Integrating AO3 and AO4
Lesson aim: To effectively integrate
AO3/4
What connects these?
AO4
3
1
2
Example
The central, arguably the only feature of a dystopian world is that there is a drive
towards the annihilation of the individual spirit. We can see this in The Handmaid’s
Tale where Offred is desperate concerned with her own name as a remnant of her
individuality. The name ‘Of-fred’ objectifies her, making her merely a possession of
another, instead she longs for the identity of her previous name; “I want to be held
and told my name. I want to be valued, in ways that I am not; I want to be more than
valuable. I repeat my former name, remind myself of what I once could do, how others
saw me. “ The repetition of the personal pronoun ‘I’ reaffirms Offred as an individual
with a discreet identity. Atwood distinguishes between the words ‘valued’ , to
indicate the inherent value as an individual that Offred felt prior to the Gileadean
regime, and ‘valuable’, suggesting she is now merely seen as a commodity, only having
value in terms of what she can be used for. Ironically by creating a dystopia which is
articulated through a 1st person narrative perspective, Atwood triumphs the
importance of the individual in the world, directly undermining the oppression of the
Dystopian regime. Atwood was writing a distinctly feminine dystopia in response to
the backlash against second wave feminism that was taking place in the USA in the
1980s. She was concerned that the sexual and political freedoms that women had
strived to gain during the 70s and 80s were being overpowered by a dominant
masculine government that wanted to return to the patriarchal image of the 50s
woman; essentially one defined in relation to men. It is this world that Atwood is
satirising in The Handmaid’s Tale.
Add Some AO4 to this!
• Ray Bradbury’s dystopian world is also concerned with the
importance of the individual, however he explores this idea through
the importance of the individual's freedom of thought. By
restricting access to literature and overwhelming citizens with light
entertainment, the powers-that-be in Bradbury’s novel restrict the
freedom of individual thought by removing the very opportunities
that create it. Montag slowly realises that the most important thing
is to have free will and make decisions as an individual. He says to
Faber "I don't want to change sides and just be told what to do.
There's no reason to change if I do that." Even though Faber’s point
of view is clearly preferred by Bradbury to that of Mildred or
Beatty, he is emphasising the necessity for each individual to make
his own decisions. Indeed this is the very thing a dystopian novel
allows a writer to do, explore ideas and perspectives without
enforcing the same oppression of thought on their readers that
they are warning against.
AO3- Different Perspectives
• Narratological: Concerns itself with the structure
of narrative--how events are constructed and
through what point of view. You might ask, "How
is the narrative of this work pieced together?
Who or what is narrating?" This considers the
narrator not necessarily as a person, but more as
a window through which one sees a constructed
reality.
• Links to: Gaze Theory. 1st vs 3rd person narrative.
Objective and subjective viewpoints.
AO3- Different Perspectives
• Psychoanalytic: Such criticism aims at uncovering the
working of the human mind--especially the expression
of the unconscious. Involves looking for symbolism and
repressed meaning, or developing a psychological
analysis of a character. Three ideas found in the work
of Sigmund Freud are particularly useful: the
dominance of the unconscious mind over the
conscious, the expression of the unconscious mind
through symbols (often in dreams), and sexuality as a
powerful force for motivating human behaviour.
• Links to: Themes of sexual repression. Superego vs. Id
(repression of individual impulse)
AO3- Different Perspectives
• Marxism is concerned with labour practices,
class, and economics, especially as concerned
with the struggles of the poor and oppressed. A
Marxist might ask, "How are classes
stratified/defined in this text? Does this text
reflect an economic ideology? What is the
attitude toward labor furthered by this text?“
• Links to: Consumption culture in F451 and BNW
AO3- Different Perspectives
• Feminist Criticism examine works by and about
women. Gender Criticism evolved out of feminism to
address issues of masculinity/femininity as opposites,
and differences in sexes. Both are political activities
concerned with fair representation and treatment of
people. A critic using Feminist Studies or Gender
Studies might ask, "How is gender constructed or
deconstructed in this text? Is the view of the text
gendered or sexist?”
• Links to: Handmaid’s tale, BNW.
AO3- Different Perspectives
• Philosophical perspective: Engaging with the text
from the perspective of the different
philosophical perspectives presented in it e.g.
• Utilitarianism: "it is the greatest happiness of the
greatest number that is the measure of right and
wrong“(A Fragment on Government, Bentham)
• Cogito ergo sum (English: "I think, therefore I
am") (Rene Descartes Discourse on Method 1637)
Independent thought defines existence.
• Links to: Utopia vs Dystopia
AO3- Different Perspectives
• Christian Religious allegory: The text is interpreted from a
Christian perspective. Our world is seen as a fallen version
of paradise (Eden). Man is scared with the mark of Cain
(symbol of original sin) and it is impossible to attain true
paradise on earth. Man was given free will by God which
distinguishes him from all of God’s creations, however it
was this free will that led to Eve’s disobedience and Man’s
banishment from paradise- thus it is both his gift and his
curse.
