Lesson 1: Choose a Novel
Below are the novels that you may choose from. They represent different reading levels and content, but are all based on a theme of “Dystopia.”
I have also included a brief background for each novel as well as approximate reading level and advisories about content. Please choose your novel and BEGIN READING.
(Most of the novels below contain some graphic content. If you are concerned about reading a novel containing violence, sexual content or course language, please contact me to discuss.)
I have also included a brief background for each novel as well as approximate reading level and advisories about content. Please choose your novel and BEGIN READING.
(Most of the novels below contain some graphic content. If you are concerned about reading a novel containing violence, sexual content or course language, please contact me to discuss.)
1984George Orwell (1948)
Reading Level: grade 12 – post secondary Content Advisory: political and historical content, some sexuality 1984 is set in the city Airstrip One which was once London, and is currently a part of the superpower Oceania. It is a society controlled by a totalitarian government called INGSOC or more colloquially, the Party. The protagonist, Winston Smith, is a worker in the middle management of the Outer Party, and he like the rest of the population leads a dreary life of deprivation, monotony and terror. When he begins to make unlikely connections with other members of the Outer Party and the ruling Inner Party, Winston’s existence and perhaps that of the Party are changed forever. The Hunger GamesSuzanne Collins (2008)
Reading Level: gr 6-8 Content Advisory: some violence It introduces sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives This novel is set in a post-apocalyptic world in the country of Panem where North America once existed. Power is centralized in the Capitol which controls the other 13 districts of the country. The protagonist, 16 year old Katniss Everdeen is chosen to take part in the Hunger Games, an annual reality show in which one boy and one girl from each district must fight to the death for the entertainment of the rest of the population. Drawing from reality TV and Greek mythology, Suzanne Collins creates a futuristic youth novel that makes us question our addiction to reality programming and the broadcasting of violence in the media. |
Oryx and CrakeMargaret Atwood (2004)
Reading Level: grade 11-12 Content Advisory: sexuality, child exploitation, current medical ethical issues Set far into the future after the near extinction of humanity as we know it, one human is left to start over. Snowman is alone in a world with genetically altered animals and a new fledgling race of humans that he is sworn to protect. The story of how Snowman arrived in this position is interwoven throughout the novel along with shocking revelations about the future directions of genetic research and the ethical questions it raises. A Brave New WorldAldous Huxley (1932)
Reading Level: post- secondary Content Advisory: sexuality, medical ethical issues, substance abuse Set in London of AD 2540 (632 A.F. in the book), the novel anticipates developments in reproductive technology and sleep learning that combine to change society. This society is part of The World State, an eternally peaceful and productive community where humans are mass produced on assembly lines like manufactured goods, and recreational sex, drugs and hypnotherapy keep everyone in a state of bliss. Through the eyes of Lenina, a socially correct woman, Bernard, an intellectual and nonconforming man, and finally John, a savage from an outcast reservation, we see this society from its many complex angles. |
Bonus Viewing: Movies that also deal with the concepts of Dystopia are:
The Matrix
Waterworld
The Island
Mad Max