are ‘Gathering Blue’ by Lois Lowry, ‘The Giver’, by Lois Lowry, ‘Legend’, by Marie Lu, and ‘The Maze Runner’ by James Dashner. All of the books that I have chosen are from dystopian literature, and therefore have a similar feel throughout them. Each text shows in detail the effects of being alienated from society, and how oppressive societal control and the illusion of an ideal community corrupts the minds of those within that society.

Across all of the texts I have chosen, the alienation of the focus character was the result of a government or community shunning and advertising biased opinions toward the character, because of a discrepancy in them that excludes them from others. In “Gathering Blue”, written by Lois Lowry, Kira is alienated from her community, following the death of her mother, who had protected her from the towns peoples harsh words. The main character of this text is Kira, who lives in a secluded town with absurd rules. Because of the isolation of this community, they have no real sense of how a normal society functions, so the rules created are often ludicrous. “It was terrifying, almost unbelievable, the casualness of the cruelty. [of the rules].” Kira was born with a deformity in her leg, rendering her useless to the town and she is chastised and berated for this daily. Orphaned and physically flawed in a civilisation that shuns and discards the weak, Kira faces a frighteningly uncertain future. The illogical reasoning that the government publicises that any person with a deformity of any kind should be killed due to their uselessness is why Kira is being shunned and the cause of her alienation. These rules have been promoted since the beginning of the community, so they are viewed upon by the residents as the norm. This hostility is shown in the line “We don’t want you here, ‘the women said. ’You don’t belong in the village anymore. You’re worthless, with that leg. Your mother always protected you but she’s gone now. You should go too.” where Kira is encircled by people with sharp rocks in their hands, and the intention to kill her. One lady speaks up, and argues that not contributing to the community means she must either leave, or be killed. Kira stops them, by retelling one of their many laws. The women acknowledge the law Kira cites, but only for the reason that they will face consequences if it is not followed. “‘Yes, the causer of death must die.’ Other voices repeated it. One by one they released the rocks. One by one each woman chose not to be a causer of death.” Kira deals with both alienation and betrayal throughout the text, and is forced into supporting a cause that she no longer believes in, the cause being the community’s law. She is isolated from the community and lacks the emotional support that she desperately needs. We can learn from this that if people within a community or society are coaxed into hating an enemy, then it becomes easier for that society to be driven towards a common goal. In this case, Kira has become an enemy in the eyes of the community, and with everyone against her staying with them, it becomes all the more easier for them to push her out. Although everyone is set on her being ‘disposed of’, Kira gains strength and determination by identifying who are her enemies, and gaining a few trusted friends.

