Discussion Questions for the Theme of Dystopian Novels

Here are a few questions I came up with. These could be used in class at the high school level. Most of them will need a brief background lecture before asking.

1. What makes a story a Dystopian tale?
-Describe the typical plot and story line.

2. How did these story lines start?
-Is there historical significance to the cause of these stories?

3. List some ways that people are controlled in these stories.
-Is one way better than the other?

4. Is there cause that you can think of to write a dystopian novel now? For example, any political happenings that could create such a society?

Book Club Meeting: November

Just a reminder, next book club meeting is:
Tomorrow, Thursday 29th
Backstage Coffee
6:00pm

We are reading:
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

If you don't have time to read the entire novel, come and talk with us about a short story or other novel you have read by Nathaniel Hawthorne or just come and give us some different ideas on how to teach the novel and Hawthorne as an author.

Links to Tarayn's Google Sites

Here are some links to Google Sites I have made for various purposes. Some of them are way more complete than others, but they are great for organizing lessons and tools we have learned at Metro! :o) Let me know if you need have any questions!
~Tarayn



Young Adult Literature: 
https://sites.google.com/a/mscd.edu/tms-young-adult-lit-project-2010/

Canon Literature: 
https://sites.google.com/a/mscd.edu/canon-literature/home

Lesson Planning Ideas: 
https://sites.google.com/a/mscd.edu/my-lesson-planning-ideas/

Shakespeare Works: 
https://sites.google.com/a/mscd.edu/shakespeare-guide/

BNW: Discussion Questions

Hello Again,
I prepared a few discussion questions for Brave New World. I tried to find and create questions that were geared towards the classroom. 

Brave New World Questions

1.       What is the significance of the title? How does Shakespeare hint at the novels intentions?

2.       What is the significance of the World State’s motto, “community, identity, stability? Isn’t “identity” ironic?

3.       The controller uses subliminal messages to create happy children. The messages are a way of getting rid of questioning. How does our society use the same approach?

Advertising and Media. Slogans for commercials.

4.       How real is the dystopian world that Huxley creates? What similarities do you see in our everyday life?

Soma: Prescription drugs

Amenities: happiness

Lack of religion

5.       What is the significance of the lighthouse?

Lighthouses are used to symbolize epiphanies and understanding of greater ideas.

6.       Why does John choose unhappiness and death over a fantasy world?

                                   

                               

Tonight is the night!

Finally guys and gals, the annual Metro State Book Club meeting is here.  Don't fret my pet, what you are reading is not a mirage or a figment of your imagination. The book club is really meeting tonight, I promise.

Speaking of reality or lack there of, how real are the dystopian worlds that our novels present to us? Hmm...I'm not sure. I think I will ask my book club members this question, and many others, tonight at 5:30 at Rooster and Moon. If you not there then you must have a good excuse. Only a fool would miss this opportunity.
See you all tonight and make sure to bring those very expensive, educated, Metro State thinking caps. You will need them!

5:30PM
Rooster and Moon (10th and Bannock)

A Dystopian's Paradise

The YA world has a new love, and that love is a dystopia...novel, that is. Our teenage readers seemed to be absorbed in many recently released dystopian novels. There is the ever popular (and awesome) Hunger Games series, Above by Leah Bobet, Ashes Ashes by Jo Treggiari, Empty by Suzanne Weyn, and the Uglies series. These are just a handful of what is on the market. Although, most of the novels will never be taught in a classroom, it is important that we understand how to properly teach a dystopian novel, while still keeping the student's interested.

The main dystopian novels that are being taught in the classroom are Brave New World, 1984, and Hunger Games. Our next book club meeting is dedicated to revisiting these influential post-modern predictions. We've split the group up so that some of us will be reading Brave New World and some will be reading 1984. We've all read Hunger Games so we will take turns talking about the novel. 

