The Ministry of Truth

Winston’s job at the Ministry of Truth is to change newspapers so the Party’s predictions are never wrong and Big Brother is always right. The original piece of writing is destroyed, except for one copy that is kept in the Records Department. However, since there is only one existing original copy, there is nothing to confirm the information. The only thing that can confirm the original information is memory, which most citizens seem to lack. Whenever the Party presents information, it is blindly accepted by the population. Winston wonders how people can accept such blatantly contradicting facts.

            This is the point that Orwell is trying to make about society. It angers him that the people are so willing to blindly follow whatever the ruler says. Orwell wants people to think for themselves and think logically about events.

            There is also a long conversation between Winston and Syme, who is an expert on Newspeak. Syme tells Winston that one day, Newspeak will not possess any words that have to do with freedom, rebellion, or revolution. Once these words are out of the vocabulary, rebellion will not be a concept, making people completely unable to even possess thoughts about revolution. Orwell is warning the population of what will happen if the totalitarian dictators are not stopped. He believes that one day, the totalitarian governments will be so suppressive that freedom won’t even be a concept. Orwell fears this day and is trying to warn everyone to take action.

            In Winston’s work at the ministry, he can also create fictional people for Big Brother to commemorate. Winston finds it interesting that these imaginary people are respected more in death than actual people who have disappeared. Orwell dislikes this disregard for human life, and that once someone has disappeared, their disappearance is not even questioned.

            Reading this book in present day society, Orwell warns the readers against submitting to totalitarian rule, and not to take our basic rights for granted.

Explication of Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken"

On the surface of “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, the narrator appears to be conflicted about which path to choose in the woods. The narrator wants to travel both paths. One path is the one more frequently traveled. The other path is the path that is less frequently traveled, and it “is grassy and wants wear” (8). The narrator wants to travel one path that next and travel the other path on a different day. However, he knows that once he chooses a path, he will most likely never be able to walk down the second one. He says “Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how ways leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back” (13-15). The last stanza shows that the poem is really a metaphor for decisions in life. When making the decision, we are not sure how the decision will affect the rest of our lives. However, once we make this decision, there is no turning back. The narrator knows that his decision will make a big impact on his life, and he says “I shall be telling this with a sigh someone ages and ages hence” (16-17). In the end, the narrator decides to take the path that is less chosen, saying, “I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference” (19-20). The narrator does not regret his decision to take the less-chosen path, and instead is grateful that he chose the option that is right for him, rather than conforming to the rest of the population.

The poem is divided into stanzas that help show the narrator’s progression of thought. The first stanza presents the reader with the image of two paths. The third and fourth stanzas describe each path; the path that is frequented by travelers and the path that is rarely traveled. The last stanza shows which path the narrator chose, and the consequences of choosing that path.

Explication of "Harlem" by Langston Hughes

In Langston Hughes’s Harlem, Hughes wonders about what happens to a delayed dream. Hughes first wonders if the dream “dries up like a raisin in the sun” (2-3). Just like a grape turning into a raisin, Hughes thinks forgotten dreams lose their lively qualities and shrivel up. After a grape becomes a raisin, it can never be changed back. Hughes wonders if a deferred dream is the same way; once it’s gone, it can never be reclaimed.

            Hughes’s next idea is if the dream “festers like a sore” (4). Instead of the dream being forgotten, Hughes wonders if the dream constantly bothers the dreamer and is a source of constant pain, like a sore. Hughes offers other forms it may take to the dreamer, such as “rotten meat” (6) or a crusted over syrup. Hughes also wonders if the dream “sags like a heavy load” (9-10). This means that the dream would weigh down the dreamer as a constant reminder of how the dream was not accomplished. The deferred dream may become a burden. Hughes’s last question is if the dream explodes. This means the dream can no longer be contained, so eventually it comes back; ready to finally be accomplished after all that time.

