Is When She Woke AP English Worthy?

Is When She Woke worthy of being considered for an AP English class? My answer is yes. Now, you may be thinking, Isabel, you’re just saying that because your teacher allowed you to read the book for your AP class, so surely it has plenty of “literary merit.” Admittedly, that was a thought that ran through my head, but disregarding that fact, there are still plenty of reasons for why When She Woke deserves to be considered a possible AP English novel.

Hillary Jordan is a skilled writer, best known for her novel, Mudbound. Mudbound was her first novel and it won the 2006 Bellwether prize for fiction, the 2009 Alex award from the American Library Association, and it was the 2008 NAIBA fiction book of the year. Mudbound was also a New York Times bestseller. When She Woke is the second book that Jordan wrote and it also received quite a bit of praise, such as being nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards Best Science Fiction novel. All of these awards clearly show that Hillary Jordan writes books that people enjoy, but still makes sure that they are well written. Also, because Jordan is a more modern author the language in her works is less complex. I think this helps many people with their understanding of the novels, and I do not think that it lessens the merit of the books at all. As long as a book has underlying meanings, themes, and/or important messages, I do not think it matter if the words aren't like Shakespeare’s. Jordan’s words are engaging and fitting for the stories that she writes. When She Woke takes place in the future, and the language and slang terms have evolved as the society has evolved. The reader needs to be able to learn the terms in the novel that are unique to the story if they want to interpret the meaning correctly. These story includes words like “melachrome,” “reds,” “blues." These words are all vital to the story and your understanding. If you were to come across a sentence like “There is a Chrome center in Garland”(86) you would not have any idea what that meant if you did not know the words. I think this gives the Jordan’s writing a special level of authenticity that makes it fun to read.

I believe there are a few different criteria that a book has to meet for it to be considered to be of an AP level. A book of “literary merit” should not lay all of its meaning right on the surface for anyone to find. I believe that the reader should have to dig around a little for a deeper significance. The reader of the novel should have to analyze and think about the book before totally understanding everything that is going on. I think that an AP book should also contain a variety of skilled literary devices and well developed themes and characters. When She Woke contains all of these things. The flashbacks in the beginning of the book help add to our understanding of the novel. There are similes sprinkled throughout, such as the quote “The effect was surreal, like a box of crayons missing the cool part of the spectrum”(87), and there are a variety of quotes continuing good imagery like “She saw a perky blonde news anchor - the annoying type still trying, at forty, to be adorable”(337). The last important part of a book of literary merit is that is should comment on society or history in some way. I think that a novel that causes people to actually question the world and society that they live in is very valuable. When She Woke does this. It touches on abortion, the criminal system, and even racism, which can be seen when Hannah begins questioning, “how many nonwhite members did they actually have? And how many black, Hispanic or Asian families had ever been invited to her house for supper? The answers were troubling: relatively few, and none”(94). After looking at all of my criteria for a novel of “literary merit” I think it is safe to say that When She Woke is one of them. When She Woke has underlying meaning and connections. This can be found with all of the connections to The Scarlet Letter. There are also allusions to other people and books throughout when She Woke. The first is to Ella Fitzgerald in the quote “‘After the First Lady of Song, of course… You telling me you never heard of Ella Fitzgerald’”(187). “An image came to her from ‘Beauty and the Beast’”(325). The reader has to be able to recognize these allusions and have had to previously read or look up information about The Scarlet Letter to understand what the novel is trying to say with these ties. The novel also contains a variety of other literary devices such as flashbacks, symbolism, imagery and motifs. The use of all of these devices greatly enhances the work and it’s themes as a whole. As I talked about in my last post there are a variety of different interpretations of themes that we could discuss. The characters in When She Woke are also very strong and important to the value of the story. They go through changes and discoveries and are not at all boring dull. When She Woke also relates to a variety of important events that are going on in the world today. It talks about God, religion, and people’s beliefs. In the novel we learn how people see things differently and Hannah’s friend Simone describes how to her “‘God is He and She, straight and gay, black and white and red - yes, even that’”(303). I also spoke about this in my last post, but to review abortion, crime, and a few other topics are discussed throughout the novel. Clearly, When She Woke is very deserving of being called a book of “literary merit” and being studied in an AP English class. It makes people think, reflect, and ultimately learn about themselves and society. I think that getting people to think about the world around them is one of the most important parts of reading a book.

