Preparing Katniss: A Synthesis of Texts on Social Movements for the English Classroom
With 75% of Americans acknowledging widespread government corruption in the U.S. (Gallup), there are cries for a reform of campaign finance. In 2014, Ukrainian citizens ousted President Yanukovych for making corrupt deals with Russia. Syria has been in the midst of political reform for four years. Today’s student are growing up in a world smothered in revolution, both domestic and abroad. Future revolutions will be led by those in our English classrooms, and it is therefore important for students to consider the question, “How are revolutions crafted and executed, and what effect do revolutions have on the leaders?”
There are a variety of texts that tackle the complexities of revolution, all of which are approachable and understandable by high school students. Both contemporary young adult texts like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and classic young adult texts like The Giver by Lois Lowry provide insight into dystopian revolutions orchestrated by the extreme minority. 1984, written by George Orwell, also contemplates the effects of revolting against a dystopian, authoritarian government. Closely connected to 1984 is another Orwell text: Animal Farm, which is deeply rooted in the historical events of the Soviet Union. Both the poem, “What Has Happened” by Bertolt Brecht and the short story “The Way” by Elizabeth Marie Wallace” examine the goals of an individual in reference to the goals of the revolution. Finally, the non-fiction of “The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution” by Walter Isaacson considers social and technological revolutions, of which students can compare to political revolutions.
One of the most important aspects of The Hunger Games is that Panem, the dystopian nation, is created after a mysterious event that crumbled human civilization. People’s resulting desperation led them to trust the new authoritarian government, who provided some level of order and safety. This suggests that authoritarian governments are often created out of necessity, and by a public that does not challenge their creation. In the novel, Panem divides its citizens into 13 districts; the Capital is elegant and flourishing, while the other district degrade from there, culminating to District Thirteen’s extreme poverty. However, it is Katniss Everdeen, a District 13 citizen, who ultimately stages the revolution. In this, Collins demonstrates that revolutions are sourced from those least capable of leading one (at least in terms of resources), but from those most in need of one. Throughout The Hunger Games trilogy, the Capital attempts to incentivize Katniss to stop the revolution. This comes in the form of wealth, fame, and false promises, but also through threats, blackmail, and suppression. Katniss serves as an ideal model of a revolutionist and remains mostly immune these tactics. The Hunger Games explores revolution from its inception to revolutionists’ interiors to tactics, ultimately asserting that the extreme minority can spur political revolution. Amber Simmons in “Class on Fire: Using the Hunger Games Trilogy to Encourage Social Action” highlights some of the downsides to rebellion as illustrated in The Hunger Games: “As punishment for a past rebellion, every district must provide via a lottery system a male and a female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 to fight to the death in a high-tech arena” (22). Revolution must be carefully decided upon, for if ineffective, the revolutionists will suffer even more than they did previously. Therefore, Collins suggests that the greatest negative impact a revolution can have on a leader occurs only if the revolution fails, thereby further incentivizing the leader to be successful in their revolution.
The Giver by Lois Lowry is also centered on a revolution by the extreme minority (a revolution started by only one or two people), but this revolution is more “top-down” than “bottom-up” like it is in The Hunger Games. Jonas and The Giver are both given perhaps the most valuable profession in this society: their job is to pass on the memories of humanity that no longer exist (music, color, love, etc.). They are highly revered, unlike the revolutionists in The Hunger Games. In fact, The Giver and Jonas may actually benefit the most from this society, as they experience all the advantages of it (safety, health) but not the drawbacks as they can experience color, music, etc. Therefore, Lowry presents an alternative means to revolution, in that the underprivileged and suffering do not need to start it. Jonas ends up running away in an attempt to transmit the memories to the whole community, but the novel ends ambiguously. The reader is left unsure if Jonas escaped to Elsewhere – the outside world – or if he died. Nonetheless, Lowry demonstrates that revolutionists are severely impacted because they have to sacrifice their family, happiness, and even their life to overthrow a political system.
