Ana Trujillo

English 112B: Unit of Study

December 03, 2008

Utopias vs. Dystopias

A tenth grader enters Mrs. Traudt's English 10 class on Monday morning as the instructor informs the students that for the next four

weeks they will be reading Lord of the Flies. Automatically, they begin to complain and respond, "Oh, come on Mrs.Traudt, can we read

something more interesting." The teacher begins to distribute the books as the students clumsily fill their seats and take their notebooks out. A

student glances over the pages and declares, "Mrs. Traudt, I think you have made a mistake, this Lord of the Flies thing seems to be boring and

way too long."

"Well excuse me, Mrs. Martinez. It so easy to judge a book by its cover rather than giving it a chance and actually reading it." The students looked at each other in astonishment and surprise, as Mrs. Traudt tried to reassure the doubtful and pretentious students. Although the topic of utopia and dystopia had abruptly been introduced to them, the teacher had lost some of the students before the intriguing lesson had even started.

One of the dilemmas faced by secondary educators is a sort "academic freeze" in other words finding curriculum that fulfills the academic standards but also attracts the students. The books listed within this unit plan are an attempt to compose an academic collection of books that fulfill scholarly standards but also teach the students of utopias and dystopias. Since the first time I read Lord of the Flies in high school I have always found the themes fascinating because it introduced me to different societies, where order and humanity are held to different standards.

The book I chose as my centerpiece is Lord of the Flies by William Golding, which presents the disruption and corruption of childhood and innocence. The novel presents the theme of utopia/dystopia at the center of the novel when the boys attempt to reconstruct a government structure to keep order and peace. As the narration continues; however, the boys' attempt fails, as many of the protagonists become savages. Although, the purpose of the society first described in the book is created to remain civilized the plan ultimately fails.

Utopian classics such as Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, Lois Lowry's The Giver, and George Orwell's 1984 are some of the novels that present the theme of utopias and dystopias and may accompany Lord of the Flies; I chose this book because it has a hopeful ending with less dark undertones than the other dystopian books I've read.

By focusing an entire unit to this field and on Lord of the Flies, it may allow both educators and students to discover many of the elements that compose this specific style.

Objective:

1. To provide students with critical thinking skills as well as develop their verbal and communication abilities

2. Promote a diversity of reading material, in particular, written selections that discuss the themes of utopias and dystopias.

3. Allow students to learn of a young adult genre through exciting materials that may ignite their curiosity and academic development.

Launching the Unit:

Prior to assigning any of the reading material to the students, the genre of utopia and dystopia should be presented in other manner than literary texts. Using modern songs such as John Lennon's "Imagine," or Phil Collins' "Paradise," introduce the topic of utopias and dystopias.

Imagine: John Lennon

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

(Taken from http://www.johnlennon.com/site.html)

Paradise: Phil Collins

She calls out to the man on the street
"Sir, can you help me?
It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep,
Is there somewhere you can tell me?"

He walks on, doesn't look back
He pretends he can't hear her
Starts to whistle as he crosses the street
Seems embarrassed to be there

Oh think twice, it's another day for
You and me in paradise
Oh think twice, it's just another day for you,
You and me in paradise

She calls out to the man on the street
He can see she's been crying
She's got blisters on the soles of her feet
Can't walk but she's trying

Oh think twice...

Oh lord, is there nothing more anybody can do
Oh lord, there must be something you can say

You can tell from the lines on her face
You can see that she's been there
Probably been moved on from every place
'Cos she didn't fit in there

Oh think twice...

(Taken from http://www.elyrics.net)

Procedures/Activities

A. After listening to the introductory songs provide the students with copies of the lyrics.

Ask class to separate into group's three to four per group. Have the students discuss the poetic elements that provide meaning of utopias and dystopias. You can suggest recalling moments or experiences where they felt they wanted a perfect world where everyone lived harmoniously and in peace.

Possible events to include:

A personal anecdote passed down from an older generation that provides hope
Being a new person in school, job or community in general that made you feel like an outcast where you wish you to be part of.

To conclude the introductory selection, have the students share their reactions of the songs and the points discussed in the groups with the rest of the class.

B. Read Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Discuss some of the major themes and survival techniques used in each chapter.

1. 3. Discuss prompt questions for students' writing journals:

Journal Assignment:

You are __________ in Lord of the Flies

Identify yourself as Ralph, Piggy, Jack, Roger, Eric or Sam.