Often, one of the constants that I find when I’m reading AP English novels is that there are words that I don’t know. This can be a good thing because when you discover and look up these new words you are learning. The more words you know the more likely you are to understand whatever you are reading for the AP test. When She Woke can be very helpful in this way and help you expand your vocabulary. I found a quite few words such as “ubiquitous” and “ebullient” throughout the novel. Another key part of When She Woke is its variety of themes. Themes and main ideas are a vital part of the essay section of the AP exam. It is best to know as many different themes as possible so that you can answer any question the AP people throw your way. The main ideas in When She Woke revolve around the need for a human connection, which we see with Hannah continuing to meet Aidan even when they will  “never be able to love each other openly”(63). Another theme is the idea that in every oppressive society there will be people who stand up for what they deserve. Hannah leaves everything that she knows and loves for “a different world, one with no melachroming, no disease, no violence or hate”(339). When She Woke would also be helpful in the multiple-choice section of the test because it contains a variety of literary devices such as imagery and motifs. Whenever you are exposed to any of these devices you become more aware of them and how they are used. This will help you be able to identify different literary devices and perhaps understand their meaning while taking the test. One example of an allusion in the novel would be Hannah stating “this is my daughter, Pearl’”(131). This is the name of Hester Prynne's daughter in The Scarlet Letter. Also, having the book having such a strong connection to The Scarlet Letter would make a very interesting essay where you could draw the lines between the two and explain how they enhance the meaning in When She Woke. Clearly, When She Woke is full to the brim with different themes, literary devices, and vocabulary that would be helpful for the exam. People always say “practice makes perfect,” and reading When She Woke would be the practice you need to do perfect on your exam.

I strongly believe that When She Woke should be considered an AP English book, but I am not sure if it should be added to our class’s curriculum. All of the books that I have read in my AP English class so far this year are different. They each contain relatively unique themes and literary devices. This is important because the differences allow us as test takers to have a wide range of themes and topics to discuss in the essay portion of the exam. It is important that we are prepared to have a book to use for any question that is thrown at us. We only have so much time in a school year to read and understand all the books in our English class, and adding When She Woke into the curriculum would mean kicking another book out of the lineup. I found that the novel The Handmaid’s Tale is relatively similar to When She Woke, and they share many themes and literary devices. They both talk about abortion, oppressive societies for women, and they both have an important red motif. As a result of these similarities the decision on whether or not we should put When She Woke into the curriculum came down to these two books. What really mattered was which book would be most helpful for the AP exam. I’ve thought about it and decided that I think The Handmaid’s Tale should be kept in the curriculum, but this is not to say that When She Woke is not worthy, because it most definitely is. The main reason why I think we should keep The Handmaid’s Tale is because I think everyone should read a Margaret Atwood book at least once. Her writing is so unique, and she is a very renowned and awarded writer. That being said, if there is enough time to add another novel into the mix next year, I definitely think that When She Woke should get that spot.

The Messages in When She Woke

There are honestly a bunch of different thematic ideas and messages in When She Woke, and the story relates to a variety of different subjects that are being talked about in the news today. As a result, there's a plethora of things that I could talk about, so get ready, because I'm about to go over as many as I can. 

