Dystopian young-adult (DYA) fiction is used sporadically in the classroom, but these two TT bloggers find the genre particularly useful to engage their students. Take a moment to learn how they teach DYA fiction as a method to address tough topics like violence, civic loyalty and power.
Liz Clift
Occasionally my students will say something along the lines of, “I belong in Amity” or “I’m Erudite.” To an outside observer who is unfamiliar with DYA fiction, these statements might seem a bit odd. In fact, “Amity” and “Erudite” are references to factions in a dystopian Chicago—the backdrop of Veronica Roth’s Divergent trilogy.
At age 16, the teenage characters in the trilogy must choose to join one of the five factions—each based on a singular quality. “Amity” is the faction for the peaceful, and “Erudite” for the intelligent, so when I hear a student state that they belong in Amity or identify as Erudite, I take this to be more than a mere preference. It makes me wonder: Why do they opt for the peaceful faction over the intelligent, brave, selfless or honest one?
It’s perhaps easy to write off the Divergent trilogy as just another popular young-adult series that will soon fall by the wayside, but it stands up next to other dystopian novels, including The Hunger Games and perennial classics such as 1984, Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451. Divergent has particular appeal among my students quite possibly because it deals with intergroup and state-enacted violence and divided factions—salient issues in their own communities.
The youth I work with regularly witness violence perpetrated within their communities as well as against their communities by the police and others who are in positions of power. They see their communities divided by allegiances—to different gangs, to getting out of their neighborhoods versus staying, to the pressures of gentrification. They observe neighbors being denied medical care because of the stigma around drug use and marginalized by the local news station whenever an unknown perpetrator commits a crime.
Divergent provides opportunities to address with my students what it means to struggle for a more just and united world. The protagonist—Tris—defies categorization, bringing into question the existence of the factions. Divergent and other titles within the DYA genre offer us opportunities to engage students around difficult topics such as violence and intergroup tension through an engaging and inclusive framework. When you hear your students mention a DYA novel, consider keeping the following questions in the back of your mind:
- Is the appeal of a DYA novel (or series) merely its popularity, or does it parallel your students’ own experiences?
- Can the title prompt your students to discuss tough social issues?
- How can a discussion centered on a DYA novel complement other teaching tools?
- Can a given DYA novel replace a more traditional novel as an assigned reading?
Clift works in an after-school program for youth and as the communications intern for the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
Dr. Sharon Chappell
The DYA genre is ripe for considerations about students’ political identities: What issues are your students confronting right now? How do you teach about systems of power and control in their lives, their place within a broader community and the meaning of citizenship?
I compiled a list of DYA literature-centered activities that you can consider incorporating into your classroom. These activities can be used to make text-to-self and text-to-world connections.
Sense of belonging. What happens when the expectations of communities contradict one another or demand a choice of allegiance, as they do in the Divergent series? To explore this theme with students, ask them to create one or more self-portraits that reflect their identities as individuals and as community members. Start by listing the identity groups that students feel they belong to. Then draw an outline of the self (full body or bust) on the board. Fill this outline with words, images and symbols that reflect these identity groups.
Civic loyalties. In the book Delirium by Lauren Oliver, the protagonist, Lena, questions the narrative of her government. Do your students feel loyal to nationally held ideas, values and traditions? Ask students to reflect on this theme by creating a chart in which they will reflect on places of loyalty. These could include the home, school, place of worship, community organizations and the government. Have students list activities they "have to do" at each place, and then have them put a star next to activities they “want to do” and a question mark next to activities they “do not want to do.” Discuss as a class whether or not we should participate in activities at home, school, etc. that we either dislike or make us uncomfortable.
Private wealth vs. the common good. In the Legend series by Marie Lu, the protagonist, June, learns her government is abusing its power and must decide whether to pursue her own wealth or expose the ways the government is impoverishing the people. This novel is a good springboard for asking students to define the terms "private wealth" and "common good." Have them talk about what jobs they would like to have and why. (They might interview one another or have a small group discussion.) Have students research their selected occupation: What is the occupation's educational requirements, salary and contributions to society? Then discuss whether their choices were motivated by private wealth or the common good. Lastly, look at examples of public figures who work toward private wealth, the common good and both.
Power. The Matched series by Allyson Braithwaite Condie raises questions about how we can create new systems that address inequities and what we can learn from young people about traditions that should be maintained or changed. To explore this theme, play a version of Augusto Boal's Game of Power. In this game, place six chairs in the middle of the room. Ask students to rearrange the chairs so that one chair shows more power than the others (for example, a single chair facing the others). Discuss as a class how power is shown through the chair arrangement. Ask students to create other arrangements and then discuss. For at least one arrangement, ask students to fill the seats, so that one student has power. Then the next student takes a seat and "takes power away" from the previous student, using gesture, body position, etc. Discuss how power is given, taken and why these power arrangements are beneficial or damaging—and to whom.
Chappell is an assistant professor of elementary and bilingual education at California State University.
We’d like to hear from you. What DYA titles do you use in your classroom? How do you use it? What themes in DYA novels do your students typically gravitate towards?
0 COMMENTS