SYLLABUS
April 2nd – May4th, 2007
1st CLASS 4/2
IN CLASS: review dystopias, equality in the USA, read excerpt from Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.
intro to Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
HW: read ch 1 – 2 in BNW
answer DQ 1 on ch 1 – 2
1. What is the World State’s motto?
2. What is the year? What would it be using our present dating system?
3. What is the Bokanovsky process?
4. Why are some females allowed a normal, sexual development?
5. Why is it necessary that words referring to family relationships have been made words of ridicule and pornography? How has this shaping of language been an aid to the conditioning process?

2nd CLASS 4/3
IN CLASS: read “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, answer following questions
1. What is Vonnegut saying about “equality” and “alikeness”?
2. In 2081, how do they make people equal? Does it work?
3. Consider what we discussed about equality in the US. Does it work to make people equal, or just to make them alike?
4. What is the purpose behind making people equal (in the US)?
5. If you lived in Harrison Bergeron’s world, what sorts of handicaps do you think you might be given for your strengths? Why?
6. What sorts of weaknesses do you have that would force other people to be given handicaps to bring them down to your level?

read “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury and answer the following question:
What is the central irony to this story? Explain your answer (this will take at least a paragraph).

HW: read ch 3 in BNW
answer DQ 2 on ch 3
1. What games are approved of in this brave new world?
2. Why is Bernard Marx upset with Henry Foster’s talk?
3. What does Mustapha Mond talk about that shocks the students? Why does he do this?
4. What is soma?

WEDNESDAY NIGHT – DESSERT AND MOVIE
6:30 – 8:30 ATTENDANCE REQUIRED!

3rd CLASS 4/5
IN CLASS: caste system, Ford, hypnopaedia, family as a dirty word.
HW: read ch 4 – 5 in BNW
answer DQ 3 on ch 4 – 5
1. Explain the differences between Bernard’s and Lenina’s reactions to the sky when they are on the roof. How do their differing views of the sky reflect their differing views of life?
2. “Words can be like x-rays, if you use them properly – they’ll go through anything.” What does Helmholtz Watson mean? How has this statement often proven true in our own history?
3. Why do Henry and Lenina act so emotionally distant about death? How does this relate to the societal attitude about birth?
4. Explain how the Solidarity Groiup meeting is designed to follow church ritual from various religions. Why do you think this was necessary?

1st CLASS 4/9
IN CLASS: views of nature, death vs. birth, Bernard the bully, Ford as God (read part 2 ch 5), “Solidarity Group.”
HW: read ch 6 – 7 in BNW
answer DQ 4 on ch 6 – 7
1. According to Lenina, what are some of Bernard’s odd behaviors or attitudes?
2. In part 1 of ch 6, as Bernard and Lenina are flying over the Channel, Bernard tells Lenina to look outside. List the adjectives and verbs Huxley uses to describe the scene. What attitude about nature does this portray?
3. Bernard uses the analogy of “meat” for Lenina. Why (or why not) is this an appropriate simile for her?

2nd CLASS 4/10
IN CLASS: “Malpais,” the Director and the Savage Reservation, blending Christian and pagan (whipping ceremony). Activity: are we being brainwashed? analyzing advertisements
HW: Mustapha Mond’s Department of Propaganda Project proposal
read ch 8 – 9 in BNW
answer DQ 5 on ch 8 – 9
1. The quote “O brave new world that has such people in it” is from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, in which “brave” means “handsome and noble.” Explain what kind of world John is imagining (by his use of this quote) in his trip to the New World.
2. Explain why you think Bernard called Mond directly, and what the plan is that he devised during his sleepless night.

3rd CLASS 4/12
IN CLASS: Tempest quote, the New World in John’s mind, go over proposals, story board work – complete by end of class, complete “script guidelines,” write scripts for each member
HW: complete scripts
begin filming
read ch 10 – 11 in BNW
answer DQ 6 on ch 10 – 11
1. Compare the first 4 paragraphs of ch 10 to the structure and society of a beehive. You will need to include a short explanation of a real beehive to make your comparison.
2. By the end of ch 11, Bernard is an important man. Why?

1st CLASS 4/16
IN CLASS: the hive, the Director and Linda, soma holiday, what will happen to her now, how Bernard feels, review scripts
HW: read ch 12 – 13 in BNW
answer DQ 7 on ch 12 – 13
film propaganda clip

2nd CLASS 4/17
IN CLASS: final work on propaganda clip
HW: edit final edition of propaganda clip

3rd CLASS 4/19
IN CLASS: PROPAGANDA PRESENTATIONS, John as Romeo, Lenina as Juliet, why and how are words dangerous? Bernard as a double outcast, the woman John wants Lenina to be.
HW: read ch 14 – 16 in BNW
answer DQ 8 on ch 14 – 16
1. Compare and contrast John’s attitude about Linda’s dying with that of the nurse and the children.
2. Explain why the words of John have no effect on the Delta twins. What is the only thing that moves them to action?
3. Why is Helmholtz the one to help John?
4. Mond states, “and you can’t make tragedies without social instability.” What does he mean? Explain why you agree or disagree.

1st CLASS 4/23
IN CLASS: ethics of dying, “hive of industry” vs. “maggots”
HW: read ch 17 – 18 in BNW
answer DQ 9 on ch 17 – 18
1. “But I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want Poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.” Why does John choose this even though he witnessed all this in his first 25 years of life and thought he wanted to be done with it?
2. Explain how John uses physical punishment as a way to try to cleanse and purify himself of both societies that he has known.

2nd CLASS 4/24
IN CLASS: discusson: the cost of living, of death, and what we do to manipulate them.
HW: in class essay – choose 1 topic
1. Write a paper that compares life as Huxley described it in the World State with life in the United States today. Include at least three of these aspects of life in your paper: Human life/death, love and marriage, art (literature, film, architecture, etc.), consumption of goods and services, use of drugs (including alcohol and tobacco), pleasure/self-indulgence, and religion. Come to a conclusion as to the accuracy of Huxley’s predictions.
2. Write a report by Mustapha Mond detailing his experiment with John the Savage. Conclude the report with Mustapha’s assessment of John’s final act.
3. As dehumanizing and oppressive as the brave new world Utopia is, the alternative in the "savage reserve" is in many ways worse - dirty, violent, unhealthy, cruel, uncomfortable. What point is Huxley making about human nature and the nature of human communities? Is his vision totally negative - or does the book hold out some shred of hope, some alternative mode that fosters both freedom and community?

3rd CLASS 4/26
IN CLASS: IN CLASS ESSAY, introduce final project - BLOGTOPIA
HW: complete “brainstorming blogtopia” handout - Begin brainstorming ideas for your society.
name your society, choose motto, choose animal, choose seal
BRING COMPUTERS TO CLASS

1st CLASS 4/30
IN CLASS: final project – intro to blogging
HW: BRING COMPUTERS TO CLASS
read part 1 – Moon – in Feed
write a list of at least 10 questions you have about the world and people described.

2nd CLASS 5/1
IN CLASS: intro to Feed by M.T. Anderson, answer questions, more blogging,
HW: read part 2 – Eden – in Feed
answer DQ (TBA)

3rd CLASS 5/3
IN CLASS: Feed discussion – what is going on? introduce Independent Film activity – handout, assign films to groups of 2, go over timeline for blog.
HW: come to class Thursday with a list of 10 (at least) rules for your society
with your partner, view your film and complete “Independent Film” handouts