While The Hunger Games and The Giver conclude with a successful revolution, 1984 is muddier. The government in 1984 is the most restrictive of these novels, banning such things as improper facial expressions, certain words, and any form of creativity or individualism. With surveillance everywhere and seemingly everyone in agreement with Big Brother, the 1984 government is the hardest to revolt against, and indeed, Winston, the main character of the novel, never succeeds. There is a suggestion that it is possible with the help from the Proles, an uncontrolled populace, the government could be overthrown. Nevertheless, the reader is led throughout the novel to believe that Winston is on the path to overthrowing Big Brother, but in the end, the reader learns that every step has been calculated and watched, and Winston fails. Although Winston fails his political revolution, there are questions raised of if he truly failed. He temporarily escaped the grayness of society and had moments when he felt like a true human being, experiencing love, excitement, and creativity. Winston evolved tremendously throughout 1984, and perhaps he succeeded in a personal revolution if not a political one. Miles Tanenbaum, in his article “’1984’: A Confessional Reading and Teaching Approach,” supports this: “The Party is trying to abolish the orgasm” (220). Winston and Julia, an illegal couple in 1984, rebel most significantly against Big Brother through their sexual behavior which is outlawed in their case. Therefore, Winston and Julia’s sexual behavior alone is a revolution. Tanenbaum acknowledges that not all revolutionary acts are directly political, but instead sometimes personal and emotional. Orwell thus establishes the positive impact that revolutions have, no matter how successful: when people are engaged with their community and themselves, they experience unparalleled happiness. These personal revolutions are what can lead to political revolutions.
Animal Farm, also written by George Orwell, is an allegory for the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Stalin era. The previously mentioned texts have discussed the staging of a revolution, while Animal Farm analyzes the long-term and short-term effects of such a revolution. The animals overthrow Mr. Jones based on their idealism; they want all animals to be treated equally and all animals should act as animals (no clothes, beds, etc.). Naturally, the animals are for these principles and soon maintain control of the farm. For a short time, Orwell illustrates the “golden age” of revolutions. As soon as a new power is introduced, everything appears controlled, idealistic, and promising, but soon after, the farm then descends into corruption, abuse, and totalitarianism. Orwell communicates that promised ideals are not enough to secure a successful revolution. Ultimately, those in power will become corrupt and revert to the government they fought against. Orwell expresses similar pessimism as in 1984, and offers that grand-scale political revolutions either fail immediately (as in Winston’s case), or fail in the end (as with the farm). This perspective provides a balance to Collins and Lowry, and allows students to more broadly explore the successes and failures of revolution.
However, scholar V.C. Letemendia writes,
“In some ways, he clearly emphasizes the similarities between the beasts on Animal Farm and the humans whom they are designed to represent; at other times, he demonstrates with humor and pathos the profound differences separating animal from man […] in doing so, he forces his reader to draw a distinction between the personalities and conduct of the beasts and those of the human world” (128).
Letemendia suggests that although Orwell gives off a sense of pessimism, there is a silver lining because although these animals are human-like, there are still animals. Animal Farm does not necessarily have to reflect humanity, and there can be a distinction between these two communities. This opens avenues for students to explore about the differences between humans and animals and the potential of each.
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies contrasts with Animal Farm in that Lord of the Flies emphasizes the individual leaders as the most important part of any government system, whereas Animal Farm asserts that the system is the most important aspect. In “Parallels and Contrast in ‘Lord of the Flies’ and ‘Animal Farm,’” Suzanne Gilbin writes, “Golding seems to feel that the success or failure of any government depends on the relative leadership strength of weakness of the individual or individuals who head it” (86). Jack, the tyrannical leader, proves to be the stronger, more effective leader and “triumphs over Ralph” (86) who represents a democratic leader. Tyranny is not better than democracy, but instead, some leaders are better than others. Much like in Elizabeth Wallace’s “The Way,” plans and reality soon clash. The boys on the island hold a meeting and establish rules and a schedule for daily life on their new island. However, things soon start to degrade and the revolutionists are soon forced to create their own rules and stray from the plan. Lord of the Flies contemplates the power of leadership in revolutions and how a revolution has the potential to devolve. Much like in The Hunger Games, this text demonstrates that when a revolution goes awry, the leaders receive tremendous negative impacts, such as Piggy’s death, a split society, and all the boys – no matter their behavior on the island – weeping in grief.
