The Brief History of the dead

1. The Brief History of the dead Kevin Brockmeier

2. What do you think happens when you die? Five minute free write

3. The author quotes James Loewen'sLies My Teacher Told Me at the beginning of the book. The quote describes the belief of many African tribes that humans can be divided into three categories: Those still alive on earth, the recently departed (sasha), and the dead (zamani). When people die they are sasha while people are still alive who remember them. When the last person remembering them dies, they go to the zamani and are then revered and recalled by name only. • Why would a culture break the class into three groups?

4. Define fantasy genre. What is it? What is it not? Examples. Prior Knowledge. 4 square model.

5. How can an author use this genre to comment on present society?

6. Overview This novel takes place during the mid-to-late 21st century, where current concerns such as global warming and terrorism have become acute crises. The polar ice caps are melting at a dangerous (and irreversible) rate and the people of the United States live in constant fear of biological terrorism attacks.

7. Overview The ultimate source of the global virus in the novel is unknown; however, it is implied that the source of the virus was involved in one way or another in the inflamed war on terrorism. Though it is left ambiguous, it is possible that the ultimate source of the virus may have even been the United States government: this hypothesis is supported by an early epicenter of the virus being in the Middle East, which when considered with the virus' distribution method is suspicious; this is further supported by the inordinate knowledge of the virus had by officials from the US government.

8. Overview Though the novel does not explicitly say so, it is implied that globalism has caused many problems. Large multinational corporations have become increasingly socially irresponsible. The Coca-Cola corporation is used as a stand-in for these corporations and it is their irresponsible decisions and the resulting consequences, both intended and unintended, which drive the plot of the novel. A corporate executive is shown propagating a cover up even after he has died and in The City.

9. Overview Equally, the novel describes most large mammalian species (elephants, whales, gorillas, etc.) as having gone extinct. The last large mammalian species left is man, who is also now under threat of extinction as well. Population growth, irresponsible hunting and global climate change have affected the Antarctic ecosystem in the novel: for example, penguins have been thriving after the extinction of whales and are beginning to grow to be hundreds of pounds (with the potential of evolving further to fill the niche left by the extinct whales).

10. How is the fantasy novel, genre ripe for these topics? How can it appeal to many audiences?

11. Task Assignment Day 1: • Begin reading Chapter 1 of The Brief History of the Dead. • Define parallel settings. • Each plot line will argue different topics. • List three details for the first setting, “The City.” • Finish for Chapter 1 for HW

12. Task Assignment Day 2 • Read chapters 2-3 (pgs 19-52). Note beginning and end page on turned in paper. • Draw two parallel lines. Label lines Antarctica and New World. • List characters as mentioned on each line. Describe character. • How does this organizational pattern and technique, including repetition of ideas, appeals to authority, reason and emotion, syntax and word choice that the author uses, accomplish his purposes and reach the intended audience?

13. Task Assignment Day 3 • Read chapters 4-5 (pgs 53-84). Note beginning and end page on turned in paper. • Maintain parallel lines from previous lesson by adding more names. • How does this fantasy genre affect the expression of emerging themes within the piece?

14. Emerging Themes • Community: • Globalism—is it good? • Terrorism—our tendency to be fearful • Corporations as uncaring, polluting members of our society • Self: • Memory—who I am and what I remember? How memory works and connects. • Isolation and friendships with others • Doing what I want versus what society asks me to do (Afterlife allows us to do what we really want to do)

15. Task Assignment Day 4 • Read chapters 6-7 (pgs 85-120). • Note beginning and end page on turned in paper. • Maintain parallel lines from previous lesson by adding more names. • Why is the newspaper important to the “New World”? • What headings does Luka use, and how do these headings influence us as readers? • How does the Patriarch use signs and rhetorical devices? Do these messages attain his desired results?

16. Task Assignment Day 5 • Read chapters 8-9 (pgs 121-156). • Note beginning and end page on turned in paper. • How has Brockmeier organized his novel in Chapter 8 to reach us as an audience? How does he make information accessible to us? What new technique does he use? • How do functional documents aid the characters within Chapter 9? • How has the weather changed within the secondary world?

17. Task Assignment Day 6 • Read chapters 10-11 (pgs 157-190). • Note beginning and end page on turned in paper. • How are the author’s implicit and explicit philosophical assumptions and beliefs about a subject developed? What specifically happens in Chapter 11? • Does this knowledge affect the expression of the theme? Does the genre help us in understanding?

18. Task Assignment Day 7 • Read chapters 12-13 (pgs 191-222). Note beginning and end page on turned in paper. • Why is this chapter called “The Birds”? What can birds symbolize? How does the author use this repetition of an idea to achieve his purpose? • How does the author use “the heartbeat” to engage us as readers? What does its absence or presence signify? • How has the author connected his characters? Refer to parallel chart.

19. Task Assignment Day 8 • Read chapters 14-15 (pgs 223-252). • Note beginning and send page on turned in paper. • How does the author change his style in “The Marbles”? What effects are created by this upon us as readers? • What changes occur within the final chapter? • Why does our author focus on the blind man at the end of the novel? Why is he forgetful and mindful of certain experiences? • With the absence of setting at the end of the story, what happens when we are “wrenched out of [our] histories”?

20. Catch Up Day • Either choice read or catch up on BHD. • If you missed an assignment, make it up.