MSS Lit P1 ANS

Setter: Mdm Salwati Salim Marsiling Secondary School GCE O-Level Preliminary Examination 2020 Subject: English Literature (2274/02) [Answer Booklet] Level: 4 Course: EXP Date: 26 August 2020 Duration: 1 hr 40mins Name: __________________________ Index No: ______ Class: 4E

2 Question 1 (a) How does Bradbury strongly criticise censorship in the novel? Students should discuss the types of censorship in the novel:  Banning and burning of books Censoring literature is the dystopian state's way of suppressing intellectual thought and discourse, which can present challenges to the regime. The totalitarian government of Bradbury's dystopian society uses the fireman institution to censor litera ture. The firemen search for books and arrest any individuals possessing them. The authorities also burn the confiscated books and often destroy the homes of criminals. The threat of having one's home and library burnt mirrors the use of violent police tactics used in totalitarian states.  Altered and restricted information Another aspect of Bradbury's dystopian society that mimics a totalitarian state concerns the government's use of propaganda. Along with the censorship of literature, the government uses the media to distract citizens from the dire conditions of the state. While the nation is at war and civilians live meaningless lives, the government uses mass media to entertain the population and keep them misinformed. Intellectual pursuits are discouraged throughout the school system, and material consumption is propagated throughout society. Citizens remain docile and passively accept the conditions of the state through constant entertainment and psychologically debilitating drugs. The government's auth ority and ability to turn every television station towards the police chase indicates that the state controls the media, just like in a totalitarian regime. History is also distorted and altered to ensure that the government remains in power. For example, a historical referenced by Beatty in the novel shows that firemen have always burned books and nothing else. Students should then explore how censorship is not beneficial to the society in F451.  The censorship of literature results in a violent and super ficial society which lacks the ability to analyse its dangerous actions (e.g. Mildred’s attempted suicide) , eventually leading to its destruction at the end of the novel. (b) Discuss the role of nature in the novel. Possible discussion points:  Nature as innocence and life (e.g. Clarisse vs Mildred) Clarisse’s affinity with nature sparks Montag’s awakening and change, versus Mildred, whose obsession with technology disconnect her from reality and the world around her.  Nature as an opposing force to the destructiveness of technology (e.g. Mechanical Hound vs the Deer, One-eyed snake blood