In the poem “What Has Happened” by Bertolt Brecht, the poet explores what has to happen on a personal level for genuine revolution to occur. Instead of addressing grand-scale, dramatic, and often violent revolutions, Brecht simplifies revolutions to the individual. Revolutions, he asserts, happen within, and only then will we have a reformed society. He writes, “The landlord comes to see whether the water supply is working. / The journalists write the word People with capital letters. / The singers sing at the opera for nothing.” Social and political revolution are the result of small actions, like the powerful and wealthy landlord checking on a resident and journalists restoring the power of the people, and not to conglomerates who control their every word. People sing for the beauty of it, not just money. Art is respected on a higher level than just its financial value. These small changes all come from the individual – a landlord, a journalist, or a singer – but have grand-scale effects that change the political and social climate. Brecht concludes his poem with, “The revolution has won its first battle: / That's what has happened.” The first step, Brecht argues, is not in overthrowing Panem, Big Brother, Farmer Jones, or the community; the first step is overthrowing your own personal prejudices and shortcomings. That is how a revolution starts, and Brecht’s poem adds a solution to Animal Farm. Perhaps corrupt power is not a revolving door after all, and it can be solved by first looking within.
In Elizabeth Wallace’s “The Way,” she explores a similar concept to Brecht in that a revolutionist is limited by his or her own self. The short story is about a person who is about to go on a journey, but someone keeps asking him if he is ready. He says he knows the way – it’s very clear – but as soon as he steps outside, the “road disintegrates, slipping into the earth through arid cracks jagging beneath me.” Suddenly, he feels lost and wonders what direction he should go. Wallace contemplates the complexities of personal political revolutions. What happens when someone’s plan crumbles? He already told people that he knew where he was heading, but now that he was outside, he realizes everything is different. How does he respond to his people? How does he know which way to go? This piece of flash fiction offers few answers, but presents some serious questions that would need to be answered by a potential revolutionist. This text could be used in conjunction with a text like 1984 to discuss Winston’s plans and its unexpected turns.
To provide a non-fictional and apolitical perspective, “The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution” by Walter Isaacson considers other types of revolutions, such as technological and cultural revolutions. The book examines technological revolutionists, such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, and delves into what made them successful revolutionists. This text is a summation of all the other texts, as Isaacson studies both the internal challenges of revolutionists and the societal and political challenges they had to face to make their product or company successful. He also observes the overall process of the technological revolution by examining the forefathers of it, such as Alan Turing, and how these role models impacted the revolutionists. When Isaacson’s work is examined in conjunction with Francesco Caselli’s “Technological Revolutions,” students can see the full picture of the technological revolution. He writes: “In the early stages of a technological revolution the ability effect dominates, and this leads to increased income mobility and wage inequality. In the later stages the parental human-capital effect takes over, and income mobility and wage inequality decline” (80). Like many of the previous authors, the works of Caselli and Isaacson accumulate to question not only the effects of the leaders of a revolution, but its supposed beneficiaries as well.
Isaacson’s research on revolutionists is hopefully only the beginning in a surge of revolution because if the world will see change, it will be through the actions of those still in school. By reviewing texts such as The Hunger Games, The Giver, 1984, Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies, “What Has Happened,” “The Way,” and “The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution,” students can understand how revolutions – political, social, personal, and otherwise – are constructed and executed. Their effects on both the population and on the leader can be examined, and students can extrapolate these principles to their own life.
Works Cited
Brecht, Bertolt. What Has Happened. Short Story, Print.
Caselli, Francesco. "Technological Revolutions." The American Economic Review 89.1 (1999): 78-102. JSTOR. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. London: Scholastic, 2010. Print.
Gulbin, Suzanne. "Parallels and Contrasts in "Lord of the Flies" and "Animal Farm"" The English Journal 55.1 (1966): n. pag. JSTOR. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
Isaacson, Walter. The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Letemendia, V. C. "Revolution on Animal Farm: Orwell's Neglected Commentary." Journal of Modern Literature 18.1 (1992): 127-37. JSTOR. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
Lowry, Lois. The Giver. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. Print.
Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Signet Classics, 1977. Print.
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. London: Penguin, 2000. Print.