General requirements

1. After you read each chapter write two or more paragraphs for each chapter describing the character's reaction to the events that have occurred. I am looking for a reflection on the dilemmas the character faces, not plot summaries. These should be written in the first person or "I" form.

2. Discuss how the events in the novel connect to your own life. This may be either a positive or a negative connection as we discussed in class.

3. Select a significant quote from the chapter and discuss why it is important. Make reference to setting, theme, character, symbol, or simile/metaphors. Write a well-developed paragraph (at least 3 sentences).

Taken from < http://www.teachertimesavers.com/Lord.pdf>

C. Read the following poem, "The Utopian Wars" by Thomas Lux, and create a transparency overhead or as a hand out to pass to the students. The poem reflects the destruction that is caused when humanity attempts to impose their own will in order to create the perfect civilization. The poem is intended to help stretch and stimulate students understanding of a challenging topic of utopias and dystopias. Discuss the form, structure, images of the poem, request students to research a poem with similar themes and bring them to class for other students to review.

THE UTOPIAN WARS: Thomas Lux

Amish raiding party attacks a Quaker

settlement at Muddy Crossing,
killing first the Quaker ferryman
(who is drunk, and never awakes until midstream
to find an Amish man tying an anvil to his neck)
before reaching the village
and killing dozens, quietly at first, by blade
and hatchet (hoping to blame the savages), and
burning nothing
as they work their way toward the center of
town. Kill on the way in, bum
on the way out. In the hills, meanwhile,
the Buddhists quick-change from bright orange
to camo robes, point their howitzers eastward
where they know the Episcopalians
milk cobras
to tip their arrows
and fill their bullets' hollow-points.
The Baha'i sit back and sharpen their knives and
saws.
The wily Mennonites withdraw,
their leaders meeting for three days
in upstate New York,
while at the same time the few remaining Jains
turn their cheeks
to reveal slashed and bloody jaws
from the last time \
they turned their cheeks.

Taken from http://poetrydispatch.wordpress.com

Extending the Unit:

Young Adult Literature Selections:

Incorporate the following Young Adult texts to complement the canonical piece:

Lord of the Flies.

Suggestion to motivate creativity among the students:

1. Select or write a song that could be a soundtrack for the book, one of the short stories, or poems reviewed within the unit.

2. Create a painting, multi-media piece, sculpture or any other artwork depicting a "perfect utopia.

3. Write a dramatic monologue from the book or one of the short stories highlighting

the protagonists' experiences.

1. Lowry, Lois. Gathering Blue. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 2000. http://www.loislowry.com/gathering.html

As summarized within Lois Lowry website, Gathering Blue, tells the story of an "orphaned and and physically flawed [young girl who is shunned] and discarded [as] weak, Kira faces a frighteningly uncertain future. Her neighbors are hostile and no one but a small boy offers to help. When she is summoned to judgment by The Council of Guardians, Kira prepares to fight for her life. But the Council, to her surprise, has plans for her. Blessed with an almost magical talent that keeps her alive, the young girl faces new responsibilities and a set of mysteries deep within the only world she has ever known. On her quest for truth, Kira discovers things that will change her life and world forever. A compelling examination of a future society, Gathering Blue challenges readers to think about community, creativity, and the values that they have learned to accept."

Summary taken from http://www.loislowry.com/gathering.html

2. Lowry, Lois. Messenger. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004.

Hazel Rochman characterized Messenger as an epic novel that like The Giver "dramatizes ideas of utopia gone wrong and focuses on a young person who must save his world. Teenage Matty lives with his caregiver in the Village, a place of refuge, where those fleeing poverty and persecution are welcomed with kindness and find a home. But the Village people are changing, and many have voted to build a wall to keep the newcomers out. The metaphor of the wall and the rage against immigrants ("They can't even speak right") will certainly reach out to today's news images for many readers. But Lowry moves far beyond message, writing with a beautiful simplicity rooted in political fable, in warm domestic detail, and in a wild natural world, just on the edge of realism. Matty lives with his blind caregiver, Seer. Both of them were driven from home and nearly perished. The drama is in their affection; in the small details of how they cook, care for their puppy, and tease one another. Matty teases Seer about his blindness, even though they both know Seer sees more than most. In contrast is the terror of Matty's secret powers and the perilous journey he must undertake to save the Village. The physical immediacy of his quest through a dark forest turned hostile brings the myth very close and builds suspense to the last heart-wrenching page."

Summary taken from http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html

3. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran, 2002.