            This poem uses many similes to describe the nature of the deferred dream. The poem also uses a rhyme scheme that adds to the flow of the poem. The separation of the stanzas also helps gives emphasis to the various parts of the poem. In the beginning, all the similes are in the same stanza. In the next stanza, Hughes brings up the idea that the dream is burdensome like a heavy load. Since this idea is separate, it is emphasized as the most important idea. The last line of the poem, “Or does it explode?” (11), is by itself and is italicized. This takes the newly placed emphasis away from the second stanza, showing that Hughes clearly thinks this is the best answer. However, it also shows Hughes’s curiously about the subject, since Hughes himself has wondered about his own dreams.

The Most Villainous of the Evil

Throughout King Lear, most of the characters have proven themselves to be villainous and disloyal. However, there are a few characters that rank above the rest in their amounts of villainous behavior.

            Edmund is a man who holds no bond sacred. He deceives both his brother and father, all in the quest to gain power. Not only is he deceitful, but he is also willing for others to die as a result of his actions. This evil nature is especially apparent when Edmund tells Cornwall of Gloucester’s alliance with Lear. He does not give a second thought when Cornwall declares that Gloucester should be killed. Arguably there is a reason that Edmund is angry at Gloucester; he was constantly regarded as the lesser son and Gloucester was embarrassed to be his father. However, there is no reason for Edmund to have so much hatred towards Edgar. Edgar treated Edmund like a true brother, trusting him and confiding in him. Edmund completely misuses this trust to stab Edgar in the back. Once Edgar runs away, Edmund forgets about him and searches for his next victim.

            Goneril is a villain to all throughout the play, and destroys lives with no regard for others. Goneril has a certain amount of control over Regan, so Goneril gets the blame as the mastermind of the evil treatment of Lear. She ruthlessly casts him out to suffer in the storm, hopefully that it will lead to his demise. After learning that Lear is still alive, she makes sure that those who help Lear will be punished as well as plot to kill Lear himself. She then punishes Gloucester by removing his eyes. Regan’s idea to kill Gloucester is cruel, but at the same time uncreative. Goneril creates a twisted scheme to be sure that Gloucester will continue to suffer after the punishment, rather than escaping her though death.

            Therefore, while both characters are evil, Goneril is the most villainous character in the play. Edmund deceives others but doesn’t do any of the dirty work himself. Goneril, on the other hand, takes direct action to inflict pain on the innocent.

Explication of Robert Frost's "Bereft"

In Robert Frost’s poem Bereft, the speaker is hiding inside his home while a storm rages on outside. The storm knows the speaker is lonely and depressed. Throughout the poem, nature is personified as torturing the speaker and constantly reminding him of his sadness. The season is changing from summer to autumn and the narrator does not like that the leaves fall off the trees. He says “Leaves got up in a coil and hissed, blindly stuck my knee and missed” (9-10). The narrator uses a metaphor to describe how the wind picks up the leaves and makes them nearly hit the narrator. The narrator believes the leaves are purposely trying to hit him. This poem also has a lot of imagery, especially in the line “Looking down the hill to the frothy shore?” (6). This line makes the reader image looking down at the ocean and seeing the white froth on the shore. This evokes the idea that the narrator is contemplating suicide to relieve them of their sadness. The main idea of this poem is that the narrator feels isolated and lonely, shown through the lines “Word I was in my life along, word I had no one left but God” (15-16). These lines demonstrate that someone very close to the narrator has passed away.

            The idea of loneliness is also very apparent in King Lear. After being betrayed by Goneril and Regan, Lear has no one left to turn to. Right when Lear feels most alone, a massive storm begins. This storm further reminds Lear of his daughters’ betrayal. The storm outside reminds Lear of the struggle taking place within his own head, since he has nothing left and nowhere to go. Just like in the poem, nature is a constant reminder of the emotion that Lear wants to ignore. Lear also perceives nature to be working against him as an antagonist, just like how the narrator of the poem believes nature is the enemy.