"75% in U.S. See Widespread Government Corruption." Gallup.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
Simmons, Amber M. "Class on Fire: USING THE HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY TO ENCOURAGE SOCIAL ACTION." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 56.1 (2012): 22-34. JSTOR. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
Tanenbaum, Miles. ""1984": A Confessional Reading and Teaching Approach." The English Journal 78.4 (1989): 31-34. JSTOR. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
Wallace, Elizabeth Marie. The Way. Poem, Print.
There are a variety of texts that tackle the complexities of revolution, all of which are approachable and understandable by high school students. Both contemporary young adult texts like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and classic young adult texts like The Giver by Lois Lowry provide insight into dystopian revolutions orchestrated by the extreme minority. 1984, written by George Orwell, also contemplates the effects of revolting against a dystopian, authoritarian government. Closely connected to 1984 is another Orwell text: Animal Farm, which is deeply rooted in the historical events of the Soviet Union. Both the poem, “What Has Happened” by Bertolt Brecht and the short story “The Way” by Elizabeth Marie Wallace” examine the goals of an individual in reference to the goals of the revolution. Finally, the non-fiction of “The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution” by Walter Isaacson considers social and technological revolutions, of which students can compare to political revolutions.
One of the most important aspects of The Hunger Games is that Panem, the dystopian nation, is created after a mysterious event that crumbled human civilization. People’s resulting desperation led them to trust the new authoritarian government, who provided some level of order and safety. This suggests that authoritarian governments are often created out of necessity, and by a public that does not challenge their creation. In the novel, Panem divides its citizens into 13 districts; the Capital is elegant and flourishing, while the other district degrade from there, culminating to District Thirteen’s extreme poverty. However, it is Katniss Everdeen, a District 13 citizen, who ultimately stages the revolution. In this, Collins demonstrates that revolutions are sourced from those least capable of leading one (at least in terms of resources), but from those most in need of one. Throughout The Hunger Games trilogy, the Capital attempts to incentivize Katniss to stop the revolution. This comes in the form of wealth, fame, and false promises, but also through threats, blackmail, and suppression. Katniss serves as an ideal model of a revolutionist and remains mostly immune these tactics. The Hunger Games explores revolution from its inception to revolutionists’ interiors to tactics, ultimately asserting that the extreme minority can spur political revolution. Amber Simmons in “Class on Fire: Using the Hunger Games Trilogy to Encourage Social Action” highlights some of the downsides to rebellion as illustrated in The Hunger Games: “As punishment for a past rebellion, every district must provide via a lottery system a male and a female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 to fight to the death in a high-tech arena” (22). Revolution must be carefully decided upon, for if ineffective, the revolutionists will suffer even more than they did previously. Therefore, Collins suggests that the greatest negative impact a revolution can have on a leader occurs only if the revolution fails, thereby further incentivizing the leader to be successful in their revolution.
The Giver by Lois Lowry is also centered on a revolution by the extreme minority (a revolution started by only one or two people), but this revolution is more “top-down” than “bottom-up” like it is in The Hunger Games. Jonas and The Giver are both given perhaps the most valuable profession in this society: their job is to pass on the memories of humanity that no longer exist (music, color, love, etc.). They are highly revered, unlike the revolutionists in The Hunger Games. In fact, The Giver and Jonas may actually benefit the most from this society, as they experience all the advantages of it (safety, health) but not the drawbacks as they can experience color, music, etc. Therefore, Lowry presents an alternative means to revolution, in that the underprivileged and suffering do not need to start it. Jonas ends up running away in an attempt to transmit the memories to the whole community, but the novel ends ambiguously. The reader is left unsure if Jonas escaped to Elsewhere – the outside world – or if he died. Nonetheless, Lowry demonstrates that revolutionists are severely impacted because they have to sacrifice their family, happiness, and even their life to overthrow a political system.
