Part One
Students will begin their study of history and civilizations in the fall by reading Lord of the Flies and Brave New World. The following questions should be addressed in group discussions:
- What events have necessitated the founding of the societies depicted in the novels?
- What are the characteristics of the cultures depicted in each novel? Look for the following elements: form of government; economic system, including division of labor; social hierarchy and the role of family; crime and punishment; education; religion; art, literature, and architecture; and inventions and technology.
- From the perspective of our society, what are the problems and difficulties of life in these cultures?
- What aspects of experience, which are essential to a good life, are missing from these cultures?
- What aspects of life and culture which we value are present in the cultures depicted in these novels?
- What are the roles of reason and of emotion in these societies?
- How is the tension between the individual's need for freedom balanced, or not balanced, by the desire of the community for control?
Students will keep their notes on these questions for use in the Utopian unit in the Renaissance study of second semester.
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