Dystopian Literature Guidelines

DYSTOPIAN LITERATURE

You will get a hard copy of these guidelines,too

STEP 2 – CLASSROOM READS OF “THE LOTTERY” BY SHIRLEY JACKSON AND “HARRISON BERGERON” BY KURT VONNEGUT AND SELF-SELECTED DYSTOPIAN SHORT NOVELS

                                                                          

GOALS ·        To discover the characteristics AND controls of Dystopian societies in literature ·        To analyse the “themes” in Dystopian literature ·        To explain how the Dystopian protagonist drives the dramatic arc forward in a novel or short story ·        To compare a written text to a film version and discuss why there are differences ENDURING UNDERSTANDING ·        Authors place their protagonist in positions that upset the status quo, causing the protagonist to question their society, which drives the dramatic arc of a story forward and clarifies the theme. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS ·        How do the questions and decisions a protagonist makes in response to an antagonist’s action or an event in a novel or short story drive the dramatic arc forward? ·        How does the protagonist and the challenges he/she faces help to reveal the theme (what the author wants the reader to take away from the novel) in a novel or short story? ·        What can literature tell us about what societies are willing to sacrifice for FREEDOM – SAFETY – INDIVIDUALITY - EQUALITY

PART 1

Together, we will explore the characteristics and controls of “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson using journal entries and discussions that address the following:

a)   First, let’s look at “The Lottery” and “Harrison Bergeron” (use the following guiding questions to make entries in your reading journals

Ø  What ideas, situations, or decisions were revealed in the readings?

Ø  What events in the reading provides evidence that the book/short story has dystopian characteristics? Be specific, use names, places, and the situation.

Ø  What dystopian control(s) is/are emerging as you read the text?  EVIDENCE

Ø  My favorite quotes or passages from this week’s reading are (quote directly from the novel and explain WHY they(it) are(is) a favorite(s).  Remember to look for quotes or passages that will help you identify important events or something that might reveal the theme of the book.

Ø  How did the events in this week’s reading move the dramatic arc forward? In other words, if this event or decision DID NOT HAPPEN, would there still be a story?

Ø  What am I thinking the theme MIGHT be after reading?  What can I infer based on what has been read, so far. Remember, your inferences might change as the reading progresses.

Ø  My questions so far include:

PART 2 - ASSIGNMENTS

·       After we study the two short stories, each of you will choose a Dystopian story to read. You will address the questions listed above in your journal with the addition of the following:

What are the similarities and differences between your short story and “Harrison Bergeron” and “The Lottery? Think about the dystopian controls, the qualities of dystopian protagonists, the mood, tone, and, of course, theme.

·       As an individual project, you will

1.    Create a visual dramatic arc in the form of a horizontal timeline that reveals by quotes and explanations the status quo, rising action (first conflict, ensuing conflicts,) crisis, climax, and falling action or resolution (I WILL PROVIDE THE ORGANIZER FOR THIS),

 

2.    Additionally, you will write down theme of your story with supporting evidence on the same visual (I WILL PROVIDE THE ORGANIZER FOR THIS),

3.    Finally, you will write a “book review” for your book that will be publically your review in the blog on your Weebly website.

Reading Journal and Dramatic Arc and Theme Analysis

Standards ·        Determining theme or central idea of a text and analyse its development, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot. ·        Analyse the extent to which a film of a story stays faithful or departs from the text.

STEP 2 - READING ANALYSIS CHECK LIST

Evaluate your ability to read and understand the style and characteristics of Dystopian literature on a scale from 1 to 7.	YES!  1-7	NOT SURE 1-7	NO Not at all!
I have determined and written down my idea of the theme of story I read in my reading journal.
I have provided evidence from the text to support my theory about my story’s theme in my reading journal.
I have analysed the dramatic arc in my self-selected dystopian story and I am able to identify the events that move the D.A. forward. I have written that analysis in my reading journal and on the organizer I was given.
I have compared the differences between the text of Harrison Bergeron and the short film and I have developed a few theories why the film sometime departs from the text.  I have written these theories in my reading journal.