While The Hunger Games and The Giver conclude with a successful revolution, 1984 is muddier. The government in 1984 is the most restrictive of these novels, banning such things as improper facial expressions, certain words, and any form of creativity or individualism. With surveillance everywhere and seemingly everyone in agreement with Big Brother, the 1984 government is the hardest to revolt against, and indeed, Winston, the main character of the novel, never succeeds. There is a suggestion that it is possible with the help from the Proles, an uncontrolled populace, the government could be overthrown. Nevertheless, the reader is led throughout the novel to believe that Winston is on the path to overthrowing Big Brother, but in the end, the reader learns that every step has been calculated and watched, and Winston fails. Although Winston fails his political revolution, there are questions raised of if he truly failed. He temporarily escaped the grayness of society and had moments when he felt like a true human being, experiencing love, excitement, and creativity. Winston evolved tremendously throughout 1984, and perhaps he succeeded in a personal revolution if not a political one. Miles Tanenbaum, in his article “’1984’: A Confessional Reading and Teaching Approach,” supports this: “The Party is trying to abolish the orgasm” (220). Winston and Julia, an illegal couple in 1984, rebel most significantly against Big Brother through their sexual behavior which is outlawed in their case. Therefore, Winston and Julia’s sexual behavior alone is a revolution. Tanenbaum acknowledges that not all revolutionary acts are directly political, but instead sometimes personal and emotional. Orwell thus establishes the positive impact that revolutions have, no matter how successful: when people are engaged with their community and themselves, they experience unparalleled happiness. These personal revolutions are what can lead to political revolutions.
Animal Farm, also written by George Orwell, is an allegory for the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Stalin era. The previously mentioned texts have discussed the staging of a revolution, while Animal Farm analyzes the long-term and short-term effects of such a revolution. The animals overthrow Mr. Jones based on their idealism; they want all animals to be treated equally and all animals should act as animals (no clothes, beds, etc.). Naturally, the animals are for these principles and soon maintain control of the farm. For a short time, Orwell illustrates the “golden age” of revolutions. As soon as a new power is introduced, everything appears controlled, idealistic, and promising, but soon after, the farm then descends into corruption, abuse, and totalitarianism. Orwell communicates that promised ideals are not enough to secure a successful revolution. Ultimately, those in power will become corrupt and revert to the government they fought against. Orwell expresses similar pessimism as in 1984, and offers that grand-scale political revolutions either fail immediately (as in Winston’s case), or fail in the end (as with the farm). This perspective provides a balance to Collins and Lowry, and allows students to more broadly explore the successes and failures of revolution.
However, scholar V.C. Letemendia writes,
“In some ways, he clearly emphasizes the similarities between the beasts on Animal Farm and the humans whom they are designed to represent; at other times, he demonstrates with humor and pathos the profound differences separating animal from man […] in doing so, he forces his reader to draw a distinction between the personalities and conduct of the beasts and those of the human world” (128).
Letemendia suggests that although Orwell gives off a sense of pessimism, there is a silver lining because although these animals are human-like, there are still animals. Animal Farm does not necessarily have to reflect humanity, and there can be a distinction between these two communities. This opens avenues for students to explore about the differences between humans and animals and the potential of each.
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies contrasts with Animal Farm in that Lord of the Flies emphasizes the individual leaders as the most important part of any government system, whereas Animal Farm asserts that the system is the most important aspect. In “Parallels and Contrast in ‘Lord of the Flies’ and ‘Animal Farm,’” Suzanne Gilbin writes, “Golding seems to feel that the success or failure of any government depends on the relative leadership strength of weakness of the individual or individuals who head it” (86). Jack, the tyrannical leader, proves to be the stronger, more effective leader and “triumphs over Ralph” (86) who represents a democratic leader. Tyranny is not better than democracy, but instead, some leaders are better than others. Much like in Elizabeth Wallace’s “The Way,” plans and reality soon clash. The boys on the island hold a meeting and establish rules and a schedule for daily life on their new island. However, things soon start to degrade and the revolutionists are soon forced to create their own rules and stray from the plan. Lord of the Flies contemplates the power of leadership in revolutions and how a revolution has the potential to devolve. Much like in The Hunger Games, this text demonstrates that when a revolution goes awry, the leaders receive tremendous negative impacts, such as Piggy’s death, a split society, and all the boys – no matter their behavior on the island – weeping in grief.
