English
1128-Warner
Unit
Plan-Utopia/Dystopia
Due
December 8th, 2004
Where is the future heading?
Why
I chose this genre/center piece work:
Many
people believe that reading fantasy and science fiction is a waste of
time. Consequently, it�s rarely
used as a teaching device in schools, and children learn to view anything in
this category as beneath them, and not worth reading. This attitude is very harmful, especially since the genre of
fantasy and science fiction is an extremely important one, with many useful
aspects. By reading
fantasy/science fiction, the reader is being forced to think about things in a
new way. The normal rules don�t
always apply, even the planet itself, or the main characters, might be
completely different from our Earth.
By distancing the reader through the use of fantasy/science fiction, it
allows the reader to examine the issues brought up by the story and to think
about them a little differently.
Another
important aspect of fantasy and science fiction is its ability to cause people
to think about the future.
Everyone has his or her guesses on where our society is headed, and what
the earth will be like in one hundred years. By reading about someone else�s perspective, it can help one
to solidify their own views. Also,
it can make them wonder, �how could this happen? Could it even happen?� This
could help the reader take more notice of the world around them today and maybe
more of an interest in different scientific advances, environmental issues,
etc.
I
chose to launch a unit plan about utopias/dystopias. I�ve always found these to be fascinating, and they really
force the reader to think, so I felt that they would be a good thing to include
in school systems. Students would
be forced to think about a different society, which would in turn make them
think harder about our own, while still being introduced to the genre of
fantasy/science fiction.
The
book I chose as my centerpiece, Biting the Sun by Tanith Lee, is a
little odd. This book, as far as I
know, never really had any huge amounts of fame like other utopias/dystopias,
such as George Orwell�s 1984, Ray Bradbury�s Fahrenheit 451, or
even Lois Lowry�s The Giver, among many others. All of these examples are great books,
and are usually what is read when a unit of this kind is introduced. Sometimes, however, I think these books
may be intimidating to students, who may already have prior opinions about them
just because they are so widely known, and these first judgements will affect what
they get from these books.
Therefore, I felt that Biting the Sun would be a good alternative
as a more obscure book, with a lighter tone.
I
also think that Biting the Sun deals with different issues than the
canonized books most utopia/dystopia units are founded on. With this novel, characters can change
sex, and bodies at will. Because
of this, there are several times when the issue of love comes up, and how
physical appearance is a joke.
Also, since the purpose of the society first described in the book is
simply one of pleasure for its members, the main character is able to explore
the importance of having some sort of meaningful life, as well as a
purpose. In addition to this, the
main character is one that I feel most teens will be able to identify with,
since she (predominantly) is going through the same kinds of rebellious urges
that most teenagers go through, albeit in a different world. And finally, I think that this book is
written as more of a hopeful piece, with less dark undertones than the other
dystopian books I�ve read, and ends on a hopeful note with what appears to be
an actual utopia for once. So, as
an alternative to the �classics,� I chose Biting the Sun as my center
piece, with several other small pieces to create a unit about utopias,
dystopias, and the various possibilities of our own future.
Launching
the Unit:
Before
having your students begin reading and discussing Tanith Lee�s Biting the
Sun, use one or more of the following activities:
1. Have students watch clips from the 1976 hit Logan�s
Run.
According to Amazon.com, �if
you can stifle the urge to laugh at its pastel unisex costumes and futuristic
shopping-mall d�cor, this extravagant science fiction film from 1976 is still
visually fascinating and provocatively entertaining. Set in the year 2274, when
ecological disaster has driven civilization to the protection of domed cities,
the story revolves around a society that holds a ceremonial death ritual for
all citizens who reach the age of 30. In a diseaseless city where free sex is
encouraged and old age is virtually unknown, Logan (Michael York) is a
"sandman," one who enforces this radical method of population control
(but he's about to turn 30 and he doesn't want to die). Escaping from the domed
city via a network of underground passages, Logan is joined by another
"runner" named Jessica (Jenny Agutter), while his former sandman
partner (Richard Jordan) is determined to terminate Logan's rebellion.�
(Disclaimer: Be sure to
review which clips are shown in class, as there is some nudity in the movie.)
