Socratic Seminar #1: Novels and the End of the World

“As for me, all I know is that I know nothing.”

-Socrates

The culminating verbal assessment for this exploration of dystopian novels will be a

set of Socratic seminars in which strong questions drive the discussion and answers

are considered. In a Socratic seminar, emphasis is placed on the value of inquiry:

the process of asking questions and posing responses that lead to deeper questions

and further consideration of the topic.

Primary Sources: Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle

Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale

Gordimer’s July’s People

Secondary Sources: Swift’s “A Modest Proposal,” Auden’s “Unknown Citizen,” Bill Moyer’s interview with Margaret Atwood for Faith & Reason, Nicholas Visser’s “Beyond the Interregnum,” additional critical notions gleaned from Gale Group, Ebscohost, or inferior web sources such as Sparksnotes or Shmoop.

Essential Concepts, Terms, Figures: Utopia/Thomas More, Dystopia/John Stuart Mill, apocalyptic, Totalitarianism, Oligarchy, bureaucracy, theocracy, Socialism, Communism, Capitalism, Conspiracy, Anti-Hero, Genre, Satire, Religious fundamentalism, Class stratification, Karl Marx, Solipsism, Feminism, Genetic Engineering, Propaganda, Apartheid, Alienation …

As preparation for this Socratic seminar, evaluate the elements of each novel; do they contain more similarities or differences? How effectively does style contribute to theme? Which author has most effectively pointed out the dangers ahead? Which author has more effectively drawn characters? Which author has created the most vivid setting? Which author has developed the most compelling POV? Which conflicts are most familiar? Which conflicts are most foreign?

Guiding Questions for this Seminar:

*How much do the societies presented in these novels resemble our world? How do they differ?

*Consider the ending of each novel. How do the endings contribute to thematic effect? What do they suggest about the viability of each world?

*Compare each author’s style. How does the style of writing each author employs contribute to the effectiveness of their novels?

GRADES:

On the day of your Socratic seminar, have typed notes reflecting your research and study regarding the three novels ready for reference (and to submit to turnitin.com); include specific quotes and commentary responding to your group’s question from 5 significant passages (2 from each of your chosen novels and one from the remaining novel). Socratic oral contributions earning the highest grades will show a deep familiarity with the primary sources and reference academic criticism (Gale, Ebsco). Socratic written components earning the highest grades will comprise of typed notes that include appropriate questions, significant quotes from critical perspectives (including source citation), and any other notes you compile in preparation; secondarily, these students will provide specific and apt details on the Socratic observation form.


This assignment will constitute three grades: one related to your verbal contribution on your inner circle day, and one related to your typed notes and one daily grade for your Socratic Observation Form.

“It is only a novel... or, in short, only some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to the world in the best-chosen language”

-Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey