Throughout the semester, sophomores in Miss Hodge’s English-II class have been participating in “Literature Circles.”
Students selected their top three choices from a preselected collection of dystopian novels and stories, but Miss Hodge had the final say on book and group assignments. Books ranged from classic literature, like Lord of the Flies by William Golding, to modern fiction, such as The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna, Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng, and Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Some groups even got to read nonfiction graphic novels, but they had to read two if they chose the graphic novel option! These books were They Called Us Enemy by George Takei and We Hereby Refuse by Frank Abe and Tamiko Nimura, both centered around the Japanese internment camps and the post-Pearl Harbor anti-Asian hysteria that swept through the nation.
As far as the dystopia genre, it is fiction set in a futuristic reality, or a reality similar to now, where (usually) almost all hope is drained from the population who are suffering under control and manipulation. The writers that choose to make stories in this genre have specific motivations: they have a specific message to get across and they write it to be a warning of what’s to come if something in today’s society. According to Miss Hodge, “it is important for highschoolers to read dystopian fiction because there are lessons to be learned, and smart readers heed these warnings of what has been, what is happening, and what might come.”
The literary quilts are a symbolic, artistic representation of what students have spent the last few months reading. Students had some strict requirements and some flexibility for a total of nine quilt “squares.” All students, for example, had to create a fictional propaganda poster inspired by the book. Students had to choose three literary devices to focus on, including, but not limited to, symbolism, setting, imagery, and more.
While most students completed this on paper, some got more creative with foam, plastic, and other materials. Many students bound the quilt squares together with tape or glue, but a few extra-crafty groups chose to literally sew their squares together!
The quilts are on display in the hallway outside of Miss Hodge’s classroom, where they will (hopefully!) stay for next year’s classes to see.