In the poem “What Has Happened” by Bertolt Brecht, the poet explores what has to happen on a personal level for genuine revolution to occur. Instead of addressing grand-scale, dramatic, and often violent revolutions, Brecht simplifies revolutions to the individual. Revolutions, he asserts, happen within, and only then will we have a reformed society. He writes, “The landlord comes to see whether the water supply is working. / The journalists write the word People with capital letters. / The singers sing at the opera for nothing.” Social and political revolution are the result of small actions, like the powerful and wealthy landlord checking on a resident and journalists restoring the power of the people, and not to conglomerates who control their every word. People sing for the beauty of it, not just money. Art is respected on a higher level than just its financial value. These small changes all come from the individual – a landlord, a journalist, or a singer – but have grand-scale effects that change the political and social climate. Brecht concludes his poem with, “The revolution has won its first battle: / That's what has happened.” The first step, Brecht argues, is not in overthrowing Panem, Big Brother, Farmer Jones, or the community; the first step is overthrowing your own personal prejudices and shortcomings. That is how a revolution starts, and Brecht’s poem adds a solution to Animal Farm. Perhaps corrupt power is not a revolving door after all, and it can be solved by first looking within.
In Elizabeth Wallace’s “The Way,” she explores a similar concept to Brecht in that a revolutionist is limited by his or her own self. The short story is about a person who is about to go on a journey, but someone keeps asking him if he is ready. He says he knows the way – it’s very clear – but as soon as he steps outside, the “road disintegrates, slipping into the earth through arid cracks jagging beneath me.” Suddenly, he feels lost and wonders what direction he should go. Wallace contemplates the complexities of personal political revolutions. What happens when someone’s plan crumbles? He already told people that he knew where he was heading, but now that he was outside, he realizes everything is different. How does he respond to his people? How does he know which way to go? This piece of flash fiction offers few answers, but presents some serious questions that would need to be answered by a potential revolutionist. This text could be used in conjunction with a text like 1984 to discuss Winston’s plans and its unexpected turns.
To provide a non-fictional and apolitical perspective, “The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution” by Walter Isaacson considers other types of revolutions, such as technological and cultural revolutions. The book examines technological revolutionists, such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, and delves into what made them successful revolutionists. This text is a summation of all the other texts, as Isaacson studies both the internal challenges of revolutionists and the societal and political challenges they had to face to make their product or company successful. He also observes the overall process of the technological revolution by examining the forefathers of it, such as Alan Turing, and how these role models impacted the revolutionists. When Isaacson’s work is examined in conjunction with Francesco Caselli’s “Technological Revolutions,” students can see the full picture of the technological revolution. He writes: “In the early stages of a technological revolution the ability effect dominates, and this leads to increased income mobility and wage inequality. In the later stages the parental human-capital effect takes over, and income mobility and wage inequality decline” (80). Like many of the previous authors, the works of Caselli and Isaacson accumulate to question not only the effects of the leaders of a revolution, but its supposed beneficiaries as well.
Isaacson’s research on revolutionists is hopefully only the beginning in a surge of revolution because if the world will see change, it will be through the actions of those still in school. By reviewing texts such as The Hunger Games, The Giver, 1984, Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies, “What Has Happened,” “The Way,” and “The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution,” students can understand how revolutions – political, social, personal, and otherwise – are constructed and executed. Their effects on both the population and on the leader can be examined, and students can extrapolate these principles to their own life.
Works Cited
Brecht, Bertolt. What Has Happened. Short Story, Print.
Caselli, Francesco. "Technological Revolutions." The American Economic Review 89.1 (1999): 78-102. JSTOR. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. London: Scholastic, 2010. Print.
Gulbin, Suzanne. "Parallels and Contrasts in "Lord of the Flies" and "Animal Farm"" The English Journal 55.1 (1966): n. pag. JSTOR. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
Isaacson, Walter. The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Letemendia, V. C. "Revolution on Animal Farm: Orwell's Neglected Commentary." Journal of Modern Literature 18.1 (1992): 127-37. JSTOR. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
Lowry, Lois. The Giver. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. Print.
Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Signet Classics, 1977. Print.
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. London: Penguin, 2000. Print.
"75% in U.S. See Widespread Government Corruption." Gallup.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
Simmons, Amber M. "Class on Fire: USING THE HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY TO ENCOURAGE SOCIAL ACTION." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 56.1 (2012): 22-34. JSTOR. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
Tanenbaum, Miles. ""1984": A Confessional Reading and Teaching Approach." The English Journal 78.4 (1989): 31-34. JSTOR. Web. 21 Sept. 2015.
Wallace, Elizabeth Marie. The Way. Poem, Print.