Teacher Guide for FAST-R Passage: Foreword to Amusing Ourselves to
FAST-R: Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading
At a Glance
Approximate
Grade Range:
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Genre: Literary criticism essay
Topic: Postman contrasts the visions of the future expressed in
1984 and Brave New World
Author: Neil Postman
Source: Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985)
Death (Literary Criticism Essay)
Difficulty Index: Considerate . . . . . . . . . . . . Challenging
Structure:
Purpose:
Richness:
Relationships:
Vocabulary:
Style:
Lexile Measure: 960L
In the following passage, the contemporary social critic Neil
Postman contrasts George Orwell’s vision of the future, as
expressed in the novel 1984 (written in 1948), with that of
Aldous Huxley in the novel Brave New World (1932). Read the
passage, considering Postman’s assertion that Huxley’s vision is
more relevant today than in Orwell’s.
Structure & Purpose: The purpose is made explicit
in the italicized introduction, and the structure serves
the purpose: the first paragraph references Orwell’s
“prophecy,” the second contrasts that with Huxley’s
vision, and the third contrasts the two writers’ fears.
See especially: Questions 3, 5, 6, 7, 8
Foreword
from Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman
1 We were keeping our eyes on 1984. When the year
came and the prophecy didn’t, thoughtful Americans sang
softly in praise of themselves. The roots of liberal democracy
had held. Wherever else the terror had happened, we, at
least, had not been visited by Orwellian nightmares.
2 But we had forgotten that alongside Orwell’s dark
vision, there was another—slightly older, slightly less well
known, equally chilling: Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.
Contrary to common belief even among the educated, Huxley and Orwell did not prophesy the same thing. Orwell
warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed
oppression. But in Huxley’s version, no Big Brother is
required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity, and
history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to
think.
3 What Orwell feared were those who would ban books.
What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to
ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read
one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that
we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared
that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared
the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell
feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared
we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some
equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal
Richness: To contrast visions of society as described in
books that students may not have read, they must keep
track of which author has which vision, as well as which
one Postman subtly implies is most relevant to today’s
world.
See especially: Question 3
Style: Postman lays out points in clear, simple syntax and
a consistent point-counterpoint pattern.
The final sentence of each paragraph sums up its most
important idea. Text clues like “but” signal transitions.
See especially: Questions 2, 3, 7
Continued on next page
FAST-R: Formative Assessments in Student Thinking in Reading. The passage text by Neil Postman is from Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985). Copyright © 1985 by Neil Postman.
Some questions were drawn or adapted from the 2005 AP English Test. All other materials are Copyright 2007 by the Boston Plan for Excellence.
bumblepuppy. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World, the
civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert
to oppose tyranny “failed to take into account man’s almost
infinite appetite for distractions.” In 1984, Huxley added,
people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New
World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short,
Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared
that what we love will ruin us.
Vocabulary: The text contains lots of rich, potentially
unfamiliar vocabulary.
See especially: Underlined words in the text
(1985)
Spotlight On: Literary Criticism
“Literary criticism” is the study, analysis, and interpretation of
literature. Literary critics often approach texts from a particular
theoretical perspective—trying to understand, for instance,
how literature shapes and is shaped by a society’s concepts of
race, class, gender, technology, significant social events, and
many more. Various critics reading the same text often have
different interpretations depending on which concept each
critic is using as his or her “lens” for analysis.
Neil Postman is a social critic who critiques the rise of television
as a medium of communication in the modern world, arguing
that it lends itself to entertainment but not to education or
meaningful debate about important issues. In this essay, he
uses the literature of Orwell and Huxley to frame his discussion
about the kind of society the U.S. is becoming.
Ideas for Connected Writing Activities
• Read the passage, considering Postman’s
assertion that Huxley’s vision is more relevant
today than is Orwell’s. Then, using your own
critical understanding of contemporary society as
evidence, write a carefully argued essay that agrees
or disagrees with Postman’s assertion.
Humanities Connection:
• Research the reception of both books in American
society. Look at references in popular culture.
