The ELEMENTS of Literature

I. Setting - The place or location of the action.  The setting provides the historical and cultural context 
                  for characters. It often can symbolize the emotional state of characters. Example – In Poe’s 
                  The Fall of the House of Usher, the crumbling old mansion reflects the decaying state of 
                  both the family and the narrator’s mind. We also see this type of emphasis on setting in 
                  Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice.

II. Symbolism - When an object is meant to be representative of something or an idea greater than the 

                          object itself.

III. Tone/Mood - The implied attitude towards the subject of the poem. Is it hopeful, pessimistic,  

                             dreary, worried? A poet conveys tone by combining all of the elements listed above 

                             to create a precise impression on the reader.

IV. Character - Representation of a person, place, or thing performing traditionally human activities or  

                           functions in a work of fiction

                          * Protagonist - The character the story revolves around.

                          * Antagonist - A character or force that opposes the protagonist.

                          * Minor character - Often provides support and illuminates the protagonist.

                          * Static character - A character that remains the same.

                          * Dynamic character - A character that changes in some important way.

                          * Characterization - The choices an author makes to reveal a character’s personality,  

                                                             such as appearance, actions, dialogue, and motivations.  

V. Theme - The main idea or underlying meaning of the literary work

VI. Conflict - The struggle within the story between characters, events, etc.

• Man vs Man
• Man vs Society
• Man vs Nature
• Man vs Outside Force
• Man vs Himself 

The Russian Revolution and Animal Farm

Making the Connection: From Fiction to Real Life

As we're finishing up our reading of Animal Farm, we will focus on the real historical connections to this allegory written by George Orwell. Every character and action in the novel can be traced to a person or event that took place during the Russian Revolution - which we will discover this week. Here are your group requirements:

1: 350 word research report. MLA format. Parenthetical citation. TWO authentic 
    sources cited in the paper (Direct Quote/ Paraphrase/ Summary) 

2: Keynote presentation: Essential Question (Opening discussion and Closing discussion) 

3: Connection to the Book - Who/what does each person/action/group represent in the book?


There are two main lessons the class will be teaching. Your group will do one of the following:

I. LESSON ONE:

1: Karl Marx
* Who was Karl Marx?
* What kind of life did he lead?
* His legacy?
* Brief bio
* Connection to the book

2: Leon Trotsky
* Who was Leon Trotsky?
* What kind of leader was he?
* Brief bio
* Connection to the book

3: Joseph Stalin
* Who was Joseph Stalin?
* What is he notorious for?
* Brief bio
* Connection to the book

4: Czar Nicholas II
* Who was Czar Nicholas II?
* Was he a good leader?
* How did he treat the people?
* Brief bio
* Connection to the book

II. LESSON TWO:

1: Russian Propaganda
* What were the techniques of Russian propaganda during the war?
* What were its effects on the people?
* Examples?
* Brief history
* Connection to the book

2: KGB
* What was the KGB?
* How was it a tool in the Russian Revolution?
* Brief history
* Connection to the book

3: Religion
* How did Karl Marx view religion?
* What was the role of religion in the Russian Revolution?
* Connection to the book

4: Russian Revolution
* What are the overall details of the Russian Revolution?
* Why did it start? How did it end?
* Connection to the book

Satire: A Modest Proposal

What is the best way to tackle social/economic/political issues? Is it to protest by picketing or rioting? Is it to give moving speeches? One way that writers throughout history have tackled issues in their lifetime is through satire. In Animal Farm Orwell tackles political issues through satire with the animals on the farm. Similarly, in Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal, he tackles the issue of poverty, homelessness, and economic struggles through a terrifying solution. For the next few days, we will read A Modest Proposal in class and then write our own version of a satire.

1. Read A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift: A MODEST PROPOSAL

2: Write your own satire that tackles a social/political/religious/governmental/economic issue

Group Project: The Power of Speech

Create a COMPARE/CONTRAST diagram for Old Major and Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches

Answer these questions in your COMPARE/CONTRAST diagram:

1. Give the specific literary devices used by each speaker. Give as many examples as possible for each literary device found. 
2. For each example you write down, give an explanation. For example, in a metaphor, why did he compare those two objects? etc.
3. What is the purpose of each speech? What did the speaker want to create in the people? 
4. What was the effect created in the people from each speech?
5. What is the enemy of each speech?
6. What was the solution offered in each speech against their enemy?

Dystopian Lyrics

"A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" by Bob Dylan

Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son ?
And where have you been my darling young one ?
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways
I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Oh, what did you see, my blue eyed son ?
And what did you see, my darling young one ?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin'
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin'
I saw a white ladder all covered with water
I saw ten thousand takers whose tongues were all broken
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son ?
And what did you hear, my darling young one ?
I heard the sound of a thunder, it roared out a warnin'
I heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world
I heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin'
I heard ten thousand whisperin' and nobody listenin'
I heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin'
Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Oh, who did you meet my blue-eyed son ?
Who did you meet, my darling young one ?
I met a young child beside a dead pony
I met a white man who walked a black dog
I met a young woman whose body was burning
I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow
I met one man who was wounded in love
I met another man who was wounded and hatred
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

And what'll you do now, my blue-eyed son ?
And what'll you do now my darling young one ?
I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin'
I'll walk to the deepths of the deepest black forest
Where the people are a many and their hands are all empty
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison
Where the executioner's face is always well hidden
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten
Where black is the color, where none is the number
And I'll tell and think it and speak it and breathe it
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin'
But I'll know my songs well before I start singin'
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Utopia: The Perfect Society

Is it possible for a perfect society to exist? Describe what you think would make a perfect society.