Genre & SAT Vocab
What is a utopia?
The opposite of dystopia and is an imagined place that if perfect. It is often referred to as "paradise" or "heaven".
What is a dystopia?
It's the opposite of utopia, which is an imagined place where there is great suffering and injustice.
What is science fiction?
Science fiction is an imaginary world that deals with scientific and advanced technology that might be possible for the future and draws on prior scientific knowledge to create a story.
What happened to our main character, Robert Proctor, at the end of the story "The Test".
Robert Proctor was carried off by two men at the end of the story because he failed his driving test, "Nobody should want to drive a car after going through what you just went through. It should take months before you even think of driving again. But you're ready to drive right now. Killing people doesn't seem to bother you".
What does transmute mean in the sentence: Ancient alchemists believed that it was possible to transmute lead into gold.
Transmute means to change or alter in form.
What is an example of a post-apocalyptic or dystopian book/movie besides the ones we read in class? Explain what makes it dystopian or post-apocalyptic.
Wall-E
Mad Max
I Am Legend
The Matrix
Riddick
Uglies
The Hunger Games
List 2 things you would find in the science fiction genre.
Futuristic technology
Space Travel
Aliens
Paranormal Abilities (telepathy, Telekinesis, teleportation, mind reading, ect)
The Future
Robots
Time Machines
Ect
Why was our 12 year old character, Dickie from "Examination Day", killed at the end of our story?
Use the word "vex" in a sentence.
Vex means to make someone feel annoyed, frustrated, or worried, especially with trivial matters.
After the kids came home, Jones told them, "Don't vex your mother, she's in a foul mood today and it's best to leave her alone for now."
Describe what a post-apocalyptic setting or society would look like.
Earth's civilization has collapsed or is on the verge. Since post-apocalyptic stories are typically set after a major catastrophe there are probably people without homes, damaged buildings, dark, bland or hardly any color, people hurting one another, ect.
True or False: Science fiction sometimes has other beings present, like aliens or talking animals, and often has magic incorporated into the story.
False: S.F. never has any type of magic involved, it is ALWAYS based on science and technology, regardless of it being futuristic.
What 2 sub-genres was our story, "The Test"?
Realistic Fiction and Science Fiction
What is literary genre?
A category of literary composition and structure that helps us anticipate what form a written piece of work will take.
True of False: A totalitarian government has to do with a society that is almost 100% controlled by the government with no individual freedom, high control over your personal life, and restricts forms of rebellion?
True
When did the Golden Age of Science Fiction take place?
1938-1950s
What, in real life, inspired our story, "Examination Day"?
The Great Depression, when unemployment was at 25% and our author felt as though intelligence was going to waste.
What are the 4 types of genre?
Drama, Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry
What are the 1 of the 4 features we discussed of a dystopian society?
1. An imagined community or society
2. Is frightening and undesirable
3. Dehumanizing
4. A society that is totalitarian or apocalyptic
The highest point of S.F. came after the dropping of the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Much of the inspiration that arose from science fiction came from when people feared and were in wonder about what?
There were 3 things in particular that we discussed.
1. The after affects of the bombing
2. Quick advancements of technology and the consequences of that
3. The fear of a totalitarian government
Both are fiction
Both have to do with the sub-genre "Science Fiction"
Both were written during the Golden Age of Science Fiction.
Both have to do with some type of exam in the future.
The endings of both stories do not end up well for our protagonists.
Both characters "failed" their test.