• Research the shift from modernism to postmodernism, exploring the impact of rapid
technological advances in American culture.
FAST-R: Formative Assessments in Student Thinking in Reading. The passage text by Neil Postman is from Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985). Copyright © 1985 by Neil Postman.
Some questions were drawn or adapted from the 2005 AP English Test. All other materials are Copyright 2007 by the Boston Plan for Excellence.
Teacher Guide for FAST-R Passage: Foreword to Amusing Ourselves to
FAST-R: Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading
Death (Literary Criticism Essay)
The annotated answer key below highlights common reasons students might choose each answer, and the sidebar gives more
insight into the question types, to help you understand patterns of student responses. Always make time to follow up with students
in conferences or small groups to probe their thinking, teach in response to patterns, and help them apply effective reading and
thinking strategies to their everyday reading.
Note: You may find it helpful to refer to the “Types and Levels of Thinking Assessed on FAST-R” sheet from your teacher
resource folder as you examine your students’ responses. The icon in the right-hand column, below, corresponds to that sheet’s
more detailed explanations of the kinds of thinking each type of question asks of readers.
1. Who is the “we” referred to in lines 1-5?
A. fellow writers (OOB)
 B. thoughtful Americans (¶1)
C. Orwellian disciples (OOP2, ¶1)
D. prophets (OOP2 (¶1)
FE2: Recognize evidence
explicitly stated at
multiple locations or
with varied wording in
the text
2. Which of the following sentences would be the best addition to paragraph 1?
A. Liberal democracy had been a longstanding institution in America. (OOP1)
B. 1948 was the most important year of the decade. (OOP2, words in italics)
 C. We had not become the society Orwell predicted.
D. We were not asleep. (OOB)
MI3: Determine
implicit meaning
by understanding
the organization of
information in the text
3. The use of the conjunction “But” in the first line of paragraph 2 suggests
A. An idea contrary to Orwell’s. (OOP1)
 B. An idea comparable to an “Orwellian nightmare”. (based on ¶1)
C. The liberal roots of democracy had held. (OOP2, ¶1)
D. We are truly safe. (OOB)
MI1: Determine implicit
meaning from words in
context
4. A synonym for “prophesy” in paragraph 2 could include
A. vision (OOP1, ¶2)
 B. predict
C. nightmare (OOP2, ¶1)
D. impose (OOP2, ¶2)
FE2: Recognize the
explicit meaning from
varied wording in the
text
5. The sentence that best paraphrases the final sentence of paragraph 2 is
A. Huxley saw people being oppressed and detesting the technology that oppressed them. (OOP2, ¶2)
B. Huxley believed people would love their oppressors and the capacity of computers. (OOP2, ¶2)
 C. Huxley believed people would enjoy losing their liberties and love not
having to think for themselves
D. People would be deprived of their autonomy, maturity, and history. (OOP1,
¶2)
FE2: Recognize evidence
explicitly stated at
multiple locations or
with varied wording in
the text
FAST-R: Formative Assessments in Student Thinking in Reading. The passage text by Neil Postman is from Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985). Copyright © 1985 by Neil Postman.
Some questions were drawn or adapted from the 2005 AP English Test. All other materials are Copyright 2007 by the Boston Plan for Excellence.
Grade 11• Literary Criticism Essay • Foreword to Amusing Ourselves to Death
6. According to Postman, the “educated community” believed that
A. Huxley and Orwell wrote the same book. (OOP2)
B. Huxley and Orwell predicted two distinct paths to destruction for American
people. (OOP1, ¶2)
 C. Huxley and Orwell predicted a similar path to destruction for American
society. (¶2, “Contrary to common belief...”)