If you would like to attend and haven't been to a meeting yet, please feel free to read any of the listed novels. I, personally, am very excited to revisit Brave New World. I read the novel as a senior in high school and it will be interesting to see it from a (slightly) more mature perspective. :) 

Further Information

If you are interested in further recommending or teaching either of the novels I read, here is some additional thoughts and information. 

First off, Golden Compass. This is a wonderfully written novel that would be great in a middle school classroom. The novel is based on the adventure of Lyra, a young girl that is destined to great things. Philip Pullman is able to write the story in the viewpoint of a young girl, but is careful not to "dumb down" the novel. If needed, there is a lot to analyze and teach in the novel, such as symbolism, metaphor, and voice. I found the story line to be original and very interesting. As a perspective teacher, I believe the novel will challenge students while engaging their interest. Since it is a series, this novel could also become a starting point for further reading. 

Oh, by the way, did I mention it's also a movie? This could potentially help visual learners if you wanted to incorporate a few scenes from the film.

The second book I read was City of Bones (along with the rest of the series). I must admit, the author Cassandra Clare does a wonderful job of hooking her reader. The story and the world of Shadowhunters is pretty original, or, it was to me at least. The writing I found to be sub-par. I thought that it was the story that kept me interested and a continual reader. Especially in the first book, I became frustrated with the writing at times. It could be seen as simple, obvious and dull. Although Clare is writing for a teenage audience, the novel seems to be written at a pre-teen level. That being said, it did improve with the series. I mentioned in the previous post that Clare has a prequel series, Clockwork Angel. I happened to read the prequel series earlier this year without knowing it was tied to City of Bones. If I were to recommend one of the novels, I would recommend the prequel. Clockwork Angel is better written, has more interesting characters, is less scandalous, and still obtains a quality story. Both series should be recommended to an older teenage audience. The 5th novel in the City of Bones series reminded me more of True Blood and might be more appropriate for an HBO series then for a teenage girl. 

However, there is a good reason to know about this series. For one, it is very popular and two, it is going to be the next YA movie. The City of Bones movie will come out in 2013 and is sure to be the "next big thing" in the teenage world. As a teacher, it's good to be on the up and up.

Book Talks!

We met on June 6th and shared our book-talks with one another. Each member shared a minimum of two books and here is a brief overview (read: sloppily typed word document) of our discussion. Soon each book will have a more in-depth entry :)

Between Shades of Gray

By Ruta Sepetys

  

o   Author did a good deal of research!

o   Fifteen year old Alena just got into art school;

o   Stalin’s Police knock on her door

o   Her and her brother and mother are taken away and put into cable cars and ride for six weeks.

o   She sends messages to her father by drawing pictures instead of writing for fear of being found out; she finds people who are trustworthy and passes the pictures along

o   Themes of heartbreak, death, and massacre.

o   Character and plot development needed – too many questions left unanswered: did her father ever receive the letters or pictures?

 o   Beautiful language

Why We Broke Up

By Daniel Handler

o   “Word Vomit”; stream of consciousness type of writing

o   Min = narrator

o   Letter to Ed; her ex-boyfriend

o   Each item is the reason they should have broken up earlier

o   Novel wraps up; conclusion includes hints from earlier in the text

o   Kind of book that will “bring you back” to high school days

o   Female related

o   Elements of visual literacy (pictures)

o   Prince Honor Book

o   3-4 Stars on Goodreads

Exit Here

By Jason Myers

o   Male protagonist

o Bitter; similar to Holden Caufield

o Rich kid complex

o Social dynamics

o   Drug Use

o   Cussing

o   Recommended for older teens

o   Shows the consequences of drug use

If I Stay

By Gayle Forman

o   Story of a young female narrator who is in a coma

o   Struggles with whether or not to stay alive or let herself die

o   Metaphysical relationship between the narrator and the world

o   Process of death

o   Quick read

o   Middle and High School

o   Struggles with the choices she has made

o College, having sex, e.c.t….

o   Discussion questions at the end of the book

 