a. Since the society portrayed in this movie is concerned
mainly with pleasure (as is the case with Biting the Sun) have the students write about the pros and cons of
such a society.
b. The reason this society fails is because of their
extreme population control methods, where anyone who turns thirty is subject to
execution in a large ceremony where they are believed to be �renewed.� Have
your students think about our own problems with overpopulation. Get a discussion going about what
alternatives there are to such an extreme. How can we help alleviate overpopulation in our own world?
What solutions are available to us?
c. As a follow-up to option b, have students bring in
newspaper or magazine articles about the dangerous effects of overpopulation on
our world today, and what�s being done about it. Discuss their findings in class, comparing the �real�
solutions in effect with the ones the students came up with themselves.
d. Do a short in-class writing essay. Have your students write which
qualities they feel would help to make up the ideal society. What is their own definition of
�utopia�? Next, have them write a contrast, explaining how this utopia could
become a dystopia, and why.
2. Have your students read the following poems:
by C S Lewis
I thought there would be a
grave beauty, a sunset splendour
In being the last of one's
kind: a topmost moment as one watched
The huge wave curving over
Atlantis, the shrouded barge
Turning away with wounded
Arthur, or Ilium burning.
Now I see that, all along, I
was assuming a posterity
Of gentle hearts: someone,
however distant in the depths of time,
Who could pick up our signal,
who could understand a story. There won't be.
Between the new Hembidae and
us who are dying, already
There rises a barrier across
which no voice can ever carry,
For devils are unmaking
language. We must let that alone forever.
Uproot your loves, one by
one, with care, from the future,
And trusting to no future,
receive the massive thrust
And surge of the
many-dimensional timeless rays converging
On this small, significant
dew drop, the present that mirrors all.
a. After reading this poem, have your students discuss
its meaning. What is it saying
about the future? The past?
by Hermann Hesse
Only on me, the lonely one,
The unending stars of the
night shine,
The stone fountain whispers
its magic song,
To me alone, to me the lonely
one
The colorful shadows of the
wandering clouds
Move like dreams over the
open countryside.
Neither house nor farmland,
Neither forest nor hunting
privilege is given to me,
What is mine belongs to no
one,
The plunging brook behind the
veil of the woods,
The frightening sea,
The bird whir of children at
play,
The weeping and singing,
lonely in the evening, of a man secretly in love.
The temples of the gods are
mine also, and mine
the aristocratic groves of
the past.
And no less, the luminous
Vault of heaven in the future
is my home:
Often in full flight of
longing my soul storms upward,
To gaze on the future of
blessed men,
Love, overcoming the law,
love from people to people.
I find them all again, nobly
transformed:
Farmer, king, tradesman, busy
sailors,
Shepherd and gardener, all of
them
Gratefully celebrate the
festival of the future world.
Only the poet is missing,
The lonely one who looks on,
The bearer of human longing,
the pale image
Of whom the future, the
fulfillment of the world
Has no further need. Many
garlands
Wilt on his grave,
But no one remembers him.
b. Have your students discuss this poem. What is Herman Hesse saying?
c. Do a small writing activity: have your students write
their own �future� poems.
Afterwards, have them go around and share their poems. Create a class poetry book.
d. In Biting the Sun, the main character tries to bring back the image of the poet, which
has been lost in history. Have
your students keep this poem in mind as they read this book.
3. Have your students do an in-class reading of a short
story, such as one of the stories included in Ray Bradbury�s The Martian
Chronicles.
