8. How can fiction mirror many realities?

AT A GLANCE

Intention : Learn how a dystopian allegory can mirror multiple events.

Task : Watch the following clips. You may take notes if you wish.

Duration : approx. 10 minutes

Material required : Student Booklet

An original activity , under licence CC BY-NC other credits

Introduction

Watch the following clips to discover how dystopian fiction can symbolize our reality.

Clip 1: Introduction (00:56)

Download the script

Clip 2: How Can Fiction Symbolize Many Realities? (2:12)

Download the script

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8.1 How can fiction resemble my reality?

AT A GLANCE

Intention: Learn how a dystopian allegory can symbolize multiple events.

Task : Read and analyze a fictitious event to see how it can symbolize the real world.

Duration : approx. 50 minutes

Material required : Student Booklet

An original activity , under licence CC BY-NC other credits

Instructions

Let’s see how your interpretation of a classic text can symbolize your reality.

1. Read the following excerpt from Animal Farm once without stopping.

Download the script

2. Once you are done, summarize your initial interpretation.

3. Then, read it again, this time focusing your attention on the various symbols found in the excerpt to translate them into your reality using this chart.

<table style="width: 100%;">
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    <section class="C2001" data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="1" style="">
      <div class="Ca no_borders-row cover" style="background-image: none">
        <div class="container-fluid px-0 px-md-4 px-lg-5 py-3 py-md-4 py-lg-5">
          <p class="G001 px-3 left" data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2" style="font-size: 18px; font-weight: 800;">
            Don’t worry, you don’t need to know a lot about world politics to do this. Your brain will be making connections. Just write down what they are.
          </p>
          <div class="C2001b row flex-md-row justify-content-md-center">
            <div class="C2001c item col-md-12">
              <div class=" basic-pale-row text_box1" style="" data-version="0.1.1" data-recit-block="2">
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                  <div class="table-responsive-sm">
                    <table id="myTable" class="G812aa table text-center text-dark notable-hover bg_dark table-bordered notable-striped">
                      <thead class="text-white">
                        <tr class="bg_secondary">
                          <th scope="col" class="border border_white">
                            Element from Animal Farm
                          </th>
                          <th scope="col" class="border border_white">
                            Represents
                          </th>
                          <th scope="col" class="border border_white">
                            <div>
                              <br>
                            </div>
                            <div>
                              Symbolizes
                            </div>
                          </th>
                          <th scope="col" class="border border_white">
                            Resembles this current event in my reality
                          </th>

</tr>
                      </thead>
                      <tbody>
                        <tr id="row_1">

<td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                            E.g.: Napoleon
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                            Joseph Stalin or another dictator
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                            <span style="font-size: 15px;">
                              People who pretend to work for the benefit of a group but are only there for personal gain
                            </span>

</td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                            The captain of my favourite team always wants the other players to make passes, but never passes to anyone!
                          </td>

</tr>
                        <tr id="row_2">
                          <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                            <span style="font-size: 15px;">
                              E.g.: Squealer
                            </span>
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                            <span style="font-size: 15px;">
                              Shady spokesperson
                            </span>
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                            <span style="font-size: 15px;">
                              People who misinform, manipulate the truth or lie to the population
                            </span>
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                            <span style="font-size: 15px;">
                              People who spread fake news on social media.
                            </span>
                          </td>

</tr>
                        <tr id="row_3">
                          <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                            <div>
                              Milk and apples
                            </div>
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>

</tr>
                        <tr id="row_4">
                          <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                            Order to collect windfalls and milk for the use of the pigs only
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>

</tr>
                        <tr id="row_5">
                          <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                            Murmuring among the other animals after that order
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>

</tr>
                        <tr id="row_6">
                          <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                            Squealer’s “necessary explanations”
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>

</tr>
                        <tr id="row_7">
                          <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                            Brainworkers
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>

</tr>
                        <tr id="row_7">
                          <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                            &nbsp;Squealer’s question: “Surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?”
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>

</tr>
                        <tr id="row_7">
                          <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                            &nbsp;The animals’ having nothing to say in response to Squealer’s question
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>

</tr>
                        <tr id="row_7">
                          <td class="border border_white bg-light text-dark">
                            &nbsp;Agreement among the animals that milk and apples will be reserved for the pigs
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>
                          <td class="border border_white">
                          </td>

</tr>
                      </tbody>
                    </table>
                  </div>
                </div>
              </div>
            </div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
    </section>
    <p>
    </p>

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8.2 Discussing different interpretations

AT A GLANCE

Intention : Consider different events that can be symbolized by dystopian allegories.

Task : Discuss with partners the different interpretations that came up during the last task.

Duration : approx. 45 minutes

Material required : Student Booklet

An original activity , under licence CC BY-NC other credits

Instructions

Preparation

Before the scheduled moment of the oral interaction, review your answers from activity 8.1.

Take the time to consult the evaluation grid.

Consult the Rubric

Functional Language

Consult the following functional language that could be useful for your oral interaction.

Functional Language Handout

Oral Interaction

During your oral interaction, discuss the questions and prompts without reading your answers.

What's Next?

Now that you understand how dystopia can reflect reality, let’s see how you can transform reality into fiction.

Connection timed out.