1984 by George Orwell is one of the many novels that Mr. Emerling’s AP English Language and Composition class will be reading this year. Orwell wrote the novel to warn citizens about propaganda and political lies. However, in more recent times, most of the events he wrote about have begun to come true. Mr. Emerling comments, “When [Orwell] wrote the novel, I don’t think he intended it to be a ‘How-to’ manual.”
Students are assigned 1984 because of how well it can be compared to the reality we currently live in. One of Mr. Emerling's students, senior Autumn Jones, is currently reading the novel. She says, “Honestly, 1984 has made me personally stop and think about some things differently, especially when Mr. Emerling is constantly able to connect it to real situations that are going on today. When students read novels like this, I feel it gives us the encouragement that we need to focus on what is going on in society. In Mr. Emerling's class we also focus on that quite a bit, especially throughout the 1984 lesson. 1984 opens our eyes to an exceptional amount of societal issues that most of us either had no idea existed or had no idea that this could be perceived as wrong in a way that it is expressed through 1984.”
In reading this novel, students learn to the extent at which it is necessary to think for yourself and the consequences if that is taken from you. Although 1984 was published in 1949, many of the lessons to be learned still ring true.
Photo Credit: Greer Worley
Pictured: Art created for 1984 project last year
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