RS FINAL

RS study guide

Philosophical approach

Philosophical approach

This approach focuses on themes, view of the world, moral statements, authors philosophy

Mein Kampf means

“My Struggle”. illustrates Hitlers views and power

Propaganda

information of a biased or misleading nature to appeal to or persuade a large audience

Hitler on Propaganda

“All propaganda must be popular and its intellectual level must be adjusted to the most limited intelligence among those it is addressed to”

1984 author

George Orwell

context of 1984

Post-World War 2, Oceania

characters of 1984

Winston Smith

Julia

O’Brien

Mr. Charrington

Syme

Mr. Parsons

Unperson

someone that was “vanished”; erased from existence

Newspeak

the language of Oceania, designed to limit expression and erase words

8 themes of 1984

1. dangers of Totalitarianism

2. psychological manipulation

3. physical control

4. mutability of the past/ control of history and information

5. technology

6. Language as mind control

7. loyalty

8. independence and identity

Big Brother

Propaganda tool used to inspire sense of both fear and security

The Party

the people in control of Oceania; seeks total power

the Brotherhood

secret resistance organization; adversary of the Party

Goldstein

face of the Brotherhood, revealed to possibly be fictional and used for Party propaganda

Winston Smith

Main protagonist; seeks to find identity and truth, wants social rebellion

Julia

second protagonist, Winston’s lover; seeks momentary pleasure in personal rebellion

O’Brien

member of the Party, traps and tortures Winston (personified version of Big Brother)

Mr. Charrington

Prole shopkeeper; later revealed as a member of the ThoughtPolice

Syme

Intelligent Party member in charge of Newspeak dictionary; is later vanished

Mr. Parsons

thoughtless and devoted Party member; later betrayed by his children

The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism

Goldsteins book which explains the rise and power of the Party

St. Clements rhyme purpose

represents innocence of the past; also is a unifying element throughout the book and foreshadows Winstons failure

The Red Armed Prole Woman

symbolizes the freedoms and vitality of the Proles; embodies Winstons idea of “hope lies with the Proles”

The Proles

Non-party members that considered to be like animals; unintelligent, hard labor working class, physically more free

purpose of Winston’s reintegration

displays the complete control of the Party over mind, body, and spirit

enemies and allies of Oceania

Eurasia and Eastasia

Waterlily characters

1. Grandmother (KilledbyTree)

2. Blue Bird (mother)

3. Star Elk (bio father)

4. Waterlily

5. Gloku

6. Old Man

7. Dream Woman (aunt)

8. Black Eagle (uncle)

9. First Woman (aunt)

10. Rainbow (step father)

11. Little Chief (step-brother)

Hunka meaning

“blessed child”; ceremony of adoption and holy promise to be generous

Kola meaning

“adoption”; highest degree of devotion between friends

giveaways

cultural practice to show honor and love

winter counts

buffalo hide depicting the main story of each year in the past; used by the Storyteller

Counting Coup/ Strike Coup

touching an enemy without killing them or dying; record of a warriors honor

storytelling

teaches tradition and gives spiritual guidance; recounts history through a narrative

kinship “avoidance”

when one gender of a family avoids the in-laws of the opposite gender; signs of respect

“bought” wife

a high honor; considered a desirable woman

Ghost lodge

keeping an empty residence in honor of dead loved ones spirit

Kit Fox Society

highly honorable society within the camps; responsible for security and maintaining order

Sun Dance

a period of spiritual renewal for many tribes

Waterlily’s first husband died from…

small pox

5 characteristics of Romanticism

1. common person or childhood

2. strong senses, emotions, and feelings

3. awe of nature

4. celebration of individual

5. imagination

5 characteristics of Naturalism

1. scientific detachment

2. determinism (life is decided for you/ no true free will)

3. pessimism

4. poverty or miserable circumstance

5. indifferent or hostile nature

Etymology means

1. the history and origin of a word i.e. Latin Roots

2. historical evolution of language

Pragmatic means

realistic or utilitarian

an academic essay has (5)

1. complex ideas

2. motive leads to thesis

3. natural tension

4. analysis and evidence

5. inductive or deductive reasoning

Plato defined knowledge as

the right or true belief for the right reason

Rhetoric is

the art of persuasion

Wisdom is

knowledge + experience

divergent thinking is

1 idea to many possibilities

convergent thinking is

many possibilities become 1 idea

Subjective truth means

emotional, personal preference

Relative truth means

in relation to ideas, experience, knowledge, opinions

5 Formalist questions

1. How do language and symbols make meaning?

2. what are the roles of character, setting, and point of view?

3. How are irony, paradox, imagery, and metaphor used?

4. How do the structure and other elements create unity of form?

5. Does the work have internal tensions that influence meaning?

Formalist critique does not

look at emotional impact, bias, or purpose

5 Historical critiques

1. What specific historical events were happening when the work was being composed?

2. What events does the work deal with?

3. what ways did history effect writers outlook

4. what ways did history affect style, language, content?

5. in what ways and for what reasons did the writer alter historical events?