The second text I have chosen is the dystopian novel ‘The Giver’ by Lois Lowry, the same author of the previous text. This story follows the life of Jonas, a 12 year old boy who has grown up in a society whose morals are corrupted. The ‘Community’ as it is known has converted to ‘Sameness’, a process which has abolished all pain and worry, but in doing so, removed all emotional depth from the citizens of the Community. Jonas is chosen to take up the position of the Receiver of Memories, a position which allows him to gain all the knowledge from the Giver. Only one person is selected for this job, and they must not tell anyone of the memories that they receive which, as Jonas learns, is a terrible burden to carry alone. The text explores the theme of isolation and alienation, as Jonas receives more and more memories, but feels more than ever the need to share them with someone. He struggles with the new found emotions, and in a community where any colour, memory, climate, or terrain, are all controlled, begins to realise how inhumane the communities rules are. The rules are in place in an effort to preserve structure and order within the citizens, but to also enforce a true sense of equality beyond personal individuality, our individuality being the thing that ultimately makes us human. “Jonas looked at her. She was so lovely. For a fleeting instant he thought he would like nothing better than to ride peacefully along the river path, laughing and talking with his gentle female friend. But he knew such times had been taken from him now. He shook his head. After a moment his two friends turned and went to their bikes. He watched as they rode away.” Jonas is so far removed from his peers and it is the result of his new awareness that makes this so. He knows life before the severe rules; he knows colour, emotion and humanity. He is isolated from his peers because this burden that he carries can not be shared, and he cant ever be with those around him, not in a way that is meaningful. “The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It’s the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”, words of the Giver to Jonas. The Giver knows what Jonas is going through, as he had to do the very same thing many years past. He recognises the pain this is causing him. This teaches us that the community has turned rule enforcement into a collective, communal activity. Much like ‘Gathering Blue’, this community enforces the ideal that when a society shuns as individual as a group, the task of bending them to their will becomes a lot easier. In Kira’s case, being handicapped is a display of weakness, and therefore, the community has no use for them. Kira has no mother or father, no relatives, and noone to turn to. Throughout the book we can see how this affects her and how it hurts her. This shows how much someone can be impacted by the words of others, and much it can hurt to have no-one there for you. Jonas shares this feeling with Kira, in that his whole community scorn him for attempting to shed light on the inhumane systems the Community uses. This is a situation where if both Jonas and Kira had someone to turn to, not much could be done. There are no other communities to challenge the beliefs of their own communities. They are, in a way, trapped, confined in the walls of the very place that they once thought was safe. Both characters face alienation as a result of a controlling government.

In the novel “Legend”, by Marie Lu, the theme a controlling government causes people to feel alienated from society is very apparent through the character Day. Day is a 15 year old boy, who was born in the slums of the Republic’s Lake Sector, the poor sector of the 3 other rich sectors. A national test called ‘The Trials’ are tests that an individual takes on their 10th birthday. The scores range from 0-1500 points. If an individual scores between 0 and 999 points (0-67%), they ‘fail.’ The scores go up from there, determining which ‘Class’ you get into. Day was led to believe that he scored 45% on his Trail, the lowest anyone had ever gotten. He was taken into the Republics care, where he was tortured, experimented on, and left to die. Day escaped and has been living on the streets since his 10th birthday, stealing what he can, and causing chaos for the Republic. The Republic publicises his name around the city, advertising him as a criminal and, should he be seen, to be shot on sight. Day has spent his life hiding from the Republic and in doing so, also hiding from his family who believe him to be dead. He is alienated from all types of social contact due to the controlling society in which he lives in. The Republic drive him into isolation by promoting him to the population of the city as a person to be feared, as someone who poses a threat to them.  What is uncovered later in the book, is that Day scored 1500 on his Trail, a score no-one has ever gotten. So why would they lie about his score and say that he had died? Day is a prodigy for the Republic, but his score is unlike any other that the city has seen before. The Republic falsified his record to get rid of him. The Republic needed to eliminate the possibility that someone from a poor sector could score so high on their Trial. Each division is put in their place for a reason and the Republic sees to it that it stays that way. They need control and order over the citizens, with the poor doing the city’s hard labour, and the upper classes going to university and become doctors or lawyers. To have someone from the poor sector become the only person to have scored so high is seen as a disgrace in the Republics eyes. “That’s why they hate me, why I’m not the most dangerous criminal in the country but the most wanted. I make them look bad.” The Republic uses their power of influence over the country to convince the residents that this boy is bad, and that anyone that opposes their rules and their way of living is considered the enemy. They do this because the people within this government feel the need to be superior over minor groups and individuals; they will alienate those groups to sustain their power. We can learn from this that the enemy is defined as something that is the opposite of that group’s beliefs, a group or individual that rivals the practices and systems put in place by this society. The enemy is not defined as bad until they challenge what the society believe in and thus have no real definition until the controlling community makes it so. I can relate this text to ‘Gathering Blue’, written by Lois Lowry, in that they both have governments that exclude people for their own benefit and appearance, and label the one who challenges their law as the enemy. Both communities consider themselves to be morally superior. The reason for alienation in both characters is due to the individual being a difference in the norm, a flaw in their perfect law.  However, ‘Legend’ is different to ‘Gathering Blue’, in that the community in “Gathering Blue’ is a small society filled with people who live their lives with savagery and self-interest.” They live without any modern development, in simple dwellings, they hunt wild animals and have no technology to connect them to the outside world. The community enforces its rules by humiliating and cutting the individual off from their society, because of the lack of community members to keep their population under control. The community of ‘Legend’ differs in that their superior population is the very thing they use to stay in power. If it were not for the masses amounts of guards, security officials, politicians and wealthy residents, the Republic would have been overthrow many years past. The driving motive for the Republic is not that they care for the citizens they harbour in their city, but the power that is given to them with this position in the Republic’s government. 