A Complicated Relationship

King Lear was deceived by the people who he holds most dear. Goneril and Regan, who he has nourished and supported, turn their backs on Lear and leave him out in the storm to suffer. With nothing left, Lear has nowhere to direct his anger but to the raging storm. Lear shouts “Bids the wind blow the earth into the sea, or swell the curled waters ‘bove the main” (3.1.5-6).  Lear is pleading with nature to let him die. Lear further shows his anger towards his daughters’ betrayal, saying “Crack nature’s molds, all germens spill out at once that makes ungrateful men” (3.2.10-11). Lear figures that nature is the reason that Goneril and Regan are ungrateful and asks that nature creates no more ungrateful people.

            Lear then says “Nor rain, wind, thunder, fire are my daughters. I tax not you, with unkindness. I never gave you kingdom, called you children; You owe me subscriptions” (3.2.17-20). Lear admits to himself that he has no control anymore. He has lost control of his life and his power, and he realizes that he has no control over nature. However, he still harbors great animosity towards nature because he feels like nature has taken his daughters’ side in the argument.

            However, Lear also feels like nature does some good in exposing criminals. Lear warns criminals “Tremble, thou wretch, That hast within thee undivulged crimes unwhipped of justice” (3.2.54-56). Here, Lear is saying that anyone who committed a secret crime should be fearful of the storm.

Lear reveals his overarching reason for his hatred of the storm within his mind; that it reminds him of his children’s ingratitude. Lear exclaims “This tempest in my mind doth from my senses take all feeling else save what beats there. Filial ingratitude!” (3.4.15-17). An aspect of nature that Lear despises is that fact that nature can’t be escaped. This relates to his feelings, too, because he is obsessing over his situation and isn’t thinking about anything else. Lear hates the fact that he can’t escape his own head.

Lear’s encounter with Edgar gives him another revelation about nature. He realizes that since Edgar isn’t wearing clothes made out of nature, he is not indebted to nature in any way. This gives Lear the idea to take his own clothes off as well. Lear hopes that by freeing himself from nature’s debt, he will no longer feel an obligation, thus feeling a sense of freedom.

Why is Everyone so Gullible?

In Act II of King Lear, Edmund shows his true deceitful nature. He uses trickery to run Edgar out of the kingdom and secure Gloucester’s inheritance. Once Edmund hears that the Duke of Cornwall is planning a visit, he decides that will be the perfect time to carry out his plan. Edmund knows that Gloucester wants to have Edgar arrested, so he makes sure that Edgar runs away. He tells Edgar that Gloucester knows where he’s hiding but he has a chance to leave while it’s dark. Edmund twists the reason of Cornwall’s visit to scare Edgar, telling him that he is coming to have him punished. Edmund then tricks Edgar into drawing his sword and cuts his own arm. Once Gloucester enters the room, he pretends like Edgar attacked him. Edmund tells Gloucester that Edgar tried to persuade him to conspire with him and got angry when Edmund refused. His trickery is all to accomplish one goal- to receive Gloucester’s inheritance. Gloucester feels so deceived by Edgar that he tells Edmund he will find a way for him to become his heir.

            Edmund’s deceitfulness also shows a lot about others. All the characters are so quick to believe Edmund, causing them to make very impulsive decisions. Edgar believes that Gloucester is angry at him and runs away without hesitation, not even stopping to ask Gloucester why he is angry. After hearing of Edgar’s “plan” to kill him, Gloucester demands that Edgar will be executed and whoever helps hide him will be punished. The Duke of Cornwall also falls for Edmund’s tricks. After hearing stories about how loyal he is to Gloucester, Cornwall decides that he wants Edmund to work for him. This is all because Cornwall believes Edmund is trustworthy and virtuous. These impulsive decisions made by Gloucester and Cornwall show that they are impulsive and gullible, since they both make rash decisions about Edgar’s death sentence without even trying to listen to his side of the story.