When She Woke touches on many important and relevant topics, and there are a variety of different ideas that you could choose to take away from the novel. That being said, I do think there are a few main ideas that Hillary Jordan is trying to highlight. One of the main focuses in the novel is on the oppressive society that Hannah lives in. When She Woke highlights the dangers of a government where the church and state has combined. It is a bit of a warning to the world about what it would be like if the two merged into an oppressive society. We do see in the novel that even though this society is very controlling, there are people who rebel against it. Hannah discovers the rebellion and ends up joining. This shows how with every oppressive society there will be people who are willing to stand up and fight for their own beliefs. Hannah also constantly does what she feels is right and follows her heart. She has always yearned for “something indefinably more”(14). She is very brave and shows how women can do more than live their lives for God or a man. Another big topic that this story focuses on is love and a human connection. People will do almost anything for love and this can be seen throughout the novel. Hannah and Aidan risk their peaceful lives to be with one another. Hannah’s friend Kayla shoots her stepfather for molesting her sister, and Becca endures Cole’s cruelty because “He’s the father of my children… and I still love him”(155).

I took in many of the main ideas from When She Woke, but I saw a few different messages as well. Hannah is an extremely brave woman with a strong character. She displays the strength that women can have beautifully, and she always follows heart and does what she thinks is right. She makes her own decisions and tries her best to make sure other people’s judgments do not affect her own. She explains to Aidan how “every point along the way I made my own choices, the choices that felt right for me, and that I prepared to life with the consequences. What I won’t live with ever again are shame and regret”(329). She even gives him Aidan for her own improved life. She lets go of her troubling past and is able to move forward. This is a very inspiring idea, not only for women, but anyone who is feeling trapped. Even though what Hannah did was not accepted, she managed to stand strong and create a happy ending for herself. She shows that as long as one does not give up and follows their heart, good things can happen. Another message from the novel that Hannah helps to create is that you should never settle for a life that is less than what you want. Hannah was always being told to change and be the opposite of what she was. She “was always getting into trouble for one thing or another: trying on lip gloss, doing forbidden searches on her port”(14)... People did not accept her in her own society so she left and found the right place for herself. This shows how finding people who support you is important, and that even if you seem to be alone, there are people who identify with you and what your feeling. No one should have to hide what they are really like or be ridiculed for their actions. People deserve to be treated better and given a chance to be understood.

Each of the different meanings is developed carefully throughout the novel. A few of the meanings you have to dig deeper for, while others are more easily spotted. These messages and deeper meanings are mainly developed through a variety of character’s actions. The character that is the most important, and helps to add to many different meanings in the book, is Hannah. Hannah is brave enough to be herself, follow heart, stick to her decisions, and create a new life for herself. Her friend Kayla describes her as “one of the strongest people I ever met in my life”(269). These actions help to show that women are strong, that it is okay to be different, and that believing in yourself is key. Also, the allusions and connections to The Scarlet Letter are very prominent and have a big impact on how the Hannah and the meanings are viewed. The connections between Hannah and Hester just emphasizes the idea that Hannah has done something that was considered wrong but is still managing to stay strong and move on. Another important idea that we see is the idea of people doing anything for a human connection. Throughout the novel different people sacrifice things for their loved ones and form relationships they did not know were possible. One example of this is Hannah having a relationship with Simone. Hannah never thought that she would have sexual relations with another woman, but she realizes that she “needed and wanted to touch as much as to be touched, and not just by any human being, by this one”(283). This shows how vital human connection is and that it can happen between people of any gender. Lastly, The idea of oppressive societies always containing citizens that will stand up against them is developed through a variety of character’s rebellions. These include Hannah’s smaller rebellions, such as the dresses that she designed and sewed late at night and then would go “hiding them under the virginal mounds of silk, lace and tulle”(13)... and bigger rebellions such as joining the actual rebellion itself.