D. Huxley and Orwell shared a vision that American society would be invaded
by creatures from outer space. (OOB, but “Orwellian” according to popular
culture)
FE2: Recognize evidence
explicitly stated at
multiple locations or
with varied wording in
the text
7. What is the purpose of paragraph 3?
A. to describe Orwell’s fears (OOP1)
 B. to compare and contrast Orwell and Huxley’s fears
C. to describe Huxley’s fears (OOP1)
D. to compare and contrast the author’s fears with those of Huxley and Orwell
(OOB)
MI2: Determine a single
implicit meaning from
the total of a particular
paragraph
8. What idea is Postman contrasting when he says “we would be reduced to passivity and egoism”?
 A. Orwell’s fear that we wouldn’t have access to enough information
B. people will come to love their oppression (OOP2, ¶2)
C. Huxley’s chilling prophecy (OOP2, ¶3)
D. we would have so much information that we wouldn’t care about it (OOP2)
MI1: Determine implicit
meaning from words in
context
9. The “feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy” refers to
 A. aspects of a trivial culture. (¶3)
B. aspects of a captive culture. (OOP1, ¶3)
C. aspects of 1984. (OOP2, ¶1)
D. aspects of 1948. (OOP2, italics preceding passage)
FE1: Identify evidence
explicitly stated in the
text
10. The author’s purpose in writing this essay is to
A. debunk antiquated prophecies. (OOP2)
B. warn society about the danger of books. (OOP2)
 C. call attention to how contemporary society is fulfilling Huxley’s vision.
D. call attention to how contemporary society is fulfilling Orwell’s vision.
(OOP2)
MI2: Determine a single
implicit meaning from
the total text
FAST-R: Formative Assessments in Student Thinking in Reading. The passage text by Neil Postman is from Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985). Copyright © 1985 by Neil Postman.
Some questions were drawn or adapted from the 2005 AP English Test. All other materials are Copyright 2007 by the Boston Plan for Excellence.
FAST-R
+
Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading
Name
Foreword to Amusing Ourselves to Death
Literary Criticism Essay
Date
Teacher/Class
In the following passage, the contemporary social critic Neil Postman contrasts
George Orwell’s vision of the future, as expressed in the novel 1984 (written in 1948),
with that of Aldous Huxley in the novel Brave New World (1932). Read the passage,
considering Postman’s assertion that Huxley’s vision is more relevant today than is
Orwell’s.
Foreword
from Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman
1
We were keeping our eyes on 1984. When the year came and the prophecy didn’t,
thoughtful Americans sang softly in praise of themselves. The roots of liberal democracy
had held. Wherever else the terror had happened, we, at least, had not been visited by
Orwellian nightmares.
2
But we had forgotten that alongside Orwell’s dark vision, there was another—
slightly older, slightly less well known, equally chilling: Aldous Huxley’s Brave New
World. Contrary to common belief even among the educated, Huxley and Orwell did not
prophesy the same thing. Orwell warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression. But in Huxley’s version, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of
their autonomy, maturity, and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.
3
What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was
that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to
read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those
who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell
feared that the truth would be concealed from
Spotlight On: Literary Criticism
us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned
“Literary criticism” is the study, analysis, and
in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would
interpretation of literature. Literary critics often
become a captive culture. Huxley feared we
approach texts from a particular theoretical
would become a trivial culture, preoccupied
perspective—trying to understand, for instance, how
with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy
literature shapes and is shaped by a society’s concepts
porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. As
of race, class, gender, technology, significant social
events, and other factors. Various critics reading the
Huxley remarked in Brave New World, the
same text often have different interpretations depending
civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever
on which concept each critic is using as his or her
on the alert to oppose tyranny “failed to take
“lens” for analysis.
into account man’s almost infinite appetite for
Neil Postman is a social critic who critiques the rise of
distractions.” In 1984, Huxley added, people
television as a medium of communication in the modern
are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New
world, arguing that it lends itself to entertainment but
not to education or meaningful debate about important
World, they are controlled by inflicting pleaissues. In this 1985 essay, he uses the literature of
sure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate
Orwell and Huxley to frame his discussion about the kind
will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love
of society the U.S. is becoming.
will ruin us. (1985)
FAST-R: Formative Assessments in Student Thinking in Reading. The passage text by Neil Postman is from Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985). Copyright © 1985 by Neil Postman.
