Dystopia Unit Review
Exam: Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Do not miss class this day. There will be no make-up exam. If you have an emergency, you must
contact me prior to the morning of the exam (before 7:55am).
Materials you will need: pen (black or blue; erasable pen is advisable), lined paper for exam, any
novels or copies of the short stories/speeches you have (optional), a list of quotes you may use
(optional), any notes you have taken for this unit (optional). You may not, however, bring drafts of
answers to the exam; I will be sure to check. It is also advisable that you use a dictionary for
spelling purposes.
Literature you need to know well:
1984, by George Orwell
“Shooting an Elephant,” by George Orwell
Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
“Civil Disobedience,” by Henry David Thoreau
“Thoughts from the Tao-Te Ching,” by Lao-Tzu
Excerpts from The Communist Manifesto, by Karl Marx
Excerpts from The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli
“Falling onto Mars,” by Geoffrey A. Landis
“Harrison Bergeron,” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
“Sinews of Peace,” speech by Winston Churchill
“ Statement to the Court,” speech by Eugene V. Debs
Tasks:
Short Answer: You will answer the prompt in a paragraph or two, following MLA format for
citation, and rules for formal writing. Yes, this requires that you prepare your quotes answers ahead
of time.
Identifications: I will provide you with a list of concepts and/or characters and you will be
responsible for explaining in detail (using MLA citation) how that character or concept is essential
to the theme of the novel/what it is important/what its significance is in the text.
Close Reading and Analysis of Rhetoric in Speeches: I will provide an excerpt from a speech we
have not read together and you will have to identify pathos, logos, ethos, anaphora, alliteration,
repetition, and metaphor. You will also have to explain why whatever you identify is what you
claim it to be. An example of a poor explanation for pathos is, “in this passage King Jr. uses
pathos. I know this because he appeals to emotion.” –please be more specific and explain how he
is appealing to emotion. What specific words/metaphors is he using that elicit emotion? Why do
these words elicit emotion?
Short answer Questions: I will not use all of them, but all of the questions on the exam are listed
here.
Technology in science fiction: What scientific advances do you see in the society? How do these
advances in technology affect the characters’ decisions and actions? What are the authors’ opinions
of technology in these texts? Are some technologies okay, and others damnable? Why is this?
Conflict in Science Fiction: While at first glance these texts have fictional settings and conflicts,
many of these texts deal with real issues in society. Are problems characters face in these stories
similar to or different from those people face today? In what ways are these conflicts relevant to
modern society? In what ways are they not relevant?
Perception and Reality in science fiction: These works seem to question what is real and true and
what is not; the irony is that these questions occur within fiction. Within some of these works there
are times when the characters and possibly even the reader is wondering what is real and what is
not, what is true and what is not. Why do these instances exist? Why has the author used this
technique in his writing? What is the advantage of using these tricks of perception, unreliable
narrator and ambiguity when it comes to truth and reality?
Power/Marxism in these works: Many of these works either directly, or indirectly discuss power
and those who wield it. How are these leaders conveyed in the literature? A trusting leader who
seeks justice for his people? A ruthless leader seeking omnipotence? Something in between? Are
they all positive depictions or negative? From the depiction of the leaders in these works, what can
be surmised about the intended audience, the author’s views on power/government?
The audacity of idealism: many of these works, especially the essays and speeches deal with
idealism and theories in economics, politics, and relationship between the government and the
people. How applicable are these ideals in modern society? Are they still relevant? Should these
ideals remain as a standard for how our government and people function in modern society?
Historical analysis of these works: Many of these works are a response to events in history. Is it
possible that literature can change the effect that history has on a society? Analyze how
history/current events can change the shape of literature and vise versa.
Feminist reading of these works: Women are in many ways absent/and or portrayed as an obstacle
in the plots of many of these texts. Consider how women are treated and examine the reasons and
implications for such a use of women. It may be useful to also examine how men are viewed in
these works, what is expected of them and what their role seems to be, as well as what the
implications are of this usage.