Conformity and Dystopian Literature

1. What is the meaning of the word outlier as it is used in paragraph 4?

• Something that fits in with others

• Something that causes joy

• Something that causes negativity

• Something that stands out

2. What does the word impel mean as it is used in paragraph 5?

• To motivate  

• To discourage

• To interpret

• To design 

3. PART A: What claim does the author make in paragraph 2?

•  Conformity can have positive effects.

•  Conformity benefits the poor people of society. 

•  Conformity is only helpful in situations where crowds are involved. 

•  Conformity has a strong negative meaning for much of society.

4. PART B: Which quotation provides evidence to support the claim in PART A?

•  “Conformity, or acting the way most other people in one’s social group act, often grows out of a person's desire for security and belonging in a group – usually a group of similar age, culture, religion, or educational background. “

•  “The first, compliance, occurs when a person conforms publicly, but privately keeps his or her own original beliefs.”

•  “The tendency of people to follow norms of interpersonal interaction enables effective communication and collaboration.”

•  “The drive to conform is often particularly powerful for adolescents, for whom acceptance by peers can be a primary goal, but it also affects people of all ages.”

5. What is the meaning of the word bleak as it is used in paragraph 1?

• misinformed

• hopeless

• fruitful

•  encouraging

6. What does the word dismal mean as it is used in paragraph 4?

• inviting

• motivational

• dark

•  irrational

7. PART A: What claim does the author make in paragraph 8?

•  Teens find Dystopian Literature appealing because it often contains dark plots.

•  Teens find Dystopian Literature appealing because it often involves war and death.

•  Teens find Dystopian Literature appealing because they can relate to it and it makes them feel empowered. 

•  Teens find Dystopian Literature appealing because it focuses on how rebellion causes consequences. 

8. PART B: Which quotation provides evidence to support the claim in PART A?

• “Conquering a dismal future is empowering, especially when the teens have to rely on themselves without having to answer to parents, teachers or other authoritarian figures.Teen readers can certainly relate to those feelings.”

• “This makes her dangerous. She becomes a threat to the government and must keep secrets in order to protect her loved ones from harm.”

• “Those are just two plots from popular dystopian novels that teens are reading. But just what is a dystopian novel and how long has it been around?” 

• “By age 18, everyone must undergo a mandatory operation to remove the ability to feel love. Lena looks forward to the operation and fears love.”

9. Which TWO quotes illustrate the impact that non-conformity has on the characters of dystopian novels?

• “Their classics tell stories of Martians, book burnings, and Big Brother, the ever-present Orwellian leader.” 

• “In most dystopian novels, a tyrannical government is trying to control and suppress its citizens by taking away their individuality, as in the classics 1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.”

• “Characters are no longer passive and powerless citizens. Instead, they are teens who are empowered, fearless, strong and determined to find a way to survive and face their fears.”

• “However, the main character learns she's divergent; she doesn't fit into a group. This makes her dangerous. She becomes a threat to the government and must keep secrets in order to protect her loved ones from harm.”

• “ In the dystopian novel, Delirium, by Lauren Oliver, the government teaches citizens that love is a dangerous disease that must be eradicated. By age 18, everyone must undergo a mandatory operation to remove the ability to feel love.”