The fourth and final text that I have chosen is “The Maze Runner”, written by James Dashner. This text tells the story of a boy named Thomas, who is taken from his family at the age of 7 to be experimented on, to be used by a group called WICKED. This story is set in a disease ridden world that has been in ruins for many years, with a virus called the ‘Flare’ rooting itself in the brains of humans, driving them insane. A government group called ‘WICKED’ is looking for a cure to this virus, and they do this by taking children who are immune to it, and performing psychological and physical experimentation on them. The children undergo many torturous experiments, with no avail in finding a cure; until one of the members of the organisation suggests a plan to give them the results they have been working so hard to find, a ‘Trial’, with only the best of the children coming out alive. Four years later a maze has been build, an artificial world to test the children to their limit. Before the children are sent into the maze, their memories are wiped of all knowledge of who they are, where they are, and any memories of their previous life. There are sent in, one by one, one month apart, with no knowledge of how they got there. And now we come back to Thomas, who is the last of the children to be sent into the Maze, and who wakes up in the Maze three years after the Trials started. We can see the theme ‘a controlling government causes people to feel alienated from society’ in a quite literal sense, the government purposefully imprisoning the children, and alienating them from everything they used to know. Many things contribute to the feeling of alienation in Thomas, a leading one being his loss of memories. With nothing familiar, no family or friends, he is left with a hollow sense of isolation, and it is the very same for the other children. WICKED is ultimately cutting of the kids from their own humanity. “If anything, it gives us even more reason to get out butts out there. If the sun’s really gone, won’t be long before plants and animals drop dead too. I think the desperation level just went up a notch.” WICKED is forcing the boys into more desperate reactions to get the results they need. They are manipulating them into dire situations for the benefit of themselves and by upping the desperation level, they are getting the very thing they want. But what is never told to us is how exactly the results from this test are going to create a cure for the flare. The few remaining safe citizens are putting their trust into an organisation that hasn’t even proved that a cure is possible. In the way, WICKED is controlling everyone. They use the promise of a remedy as a controlling mechanism, for the people don’t have anything else to put their hope towards. Desperate people do irrational things, and the same is shown through the kids within the maze. “At that moment, Thomas realised with a sickening lurch that he had no idea how old he was. His heart sank at the thought- he was so lost he didn’t even know his own age.” This quote shows how this organisation is controlling quite literally every single aspect of his life. The complete isolation of these children is affecting them in such a way that they feel disconnected, alienated, from every part of themselves. We can see a very similar theme running through the book ‘Legend’. Where, if you fail the Trail taken at age 10, then you are cut off from society and taken into the Republics care. You are experimented on for the benefit of the Republic and if you don’t provide the results they are looking for, then you are quickly discarded. Both books control the minority by alienating them and manipulating them into situations for a personal gain. This teaches us that if a group or individual sees an opportunity in you that can provide them with something they need, then they will use you until you can no longer offer what they seek. We can also see this happening in the real world, with bullying being a prime example of tormenting an individual for a personal gain, and having control over them. In a way, not only a controlling government, but a controlling individual, can be the cause of alienation in a person. If Thomas had known of the fake reality that they were in, being stuck in the maze, then he could of used this knowledge as an advantage to defy the organisation, and deny the results they are looking for. However there’s no telling what this outcome would produce, having said previously that a government with no use for its subjects generally disposes of them. In many dystopian novels, there is not much the protagonist can do, with the usual situation being that in either outcome, whether they choose to rival the antagonist, or stay in the cruel situation they have been forced into, both will result in some sort of calamity. In Thomas’s case, he can either live within the governments boundaries, or defy them and risk death, or even the torture they experienced as kids.