According to Amazon.com,
�from "Rocket Summer" to "The Million-Year Picnic," Ray
Bradbury's stories of the colonization of Mars form an eerie mesh of past and
future. Written in the 1940s, the chronicles drip with nostalgic
atmosphere--shady porches with tinkling pitchers of lemonade, grandfather
clocks, chintz-covered sofas. But longing for this comfortable past proves
dangerous in every way to Bradbury's characters--the golden-eyed Martians as
well as the humans. Starting in the far-flung future of 1999, expedition after
expedition leaves Earth to investigate Mars. The Martians guard their mysteries
well, but they are decimated by the diseases that arrive with the rockets.
Colonists appear, most with ideas no more lofty than starting a hot-dog stand,
and with no respect for the culture they've displaced. Bradbury's quiet exploration of a
future that looks so much like the past is sprinkled with lighter material. In
"The Silent Towns," the last man on Mars hears the phone ring and
ends up on a comical blind date. But in most of these stories, Bradbury holds
up a mirror to humanity that reflects a shameful treatment of "the
other," yielding, time after time, a harvest of loneliness and isolation.
Yet the collection ends with hope for renewal, as a colonist family turns away
from the demise of the Earth towards a new future on Mars. Bradbury is a master
fantasist and The Martian Chronicles are an unforgettable work of art.�
--Blaise Selby
a. Most of the stories in this collection would be good
choices. After reading, have your
students discuss these futuristic societies, weighing their pros and cons.
b. How are people treated in this society? What makes
them go along with this treatment? How is this attitude similar/dissimilar to
attitudes in today�s societies?
c. Many of these stories deal with censorship, such as
�Usher II.� How is censorship
depicted? What makes it so harmful? Have your students think about these
questions. Start a class
discussion on the nature of censorship, including if it�s right to ban certain
books or movies based on content, and how important the freedom of speech is to
them. Tie this into present-day
politics with a discussion of the Patriot Acts, recently passed by our own
congress. Is it fair to ask people
to give up certain rights in times of war? Why or why not?
4. A common theme in
futuristic societies is that of machines vs. man. In many of these science fiction utopias, artificial
intelligence has been created, and machines are basically doing all the work
while humans get to enjoy all the benefits. Often this seems to lead to strife and eventual violence,
sometimes ending with all out war between humans and machines. Many popular movies deal with this
theme, including Terminator 1, 2, & 3, The Matrix 1, 2, & 3,
and, recently, I, Robot, which is
based on a short story by Isaac Asimov.
a. Have your students engage in a group discussion about
the possible pros and cons of �artificial intelligence.� Do they feel this is something that can
be accomplished in the future? Should it? What kind of moral dilemmas does it
impose? For fun, allow students to use movie quotes and examples as evidence
supporting their side.
b. Do an in-class reading of a short story that shows the
robots side in a more sympathetic light.
One such story is �Supertoys Last All Summer Long� by Brian Wilson
Aldiss. This is the story of a
little robot boy who loves his �mom� but can�t quite find the words to tell
her, and doesn�t even realize he is a robot at all.
c. As a follow up to option b, have students again take a
look at popular movies and books depicting robots as �the bad guys.� Is this a fair assessment? Have them
discuss why or why not.
d. Another follow up to option b would be to watch the
film �AI,� which was inspired by this story. Suggest this option to students as a possible extra-credit
assignment. Let them write a short
paper comparing the story with the movie, or this more sympathetic view on
robots with another movie.
The Center Piece:
The centerpiece of this unit is the book Biting the
Sun by Tanith Lee.
According to Amazon.com, �In
a world dedicated to pleasure, one young rebel sets out on a forbidden
quest--.Published for the first time in a single volume, Tanith Lee's duet of
novels set in a hedonistic Utopia are as riveting and revolutionary as they
were when they first appeared two decades ago.