City of Bones

By Cassandra Clare

o   Becoming a movie

o   “Addicting”

o   Prequel is Clockwork Angel

o   Recommend the prequel first

o   Better feminine character – “not a [typical] female idiot”

o   Not very appropriate for younger teens;

o   Not well written; recommend for a summer-reading book

o   Not something that Bri would “ever ever” teach J

o   3 perspectives

o   “Shadow Hunters” – Keep the underworld protected

o   Better than Twilight not as good as Hunger Games

The Golden Compass

By Phillip Pullman

o Middle School-ers

o Fun read for pre-teens

o   Difficult enough to challenge students

o Literary; “beautifully written”

o Teachable

o   Teachers can choose which topics to teach and which ones not to

o Parallels to Narnia Series

o   Fantastical but deep [demon as sub-concious]

o Religious and political side if you choose to look at it that way

Love and Obstacles

By Alexander Hemon

o   Bo"th feet in one overlapping world"

o   Collection of fictional stories about day-to-day life

o   No plot; “this is how it is” type of stories

o   Does not deal with the more interesting sides of war

o   Teach it to twelfth graders; for more mature audiences

o   Teach excerpts

o   Each story jumps into the setting

o   “Beautiful Prose”

VietnaAmerica

By GBTran

o   Graphic Novel

o   Written and illustrated by

o   Puzzle pieces represent what makes up his life

o   Illustrations are “amazing”

o   True story based on Tran’s life

o   First generation Vietnamese born in America;
parents escaped before the fall of Saigon

o   Parents left half of their family back in Vietnam because they didn’t make it out

o   The whole book is about his family telling him to go back to Vietnam

o   When he gets there he finds out that he is the same age as his father was when he left Vietnam

o   (parallel between his lfie and his father’s life)

o   Book parallels narrator’s journey to Vietnam and his parents escape

o   Difficult to keep up with

o   Recommend for Juniors and Seniors

o   Identity issues

o   Discussion on traditions; how traditions are lost

o   Book about finding history and finding his roots

Outline of PowerPoint for Thirteen Reasons Why

13 Reasons Why

Book Talk

If someone told you that you were one of the reasons that they committed suicide – would you want to find out why?

In this novel the narrator, 16 year-old Clay Jensen, is given that opportunity two weeks after Hannah Baker kills herself.

"Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list"

What Makes This Book Different?

What Attracts Teens?

1. Dual perspectives
• Both male & female
2. Reflects reality
• Real High School situations
• Friendships
• Romance
• Teachers/School
3. Incorporates language that teenagers use and are accustomed to
4. Provides a hopeful conclusion
5. Quick but insightful read; teenagers can open this book and not be discouraged by longevity or difficult language

Excerpt from Text

“How many times did I stand right here, thinking I would never have a chance with Hannah Baker? I had no idea how she felt about me. No idea who she really was. Instead, I believed what other people said about her. And I was afraid what they might say about me if they knew I liked her…And then, when she died, the chances disappeared forever”.

=Regret, shame, and guilt.

But a lesson learned.

What are Teens Saying About this Book? What are Other Authors Saying?

• Both Sherman Alexie and Ellen Hopkins have called this book one that they “could not put down”; a story that became both haunting and inspiring
• Teens are consistently proclaiming, on the internet through blogs and the book’s website, that this book has made them want to help people and “think about what [they] say”
• This book has won over sixteen awards including “Best Book for Young Adults” given by the American Library Association and “Best of the Best books” from the Chicago Public Library
• Thank You!

So, Who is the Author? Why did Jay Asher Write This?

• His niece attempted suicide when she was the same age as Hannah
• He used cassette tapes to intentionally date his work that way it would appear retro
• He knew he wanted to use dual perspectives but did not know how to incorporate Clay; he did not choose Clay until almost halfway through the novel. He wanted a more innocent character to be the trusted narrator
• He chose Hanna’s thirteen reasons based on his own experiences and those lived vicariously through others
• 13 Reasons Why was his first book

Email Jamie if you have any questions/want the PPT! Jroger68@mscd.edu

                                                                                 

Jen's Copy

I guess this is what Jen thought of Catcher in the Rye.

