The Cold War and Lord of the Flies - An Intersection of Literature and History
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Introduction
Imagine that you have stumbled upon a time machine. You step inside and begin to explore, completely captivated by this this wonder. You are little apprehensive about time travel, but out of curiosity you begin pushing buttons. Without meaning to you hit the ignition. The machine begins to spin, the door slams, the lights flash and suddenly you are traveling faster than the speed of light . . . backwards. Here's the thing, you didn't have a chance to choose the time period to which you returned. As you spin and spin and blast through time you wonder where you will land. Suddenly the machine comes to a stop. Apprehensively you crack open the door. Things look eerily similar in ways, but so very different in others. You realize you have landed in the exact location where you departed from, only sixty-three years earlier . . . Welcome to 1954.
assignment
Task
Time travel has plopped you into the mid-1950s. World War II has ended and the western world is entering what historians refer to as "The Cold War." You have landed in the era our next novel, William Golding's Lord of the Flies, was written. An era marked by a pervasive fear of atomic attack in the western world.
To successfully navigate this "new" world you have entered, you need to immerse yourself in Cold War culture. Luckily you were able to carry your laptop with you and amazingly it still works! If you're ever going to get back home, you have two tasks to perform . . .
1) Learn why everyone is so afraid
2) Learn what the United States' stance is on atomic attack
Good luck!
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Process
Task 1 - Exploring the Images
View the following videos and images:
Task 2 - Addressing "Massive Retaliation"
Read the following article referencing U. S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles' 1954 address to the Council on Foreign Relations:
Read Secretary Dulles' address:
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Evaluation
After exploring the images and videos, answer two of the following questions in short paragraph form:
1) What purpose does each image or video serve?
2) How did the artist or producers go about meeting this purpose?
3) What would your reaction have been after seeing this image or video in 1954?
After reading the article and Dulles' address, choose two of the following questions and write a one paragraph, five to eight sentence, response to each:
1) Define "massive retaliatory power." Why do you think Dulles chose these precise words?
2) In his address Dulles asserts, "The way to deter aggression is for the free community to be willing and able to respond vigorously at places and with means of its own choosing." What do you think he meant by "vigorously?" What is the significance of "of its own choosing?"
3) Consider Dulles' audience and purpose. Who is to be feared after hearing this speech in 1954? The Soviets? The United States? Explain.
4) Why does Dulles employ the analogy of "locks on our doors . . . but no armed guards in every home?" What is the desired effect on his audience?
5) What is meant by "maximum deterrent at a bearable cost?" What might be an example of a "bearable cost?"
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Conclusion
Congratulations! You have successfully completed the required tasks! Upon submitting your five paragraph responses to Ms. Hathorn you may travel back to 2017!
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Credits
Works Cited
Mayer, Laura Reis. "A Teacher's Guide to Lord of the Flies by William Golding."
Penguin Group (USA) Inc. New York, NY (p. 5-6).
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Teacher Page
The following Mississippi Department of Education College and Career Readiness Standards are addressed in this WebQuest:
RI.7.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choice
W.7.9 - Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.7.9b - Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literary nonfiction and/or informational texts (e.g. “Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims”).