�It's
a perfect existence, a world in which no pleasure is off-limits, no risk is too
dangerous, and no responsibilities can cramp your style. Not if you're Jang: a
caste of libertine teenagers in the city of Four BEE. But when you're expected
to make trouble--when you can kill yourself on a whim and return in another
body, when you're encouraged to change genders at will and experience whatever
you desire--you've got no reason to rebel...until making love and raising hell,
daring death and running wild just leave you cold and empty. Ravenous for true adventures of the
mind and body, desperate to find some meaning, one restless spirit finally
bucks the system--and by shattering the rules, strikes at the very heart of a
soulless society....�
There are many different
topics to write about. Following
are some suggestions for short essays, either in class or out. These can also be turned into in-class
or small group discussions. Have
students choose one or more to write about.
1. After reading this book, have students write a short
essay on how love is portrayed throughout the story. How does the main character eventually discover love? Is it
impossible to find love in a completely shallow society? Would it be easier or harder
to find love in a place where people can look any way they want?
2. The main character is kind of an outsider, even among
�her� own circle of friends. Why is this so? What characteristics does she
portray that make it hard for her to fit in? Can you relate to her, or no? Do
you think that her inability to fit in to the society around her is what drives
her to the actions she takes? How is she striving to find purpose?
3. Throughout this story, the main character is never
given a name. Was this noticeable?
How does this help/detract from the story? Does it make it easier to relate?
What does �her� lack of a name say about this society where a name is all you
have to identify yourself?
4. This book makes use of its own vocabulary. Does this help to enhance the feeling
of reading about another society, or is it just an annoying detraction from the
story? Why do you think the author chose to write it this way?
5. This story contrasts a utopia with a dystopia. How is the one different from the
other? Which would you choose�a society where there is no death or aging or
hard work, but no purpose or love either? Or a society where there is the fear
of getting old, and the need to work in order to survive, but also a purpose
for life and the ability to find love?
6. If you were the main character, faced with her choices
of either exile to the unknown, or �personality dissolution,� what would you
choose? Why? How do you think one of the other characters in the book would
have reacted to this choice? How does the main character's choice reflect her
independence and difference?
In order to tie-in the whole
unit, here are several final project/paper ideas. Have students select one.
1. Write a paper comparing the society in Biting the
Sun with the one in Logan�s Run, and/or any of the short stories or
poems. One possible topic would be
the seeming awe of youth inherent in each. Another possible topic idea would be the total control of
the government over each society.
Paper should be between 3-5 pages.
2. Write your own science fiction/fantasy short story
about a utopia or dystopia. Be
creative and have fun! It doesn�t have to resemble any of the societies we�ve
read/watched, although it can, up to a point. Be sure to describe in detail the society as it affects the
main character or plot.
3. Watch a movie:
a. Gattaca
�According to Amazon.com, �Writer-director Andrew Niccol, the
talented New Zealander who
also wrote the acclaimed Jim Carrey vehicle The Truman Show, depicts a
near-future society in which one's personal and professional destiny is
determined by one's genes. In this society, "Valids" (genetically
engineered) qualify for positions at prestigious corporations, such as Gattaca,
which grooms its most qualified employees for space exploration.
"In-Valids" (naturally born), such as the film's protagonist, Vincent
(Ethan Hawke), are deemed genetically flawed and subsequently fated to
low-level occupations in a genetically caste society. With the help of a
disabled "Valid" (Jude Law), Vincent subverts his society's social
and biological barriers to pursue his dream of space travel; any random
mistake--and an ongoing murder investigation at Gattaca--could reveal his plot.