• Links to- Handmaid’s tale, Dystopia vs Utopia- John Milton
(Paradise Lost Satan: “Better to reign in Hell than serve in
Heaven.”)
Where can we add AO3?
The central, arguably the only feature of a dystopian world is that
there is a drive towards the annihilation of the individual spirit. We can
see this in The Handmaid’s Tale where Offred is desperate concerned
with her own name as a remnant of her individuality. The name ‘Offred’ objectifies her, making her merely a possession of another,
instead she longs for the identity of her previous name; “I want to be
held and told my name. I want to be valued, in ways that I am not; I
want to be more than valuable. I repeat my former name, remind
myself of what I once could do, how others saw me. “ The repetition of
the personal pronoun ‘I’ reaffirms Offred as an individual with a
discreet identity. Atwood distinguishes between the words ‘valued’ ,
to indicate the inherent value as an individual that Offred felt prior to
the Gileadean regime, and ‘valuable’, suggesting she is now merely
seen as a commodity, only having value in terms of what she can be
used for. Ironically by creating a dystopia which is articulated through a
1st person narrative perspective, Atwood triumphs the importance of
the individual in the world, directly undermining the oppression of the
Dystopian regime.
A bit too much I know but its to illustrate a point.
The central, arguably the only feature of a dystopian world is that there is a drive towards
the annihilation of the individual spirit. We can see this in The Handmaid’s Tale where Offred
is desperate concerned with her own name as a remnant of her individuality. The name ‘Offred’ objectifies her, making her merely a possession of another, instead she longs for the
identity of her previous name; “I want to be held and told my name. I want to be valued, in
ways that I am not; I want to be more than valuable. I repeat my former name, remind
myself of what I once could do, how others saw me. “ The repetition of the personal
pronoun ‘I’ reaffirms Offred as an individual with a discreet identity. Atwood distinguishes
between the words ‘valued’ , to indicate the inherent value as an individual that Offred felt
prior to the Gileadean regime, and ‘valuable’, suggesting she is now merely seen as a
commodity, only having value in terms of what she can be used for. Ironically by creating a
dystopia which is articulated through a 1st person narrative perspective, Atwood triumphs
the importance of the individual in the world, directly undermining the oppression of the
Dystopian regime. From a Feminist Critical perspective it is clear that the Gileadean regime is
a harsh satire on the patriarchal oppression of women in contemporary society, where they
are seen as ‘objects’ defined by their relationship to a dominant masculine ideology.
Furthermore, from a Marxist perspective the differentiation between ‘valued’ and ‘valuable’
reflects the oppression of capitalist (masculine) ideology where individuals are purely
defined by their economic or social capital, as means of production (or in this case
reproduction) rather than valued individuals. From a Narratalogical critical perspective it is
clear that Atwood is overtly challenging the patriarchal, capitalist hegemony by using a
female narrative perspective to portray her dystopia. Ironically, Offred has the most power
in the fictional world of Gilead as she is our sole means of access to it. According to Gaze
theory the perspective from which we view events holds the Narratalogical and ideological
power as they interpret the world in order to shape our understanding of it. Thus while
within the context of the dystopian world Offred is objectified, she is actually the creator of
meaning for the reader.
AO3 Links between texts
• What links these texts?
The genre of dystopian literature!
Continuous linking
• In Huxley’s dystopia genetic modification and eugenics has
reached the point that members of society are limited in
their actions from the moment they are born. A
combination of genetic determinism and conditioning
means that people are incapable of independence. When
Lenina is asked “But wouldn't you like to be free to be
happy in some other way, Lenina? In your own way, for
example; not in everybody else's way.“ her response is “I
don’t know what you mean”. Huxley is questioning whether
being happy in ‘everybody else’s way is true happiness, or,
in fact, we need to be happy in our own, individual way.
Huxley questions what the true definition of happiness is
and the unanimous conclusion seems to be that happiness
is something that we choose as an individual rather than
something that is imposed on us.
Continuous linking
• Unlike in The Handmaid’s Tale where genetic conditioning involves the
State’s manipulation of the process of reproduction, In Huxley’s dystopia
genetic modification and eugenics has reached the point that the state can
limit members of society in their actions from the moment they are born.
A combination of genetic determinism and conditioning means that
people are incapable of independence. When Lenina is asked “But
wouldn't you like to be free to be happy in some other way, Lenina? In
your own way, for example; not in everybody else's way.“ her response is “I
don’t know what you mean”. Huxley is questioning whether being happy
in ‘everybody else’s way is true happiness, or, in fact, we need to be happy
in our own, individual way. A similar point is raised by Bradbury when
Montag realises that he must make his own decisions on what to believe
“"I don't want to change sides and just be told what to do. There's no
reason to change if I do that.” Both Bradbury and Huxley question what
the true definition of happiness is and the unanimous conclusion seems to
be that happiness is something that we choose as an individual rather
than something that is imposed on us.
What do you need to do?
• Think about your own work and try to use
some of the techniques we have discussed
today.
• 3rd draft due next Thursday.