Many of the ideas in When She Woke are very relevant to our world today. The first main topic that is talked about in the novel is feminism. In When She Woke women are supposed to always obey their husbands and follow the rules of males in general. In this society “a woman looked to her husband as the church looked to God”(46). They are all stereotypical women that stay at home, do chores, and serve their husbands. While this is not what many male and female relationships are like now, there are still some relationships that are like this. There are some people that believe women should be content to let males do all the work and that women should just stay at home cooking, cleaning, and caring for children. Some people think that women cannot handle the responsibility or pressure of jobs. An example of this would be the many people that think Hillary Clinton should not be president of the United States because she is a woman and could be too emotional or frail. The book fights against this belief by having Hannah be a strong independent woman who joins the rebellion. The rebellion is also shown in a positive light and is made up of feminists. All of the members “take the names of famous feminists. Susan B. Anthony. Simone de Beauvoir. Alice Paul”(232). This shows how the novel supports strong women. Another important topic that this novel touches on is abortion. In this novel it is illegal to have an abortion and the legality of abortions is something that people struggle with in our own society. There are many differing opinions on this topic ranging from people believing any abortion at any time for any reason is murder, to people saying that abortion at any time is totally fine. Others say that whether or not a person should be allowed to have an abortion depends on how they got pregnant. In When She Woke we hear Simone’s abortion story. Simone is describes how she got pregnant because she was raped. Three men gave her a drug that forced her to do whatever they said. She explains how “you want to combat them, you want to kick and scream for help, but instead you beg for more, because they tell you to beg”(278). This just shows how complicated and intense different situations are and to make one decision for all women would not be right. There are so many different sides to this argument, so I found it very interesting to read about what could possibly happen if abortion was illegal in this book. Lastly, When She Woke includes some talk about treatment of people who are different, and the extremist groups who act against them. People who have had abortions are treated terribly and are not respected in any way. No one listens to their stories or tries to understand their reasoning. The bottom line is that anyone who has had an abortion is a terrible murderer. In the world that Hannah lives in we can see that “hatred and violence were commonplace”(236). People interact cruelly with one another, and we even see the creation of extremist groups that are against them. In When She Woke there is a vigilante group called The Fist of Christ. This group is known “to be responsible for the deaths of dozens of Chromes and the beating and torture of hundreds more”(154). This relates to a mentality that we have in our world as well. Many Americans view people who are not exactly like us as bad. A perfect example of this is Muslims. People automatically assume that all Muslims are terrorists. We tend to lump a group of people together who are not all the same. An example of this is President Trump creating the travel ban to stop possible terrorists from entering the United States. He may be stopping some terrorists, but he is hurting many innocent people by doing so.

This book also develops thematic ideas that we have already seen in The Handmaid’s Tale. These books are very similar and definitely have messages that overlap. In The Handmaid’s Tale the need for a human connection was very important idea. Offred was trapped in a world where the handmaids had no real connections with anyone. They were not kept with their families, and they had no lovers. As a result, Offred would have done anything to have a real relationship with someone who really loves her. She ends up risking everything to be with a man named Nick. In When She Woke Hannah risks her life to be with Aidan. She could be in serious trouble for being with him, but the chance to see him and be with him outweighs the negatives. They sneak away and can only meet on rare occasions. Aidan even tells her that they will “never be able to love each other openly”(63) yet Hannah still continues to meet with him. Another big idea that was in The Handmaid’s Tale was the idea that rebellion will always exist in an oppressive society. Even though the society rules with a tight hand and the Eyes watching over everyone, there are still people who will fight for their rights. Even Offred is rebellious in her own way and does things such as going to see Nick and using butter to moisturize her skin. While Offred rebels more subtly, Hannah straight up joins the resistance and escapes to Canada, hoping that she will find “a different world, one with no melachroming, no disease, no violence or hate”(339). These women show how there will always be people in a society that will not accept the lives that the government is forcing upon them. The last big theme that The Handmaid’s Tale talks about is the need for power. The society in The Handmaid’s Tale only functions because of people’s need for power. The women are so important in this society that they could easily rebel if they were united, but they are divided by power. The wives have more power than the handmaids and they would never want to risk their being in control. The quote from The Handmaid’s Tale that goes “better never means better for everyone, it always means worse, for some” perfectly illustrates this idea. This can be seen in When She Woke as well. The church makes the rules and right away we can see the church must have fought hard for and received more power. This helps and improves the lives of all the people that follow this religion and are willing to follow the rules, but it makes the lives of all those who do not, much worse.