Dave Pearce, describes how in " Brave New World, Huxley contrives to exploit the anxieties of his bourgeois audience about both Soviet Communism and Fordist American capitalism. He taps into, and then feeds, our revulsion at Pavlovian-style behavioral conditioning and eugenics. Worse, it is suggested that the price of universal happiness will be the sacrifice of the most hallowed shibboleths of our culture: "motherhood", "home", "family", "freedom", even "love". The exchange yields an insipid happiness that's unworthy of the name. Its evocation arouses our unease and distaste."

Summary taken from http://www.huxley.net/index.html

4. Huxley, Aldous. Island. New York: Harper & Row. Reprinted, London: Flamingo,

1994.

Velma Lush evaluates Aldous Huxley's Island as a book of " over-population, coercive politics, militarism, mechanization, the destruction of the environment and the worship of science will find their opposites in the gentle and doomed Utopia of Pala. [ The author explores] eastern philosophies and mysticism [which are intertwined within the novel.]

The island of Pala is probably one of the islands of the Indonesian Archipelago. In Island, Huxley's portrayal of the Palanese beliefs demonstrate principles of Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism and Confucianism. The beliefs, values and struggles of a lifetime are combined to form this culmination of his life's work."

Summary taken from http://www.huxley.net/island/index.html

5. Heinlein, Robert A. Stranger in a Strange Land. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.

Uncut ed. New York: Ace/Putnam, 1991.

1961 novel, Stranger in a Strange Land, tells the story of " Valentine Michael Smith, a human child raised on Mars, returns to Earth with psychic powers and a strongly alien outlook. After some difficulties in understanding and acclimating to society, he teaches others an adaptation of Martian philosophy--including group marriage as a way of life and cannibalism as the highest form of respect for the deceased--and as a result, his followers begin to share his extraordinary mental abilities. Having founded a church in order to disseminate his teachings more freely, Mike Smith becomes its Messiah-figure, with all of the divine and dangerous consequences that entails.

Summary taken from http://www.biblio.com

6. Orwell, George. Animal Farm. London: Signet Classic, 1946.

Animal Farm tells the simple and tragic story of what happens when the oppressed farm animals rebel, drive out Mr. Jones, the farmer, and attempt to rule the farm themselves, on an equal basis. What the animals seem to have aimed at was a utopian sort of communism, where each would work according to his capacity, respecting the needs of others. The venture failed, and "Animal Farm" ended up being a dictatorship of pigs, who were the brightest, and most idle of the animals.

Summary taken from http://bookreviews.nabou.com/reviews/animalfarm.html

7. Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1993.

According to Judith Handschuh's review, Fahrenheit 451, portrays the story of " Guy Montag is a fireman who loves his work. He likes nothing better than to spray kerosene on a pile of books and watch the pages curl and turn into flakes of black ash that flutter through the air. Until the day he meets Clarisse, a young girl who has been told about a world of books, thoughts, and ideas. Their conversations precipitate a crisis of faith in Guy, and he begins to steal books and hide them in his home."

Summary taken from http://www.bookreporter.com

8. Gattaca. Dir. Andrew Niccol. Perf. Ethan Hawke, Tony Shallhoub, Jude Law, Uma

Thurman. Columbia Pictures, 1997.

Gattaca produced by Niccol Perf tells the story of "a genetically flawed "In-Valid" (Ethan Hawke) hires a DNA broker (Tony Shalhoub) to help him obtain more desirable genetic material from a paralyzed man (Jude Law). In the process, he meets and falls in love with a beautiful "Valid" (Uma Thurman) with a heart defect. Screenwriter Andrew Niccol also directs this futuristic thriller, which marks his debut in the feature-length realm."

Summary taken from http://www.netflix.com

Works Cited

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1993.

Gattaca. Dir. Andrew Niccol. Perf. Ethan Hawke, Tony Shallhoub, Jude Law, Uma

Thurman. Columbia Pictures, 1997

Haggapi, Anna. "George Orwell's Animal Farm." 02 Dec 2008.

< http://bookreviews.nabou.com>

Handschuh, Judith. "Bookreporter review." Fahrenheit 451. Dec 2003. Bookreporter.

02 Dec 2008 < http://www.bookreporter.com>

Heinlein, Robert A. "Stranger in a Strange Land." Bibliography. 2002. 02 Nov 2008.

< http://www.biblio.com>

Heinlein, Robert A. Stranger in a Strange Land. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.