Some questions were drawn or adapted from the 2005 AP English Test. All other materials are Copyright 2007 by the Boston Plan for Excellence.
FAST-R
+
Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading
Name
Foreword to “Amusing Ourselves to Death”
Literary Criticism Essay
Date
Teacher/Class
Directions: Answer the following multiple-choice questions by filling in the circle for the best answer
on your answer sheet.
1. Who is the “we” referred to in lines 1-5?
A. fellow writers
B. thoughtful Americans
C. Orwellian disciples
D. prophets
2. Which of the following sentences would be the best addition to paragraph 1?
A. Liberal democracy had been a longstanding institution in America.
B. 1948 was the most important year of the decade.
C. We had not become the society Orwell predicted.
D. We were not asleep.
3. The use of the conjunction “But” in the first line of paragraph 2 suggests
A. an idea contrary to Orwell’s.
B. an idea comparable to an “Orwellian nightmare.”
C. the liberal roots of democracy had held.
D. we are truly safe.
4. A synonym for “prophesy” in paragraph 2 could include
A. vision
B. predict
C. nightmare
D. impose
5. The sentence that best paraphrases the final sentence of paragraph 2 is
A. Huxley saw people being oppressed and detesting the technology that oppressed them.
B. Huxley believed people would love their oppressors and the capacity of computers.
C. Huxley believed people would enjoy losing their liberties and love not having to think for
themselves
D. People would be deprived of their autonomy, maturity, and history.
FAST-R: Formative Assessments in Student Thinking in Reading. The passage text by Neil Postman is from Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985). Copyright © 1985 by Neil Postman.
Some questions were drawn or adapted from the 2005 AP English Test. All other materials are Copyright 2007 by the Boston Plan for Excellence.
Name
School
Date
Teacher/Class
6. According to Postman, the “educated community” believed that
A. Huxley and Orwell wrote the same book.
B. Huxley and Orwell predicted two distinct paths to destruction for the American people.
C. Huxley and Orwell predicted a similar path to destruction for American society.
D. Huxley and Orwell shared a vision that American society would be invaded by creatures from outer space.
7. What is the purpose of paragraph 3?
A. to describe Orwell’s fears
B. to compare and contrast Orwell’s and Huxley’s fears
C. to describe Huxley’s fears
D. to compare and contrast the author’s fears with those of Huxley and Orwell
8. What idea is Postman contrasting when he says “we would be reduced to passivity and egoism”?
A. Orwell’s fear that we wouldn’t have access to enough information
B. people will come to love their oppression
C. Huxley’s chilling prophecy
D. we would have so much information that we wouldn’t care about it
9. The “feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy” refer to
A. aspects of a trivial culture.
B. aspects of a captive culture.
C. aspects of 1984.
D. aspects of 1948.
10. The author’s purpose in writing this essay is to
A. debunk antiquated prophecies.
B. warn society about the danger of books.
C. call attention to how contemporary society is fulfilling Huxley’s vision.
D. call attention to how contemporary society is fulfilling Orwell’s vision.
FAST-R: Formative Assessments in Student Thinking in Reading. The passage text by Neil Postman is from Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985). Copyright © 1985 by Neil Postman.
Some questions were drawn or adapted from the 2005 AP English Test. All other materials are Copyright 2007 by the Boston Plan for Excellence.
Teachers: Please duplicate and use this answer sheet only for students for whom you did not receive a pre-printed answer sheet!
FAST-R Answer Sheet
Name
School
Date
Grade
Passage Title
Teacher Name
Completely fill the circle
for the correct answer.
1.
A
B
C
D
2.
A
B
C
D
3.
A
B
C
D
4.
A
B
C
D
5.
A
B
C
D
6. A
B
C
D
7.
A
B
C
D
8.
A
B
C
D
9.
A
B
C
D
10.
A
B
C
D
Class
Write your answer to the open response prompt in the lined space below
if your teacher directs you to do so.
OFFICE USE ONLY
RESEARCH:
Y
N
OPEN RESPONSE: 1 2 3
4