If you managed to read through all of my thoughts, congratulations! I know this post was really long, but I had a lot to say, so thanks for taking the time to read it. I'll talk to you all again next week. 

Stylistic Elements in When She Woke

There are a lot of interesting and unique aspects to When She Woke and style is definitely one of them. When She Woke is told in third person limited omniscient point of view. This means that we can only see a single character’s thoughts. This single character is the one that the reader really gets to understand, and in When She Woke, this character is Hannah. As a result of knowing Hannah’s thoughts, we can form a deeper connection with her and are able to understand why she does what she does. We are able to learn about her past and how it has impacted her. One of the most important of these moments is when she first meets Reverend Dale and we learn how “his voice was so sonorous and compelling”(16) and “traveled through her like a hot liquid, warming and calming her fear”(16-17). She also thinks “he looked younger than she expected”(17). Without having this insight into Hannah’s mind we would have been able to see what she was thinking about Aidan or understood her attraction to him. Having the story told this way allows us to gain knowledge about Hannah that we will need later in the novel.

Another important stylistic piece of When She Woke is that it is a more modern take on The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hillary Jordan, the author of When She Woke, explains that she used the Scarlet Letter as a model for her own story. As a result, there are many different parallels, connections, and allusions between the two novels. If you have already read The Scarlet Letter then these connections are very clear and help to show the meaning and importance of different parts of the novel. These similarities also help with characterization since the ties between the main characters are so strong. In The Scarlet Letter a girl named Hester Prynne commits adultery with a minister named Arthur Dimmesdale and becomes pregnant. In When She Woke, Hannah Payne also forms a secret relationship with a minister and becomes pregnant with a child. In both cases these women are caught for their crimes but do not give away the name of the father of their child. As a result, they both have to face a longer punishment period. In Hannah’s case, she has to stand strong while the judge asks if she knows that she is “‘adding six years to your sentence’”(11)? The silence of these women shows how they are both very brave and care about protecting their loved ones. Another similarity is that Hester and Hannah both name their children Pearl. Hannah does have an abortion, but is later forced to create a doll to represent her child while she is at the Straight Path Center. They want her to do this so that she can ask for its forgiveness. During this exercise she ends up stating, “‘this is my daughter, Pearl’”(131). Lastly, a similarity between Arthur and Aidan is that they both only end up confessing to their crimes during one of their sermons near the end of the book. This shows that both of them are a bit cowardly, but manage to admit to their behavior. Another quick similarity between the two books is something that you may have already noticed just from reading the beginning of my post. This is that the names Hillary Jordan chose for her characters in When She Woke, have the same initials as the original characters in The Scarlet Letter. The initials HP fit with Hannah Payne and Hester Prynne, and both Aidan Dale and Arthur Dimmesdale have the initials AD.

