I just finished reading 90 10th grade essays responding to the novel 1984 and finished reading Brave New World for our next novel.

I told the students that they were meant to be cautionary tales, but the more we are immersed in this year of dystopia, the less sure I am. When I think about the world during the times these novels were written and witness the world in which I live, they feel more like commentary than cautionary. The dystopian ideas are, sadly, reality. While technologically, they may not have had the capabilities to have telescreens and bottle babies when written, the essence of their tale is true and real. These societies at their core exist and have existed since recored history.

As a teacher, the question becomes, do I change our focus of cautionary?  Do we instead analyze the truth and reality of these tales, determine if they are “good” or “bad” societies, and, ultimately, create white papers arguing for these worlds to be created or maintained or arguing ways to change the world?

I mean, it’s 10th grade English. Truly, do they need to be acting as if they are adults who can influence policy or are they 16 years old simply hoping for their license and a car?