Book Club Meeting

We've officially sent the invite out for our next book club meeting. We are each reading 2 different YA books and giving a book talk. I decided to choose something I could teach, Golden Compass and something I could recommend, City of Bones. I know that Jennifer chose Why We Broke Up and Between Shades of Gray, which she wants to make known, is NOT the married lady porn book. I've heard that Jaime is reading The Maze Runner, but so far I don't know the second book she chose. I suppose her second book and Tarayn's choices will be a surprise! Sounds like fun. Anyways, here are the details:
June 6th
5:30 pm
Rooster and Moon (10th and Bannock)

Hope I see some new book lovers there!

Discussion Questions: The Catcher in the Rye

   Discussion Questions

     How does Salinder tend to end chapters? What do they have in common? How do they set the tone of the novel?

There are definite cliffhangers and foreshadowing moments. The way that the chapters end, make you want to read the next chapter. Even if the book is not the most exciting, stylistically the novel keeps an enticing flow.

2.      

   Is Holden the “phony” character in the book?

Yes and no, Holden seems to be a modern day “hipster.” He tries so hard to not be a phony that he over exaggerates everyone else’s motives.  Holden’s age makes it difficult for the reader to sympathize with his idea of a phony. Being an adult reader we can see the contradiction and the nativity that Holden has.  However, as a younger reader, you might be able to apprehend Holden’s point of view. It’s common for teens to rebel and reject the older generation. Holden is, in a sense, acting his age. Holden may be projecting his views of himself onto other people.

3.     

   Catcher in the Rye centers around a young man; can young women relate to this too? What about Holden is gender specific and which qualities do both sexes share?

There are concepts in the book that are asexual. The concept of isolation, rejection, loneliness, and cynicism that are universal to our emotions. Of course, he speaks through a male’s perspective so there are some themes in the book that are harder to connect to as a female.  For example, in Perks of Being a Wallflower we have a narrator that is a little more sensitive and speaks with a larger perspective of the world. Holden, unlike the narrator in Perks is more narrow-minded and contradictory.

4.      

     Is the ending of Catcher optimistic, reflective, or gloomy?

This answer really depends on how you read the book. You are presented with a carousel ride at the end of the novel. The carousel can symbolize how you feel about the end of the book. It seems that he becomes reflective when he looks at the carousel. You also have the weather which alludes to the outcome of the book. Standing in the rain, Holden’s childhood is being washed away. Looking at the carousel he is reminded that he no longer belongs on a child’s ride. He has an epiphany that brings him into the adult world. Throughout the story, Holden is stuck struggling between staying a child and advancing to maturity. I think it’s the epiphany at the end that brings him into the next world.

What do Holden's observations on the gold ring signify? Does his observation reveal anything about his maturity?

The entire novel is on Holden’s observations. His observations are culminating into who he will eventually end up being. It’s those observations that, we believe, transform him in the end. They show where he was and where he wants to go. There is a part where he says, “don’t ever tell anybody anything, because you will miss out on everything.” This quote doesn’t necessarily show maturity, but profound insight. There is a difference between the two. Maturity is about acting on insight. We never see him acting on his insight in the end. As a reader, we are left wondering if Holden was just contemplating his maturity or if he truly matured.

6.      

   Is Holden capable of intimacy?

We see, as a reader, that he desperately wants intimacy, but when it’s given, he doesn’t know how to accept it. We see that, when the teacher is trying to comfort Holden, he rejects him and convinces himself of his teacher’s homosexuality.

7.     

   What is the purpose of the title being misquoted?

It shows Holden’s contradictory nature that even title is misunderstood. We mentioned his use of the word “phony” earlier. The fact that he misrepresents all that he aspires to be shows his lack of understanding. Holden proves that he still has a lot to learn.

This also can represent the fact that Holden is an unreliable narrator.