Part thriller, part futuristic drama and cautionary tale, Gattaca establishes
its social structure so convincingly that the entire scenario is chillingly
believable. With Uma Thurman as the woman who loves Vincent and identifies with
his struggle, Gattaca is both stylish and smart, while Jude Law's performance
lends the film a note of tragic and heartfelt humanity.�
-Write a paper about how genetic engineering is portrayed in the film. How do you
feel about it? What are the pros and cons of genetic engineering, and how far is too
far? Use examples from the film to back up your opinions.
b. The Running Man �According to Amazon.com, �In this action thriller
based on an early story by Stephen King, Los Angeles in the year 2017 has
become a police state in the wake of the global economy's total collapse. All
forms of entertainment are government controlled, and the most popular show on
television is an elaborate game show in which convicted criminals are given a
chance to escape by running through a gauntlet of brutal killers known as
"Stalkers." Anyone who survives is given their freedom and a
condominium in Hawaii, so when a wrongly accused citizen (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
is chosen as a contestant, all hell breaks loose. Cheesy sets and a slimy role
for game-show host Richard Dawson make this violent mess of mayhem a candidate
for guilty pleasure; it is the kind of movie that truly devoted Arnold fans
will want to watch more than once. And check those credits--choreography by
Paula Abdul!� --Jeff Shannon
-Write
a paper about the portrayal of the media in the film. Do you think our society
is
heading in this direction? Think of today�s �reality tv show� craze and whether
or
not
today�s viewers would enjoy a show such as the one portrayed. Discuss the idea behind the
government�s control over the media.
Why is this such a bad thing? Is this happening in our own society?
c.
Select another movie portraying a futuristic utopia/dystopia. Be sure to get it approved first. Write a paper describing, first, why
you feel this movie is a good example of a utopia or dystopia. What makes it so? What kinds of
problems are included in the society? What led to this society�s creation? Is
there any link you can make between this movie and trends in today�s society,
either in regard to social or economic conditions, or technological/scientific
advances?
Extending the Unit:
There
are a number of books that fit into this genre and could nicely compliment this
unit plan. Many of these are
already used in classrooms, and are famous examples of utopias and
dystopias. These comprise the
�classics.� Most likely, these
books would be used as the centerpiece instead of Biting the Sun, if
they were to be included. Some
examples of these are listed below.
All summaries are courtesy of Amazon.com.
�
1984 by George
Orwell: �Orwell's classic
continues to deliver its horrible vision of totalitarian society. Once
considered futuristic, it now conjures fear because of how closely it fits the
reality of contemporary times. West's precise pronunciation and strong, intense
voice provide the narration and all individual parts. The three major
characters are individualized through vocal emphasis, tone and interpretation
of each character's personality. West simultaneously weaves the spell of Big
Brother while subtly emphasizing the complex emotional and intellectual
annihilation of each of the characters. Starting with a detached approach, West
intensifies emotions and ends with a finish that leaves the plot firmly
embedded in the listener's mind.�
�
Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley: ��Community,
Identity, Stability� is the motto of Aldous Huxley's utopian World State. Here
everyone consumes daily grams of soma, to fight depression, babies are born in
laboratories, and the most popular form of entertainment is a
"Feelie," a movie that stimulates the senses of sight, hearing, and
touch. Though there is no violence and everyone is provided for, Bernard Marx
feels something is missing and senses his relationship with a young women has
the potential to be much more than the confines of their existence allow.
Huxley foreshadowed many of the practices and gadgets we take for granted
today--let's hope the sterility and absence of individuality he predicted
aren't yet to come.�
�
Fahrenheit 451 by
Ray Bradbury: �In Fahrenheit 451,
Ray Bradbury's classic, frightening vision of the future, firemen don't put out
fires--they start them in order to burn books. Bradbury's vividly painted
society holds up the appearance of happiness as the highest goal--a place where
trivial information is good, and knowledge and ideas are bad. Fire Captain
Beatty explains it this way, �Give the people contests they win by remembering the
words to more popular songs.... Don't give them slippery stuff like philosophy
or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy.��
�
The Giver by Lois
Lowry: �In a world with no
poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is
happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories.
Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he
discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against
the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994
Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose
to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society. Gradually
Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can be, and
boldly decides he cannot pay the price.�
There are a lot of books
describing various kinds of futuristic utopias and dystopias. Besides the classics listed above, here
are a few more, slightly less famous possibilities, again with summaries from
Amazon.com.