The organization to When She Woke is another piece of the book that is interesting. The story is split into five different parts, and the titles of each of these parts connect to The Scarlet Letter. Part one is titled “The Scaffold,” part two is called “Penitence,” part three is called “The Magic Circle,” part four is titled “The Wilderness,” and part five is called “Transfiguration.” In The Scarlet Letter a scaffold (a raised wooden platform used for the public execution of criminals) is a big part of the story. Hester and her daughter Pearl stand alone on the scaffold and are publicly humiliated for her crime. Hester has to deal with the burden of her punishments all by herself. This is a fitting title for the first section of When She Woke because this is when Hannah is convicted of her crimes. She has to stand in front of a judge and council and face her punishment alone. Aidan “hadn’t come to the trial, but he’d appeared via vidlink at her sentencing hearing”(10). Neither Aidan nor Arthur stood admitted their sins and joined their lovers in the punishment. The “Penitence” section of When She Woke is focused on Hannah’s time at the Straight Path Center. This is where Hannah was supposed to admit her sins and find her way back to God, but Hannah never ends up finishing her time there. The people who run the center are very cruel and strict to the women, and because of this Hannah leaves. The one thing that she does before she goes is stands up for her beliefs. She asks the workers, “‘do you honestly think God would approve of what you just did’”(142)? In The Scarlet Letter Hester also never really repents and ends up living a fine life. The section titled “The Magic Circle” is a reference to the magic circle that Hawthorne describes surrounding Hester and Pearl throughout The Scarlet Letter. This circle could represent a number of things, but one is the crime and shame that they are trapped with. In this section of When She Woke Hannah is finally on her own. She is facing the world all by herself and comes across a variety of situations where she is treated poorly because of her red skin. She is called a bitch, two boys catcall her, and she is told by a storeowner to “move along, before I call the cops”(151). The fourth section of the novel, “The Wilderness,” has a very fitting title. In The Scarlet Letter the wilderness was a place where society's rules did not apply. It was a place of honesty and escape for Hester and Arthur. They could meet in the woods without fear. This section of the novel in When She Woke was all about escaping societies rules and finding a place where they do not apply. Hannah joins the resistance and begins to travel to Canada where she can be free from the society’s laws. The last section of When She Woke, titled “The Transfiguration,” shows Hannah meeting Aidan one last time and then successfully driving up to Canada where she is safe. In this section we see that Hannah no longer needs Aidan Dale. She has been strengthened by the many trials that she has been put through, and is a strong self-sufficient woman. When she wakes up in her new safe house “she was herself”(341). This is what happens to Hester in The Scarlet Letter as well. Hester has gone through a lot of suffering, but has made her way through it and came out on the other side as a better person and her true self. Finally, these women have a satisfying life.

Another unique part of the organization in When She Woke is that all of the chapters within the five sections of the novel have no name or number. The chapter stops on one page, and then a new chapter begins on the next page, but there is no chapter name or number to distract you. This allows for a nice continuous flow of the story, while also making sure that there are some breaks. This way the story is very connected while also providing you with good stopping points. The book also goes in chronological order so it is very easy to follow. The only exception to this is in the first section of the novel, which is told in multiple flashbacks. Each chapter in this section begins in the present and shifts into one of Hannah’s flashbacks. These flashbacks tell the story of what led up to Hannah being in prison. They describe what she was like when she was younger, her relationship with Aidan, and really just help us understand Hannah and her situation a lot better. We learn about how Hannah always “yearned for something indefinably more”(14) and how “the more she suppressed her true nature, the stronger it burst forth”(14). These flashbacks give us the foundation that we need to understand the rest of the story.

Colors are also a very important stylistic piece in When She Woke. Colors are used throughout the novel to signify different crimes that people have committed, but they have some other meanings as well. Red is used to symbolize passion and intense emotion. Hannah is one of the most expressive and feeling characters in the novel and her being red exemplifies these characteristics. Another point in the novel where red can be seen as a color of extreme emotion is when Cole is forcing Hannah to leave his and Becca’s house. Hannah confronts him about hitting Becca, and his face is described as “turning a dark, ugly red”(159). Cole is furious at Hannah his red face portrays the emotions boiling within him. White is also another color used as a symbol in the novel. White represents a blank slate and things unknown. This can be seen when Hannah is driving to her new unknown life in Canada. It begins to snow and she is described as driving “into whiteness: cold, stark, alien, beautiful”(336). Hillary Jordan also uses a variety of other literary techniques to create images and help the reader better understand how characters are feeling. One example of this is when Hannah and her father see each other for the first time since she has become a Chrome. Hannah’s approaches him “... carefully, like a bird she was afraid of startling into flight”(70). This simile describes the delicate situation between them and how scared Hannah is that her father will abandon her when he sees her.

I really enjoyed focusing on the stylistic part of the novel because it is something that I usually do not look at. I had fun finding all of the connections between When She Woke and The Scarlet Letter, and I realized that there are I lot more interesting elements in the novel than I noticed the first time. Clearly, When She Woke is chock-full of stylistic elements that help make the story more vivid and meaningful.