At the end I can undeniably state that the governments across these texts use their population and status to control those around them, specifically those that are either seen as a threat, or an asset. A government or group needs to have an enemy to keep their people believing in their systems and keep them on track. If the society has a common enemy, then it is much easier for them to strive towards a common goal. The theme ‘A controlling government causes people to feel alienated’ is shown throughout the texts ‘Gathering Blue’ by Lois Lowry, ‘The Giver’, by Lois Lowry, ‘Legend’, by Marie Lu, and ‘The Maze Runner’ by James Dashner. To conclude, the characters across my texts all experienced alienation in the face of a controlling government. In order for members of a society to feel superior, they will alienate, manipulate and isolate minor groups and individuals, to keep the citizens within their society to keep standing by them, and define any who rival their systems, an enemy.

essay

Introduction: 

In the text “Touching the Void”, written by Joe Simpson, there was a point where the main character, Joe Simpson, felt very uncomfortable in the situation he was put into. Joe felt severely uncomfortable when he broke his leg while descending the mountain. Both Joe and Simon Yates, his climbing partner, felt that this was a death sentence and that there was no way to get him down the mountain. When Joe breaks his leg, there are many language techniques that make the reader feel involved in the situation, and effectively portray Joe’s thoughts and feelings. Joe uses these techniques to show the reader the direness of the situation that he is in, and ultimately putting the reader into his position to understand his reaction. The three main language techniques that Joe used are syntax, relationship, and emotive language to characterise his feelings.

Emotive Language:

Joe Simpson and Simon Yates are climbing partners, who had made the joint decision to scale the unclimbed West Face of the famous mountain, Siula Grande.  Once they reach the top, however, they realised that getting back down may not be as easy as it first seemed. When making their way down, Joe slips and injures his leg badly. Both of the men have abandoned hope, and see no use in attempting to get Joe down. Simon becomes determined to get Joe down the mountain and he invents a rope invention to assist in this. Yet again problems arise as Simon lets Joe go too fast and ends up suspended in the air, over the edge of a large crevasse. Simon turns to his only option, the knife in his pack, and cut the rope, freeing himself of the burden that is Joe Simpson. The author uses emotive language to make us feel sympathetic toward the victim (Joe) and angry or resentful of the perpetrator. Simon is now viewed upon by Joe as the perpetrator, because of his decision to cut the rope. When Joe is described as experiencing ‘a burning, searing agony’ and feeling trapped, we, as the reader, feel sympathetic because he didn’t deserve to get hurt. Simon, however, is presented in a different light, Joe’s words saying he was ‘resentful, cruel’.  This teaches us that

Relationship:

From the start of the text, Joe and Simon are repetitively described as being interdependent on each other. They rely on the other for their abilities and their knowledge of the others needs. This connection is what keeps the two men tied together, for if one falls then the other will surely fall down too. It is this reasoning that the severing of the rope is such a significant moment. When Joe breaks his leg, he is deprived of many of his climbing talents, talents which Simon relies on to keep himself, and Joe, alive. As time goes on, Joe is now a burden to Simon as he is slowing him down. When the time finally comes for Simon to cut the rope, the burden is released, and Simon is free of the responsibility weighing him down. This severed rope is, unbeknown to Simon, a symbol of their now severed relationship. What was once a united effort was now a solitary success. Simon made the decision to sacrifice Joe in order to save himself and it cost him his relationship with him. We learn from this that