�
The Handmaid�s Tale
by Margaret Atwood: �In a
startling departure from her previous novels ( Lady Oracle , Surfacing ),
respected Canadian poet and novelist Atwood presents here a fable of the near
future. In the Republic of Gilead, formerly the United States, far-right
Schlafly/Falwell-type ideals have been carried to extremes in the
monotheocratic government. The resulting society is a feminist's nightmare:
women are strictly controlled, unable to have jobs or money and assigned to
various classes: the chaste, childless Wives; the housekeeping Marthas; and the
reproductive Handmaids, who turn their offspring over to the "morally
fit" Wives. The tale is told by Offred (read: "of Fred"), a
Handmaid who recalls the past and tells how the chilling society came to be.�
Ann H. Fisher, Radford P.L., Va.
�
Do Androids Dream of
Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick:
�By 2021, the World War had killed millions, driving entire species into
extinction and sending mankind off-planet. Those who remained coveted any
living creature, and for people who couldn't afford one, companies built
incredibly realistic simulacrae: horses, birds, cats, sheep. . They even built
humans. Emigrees to Mars received
androids so sophisticated it was impossible to tell them from true men or
women. Fearful of the havoc these artificial humans could wreak, the government
banned them from Earth. But when androids didn't want to be identified, they
just blended in. Rick Deckard was
an officially sanctioned bounty hunter whose job was to find rogue androids,
and to retire them. But cornered, androids tended to fight back, with deadly
results. �[Dick] sees all the
sparkling and terrifying possibilities. . . that other authors shy away
from.��--Paul Williams
�
Anthem by Ayn
Rand: �Anthem has long been hailed
as one of Ayn Rand's classic novels, and a clear predecessor to her later
masterpieces, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. In Anthem, Rand examines a
frightening future in which individuals have no name, no independence, and no
values. Equality 7-2521 lives in the dark ages of the future where all
decisions are made by committee, all people live in collectives, and all traces
of individualism have been wiped out. Despite such a restrictive environment,
the spark of individual thought and freedom still burns in him--a passion which
he has been taught to call sinful. In a purely egalitarian world, Equality
7-2521 dares to stand apart from the herd--to think and choose for himself, to
discover electricity, and to love the woman of his choice. Now he has been
marked for death for committing the ultimate sin. In a world where the great
"we" reign supreme, he has rediscovered the lost and holy word��I.��
�
Mockingbird by
Walter Tevis: �Mockingbird is a
powerful novel of a future world where humans are dying. Those that survive
spend their days in a narcotic bliss or choose a quick suicide rather than slow
extinction. Humanity's salvation rests with an android who has no desire to
live, and a man and a woman who must discover love, hope, and dreams of a world
reborn.�
�
We by Yevgeny
Ivanovich Zamyatin, Clarence Brown (translator): �In the One State of the great Benefactor, there are no
individuals, only numbers. Life is an ongoing process of mathematical
precision, a perfectly balanced equation. Primitive passions and instincts have
been subdued. Even nature has been defeated, banished behind the Green Wall.
But one frontier remains: outer space. Now, with the creation of the spaceship
Integral, that frontier -- and whatever alien species are to be found there --
will be subjugated to the beneficent yoke of reason. One number, D-503, chief architect of the Integral, decides
to record his thoughts in the final days before the launch for the benefit of
less advanced societies. But a chance meeting with the beautiful 1-330 results
in an unexpected discovery that threatens everything D-503 believes about himself
and the One State. The discovery -- or rediscovery -- of inner space...and that
disease the ancients called the soul.�
Another way to extend the
unit would be to tie it in with a science unit or a politics unit. Topics that could be used to tie-in include
things such as genetic engineering, stem cell research, and cloning, as well as
censorship and government control.
Using these topics, there could also be a current events tie-in as
well.