Partials Review

Story Information

  • Know the main characters and their way of thinking.
  • Kira
  • Samm
  • Haru
  • Xochi
  • Senator Hobbs
  • Dr. Skousen
  • Mkele
  • Madison
  • Understand what is important to the different groups of society.
  • Senators
  • Kira
  • Voice
  • Opinions on The Hope Act
  • Senators
  • Kira
  • Voice
  • General view of Partials and the contradictory view of the “plague babies”
  • Older citizens
  • “plague babies”
  • Connection to “The Hollow Men”
  • Understand the totalitarian influence in the novel.
  • The political concept that the citizen should be totally subject to an absolute state authority.
  • Form of government that subordinates all aspects of its citizens' lives to the authority of the state, with a single charismatic leader as the ultimate authority.
  • Large-scale, organized violence may be legitimized.
  • The police operate without the constraint of laws and regulations.
  • Where pursuit of the state's goal is the only ideological foundation for such a government, achievement of the goal can never be acknowledged.
  • Understand the messages from Wells and what he might be saying about our society.
  • Connection to Modern Era.
  • Modernism in Literature- The tradition of breaking tradition.
  • Isolation- main character of novels frequently deals with isolation, sometimes good, sometimes bad.
  • Questioning government/patriotism- WWI and WWII created a global criticism of government policy and patriotism.
  • Connection to dystopian traits
  • A hierarchical society where divisions between the upper, middle and lower classes are definitive and unbreakable (Caste system).
  • The propaganda and the educational system have the purpose of preserving the order of system/society.
  • The cancellation of individuality.
  • Propaganda is used to control the citizens of society.
  • Information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted.
  • A figurehead or concept is worshipped by the citizens of the society.
  • Citizens are perceived to be under constant surveillance.
  • Citizens have a fear of the outside world.
  • The society is an illusion of a perfect utopian world.
  • Utopian traits.
  • Literally it means “a place that does not exist”
  • Basically it is the “perfect” society
  • Utopistic narratives involve the descriptions of societies similar to the author’s own society, but better. That means the society is similar to ours, but functions more ideally.
  • The story is set in an isolated place
  • The story is developed by following the principles of that place/society
  • In the place/society there is a ruling class
  • A tragic development occurs in contrast with what the reader expects

Themes

Be able to identify the following themes in the passages.

  • Freedom vs. Security
  • Reproductive Rights
  • When is it wrong to disobey authority?
  • What does it mean to be human?
  • How far are you willing to go to do what you know is right?

Essay

You will have an essay on the test that deals with humanity. I will expect you to be able to pull examples from the novel and class discussion to answer the question.

Passage Practice

“You’re being paranoid,” said Jayden. “What kind of horrible conspiracies do you think they’ve got going?”

“They’re hiding a Partial inside the city limits,” said Xochi. “If they’re capable of that, why not more?”

The room went quiet.

“Attacks against the farms,” said Xochi. “Accused Voices disappearing in the middle of the night. We accept these things because we think we know the reasons behind them, but what if we don’t? What if the reasons we’ve been told all along are just lies?”

  • Dystopian traits
  • Character development - Xochi
  • Theme
  • Reasons for Senate to withhold information

“You’re defending the honesty of a group of people that you know, firsthand, is lying to the people of East Meadow,” said Xochi. “And they’re doing it too effectively to be first-timers. The only surprising thing about it is that any of you are surprised.”

“I think Xochi’s right,” said Kira. She felt a pit in her stomach, slowly growing deeper and darker as she thought through Xochi’s logic.

  • Dystopian traits
  • Character development - Kira
  • Reasons for Senate to withhold information

And yet…wasn’t that what the Senate wanted? Wasn’t that what she was here to do? She wouldn’t just go cutting him with knives, but they had told her to study him, and if the Partial resistance to RM was based on a powerful self-regeneration system, then she would have to test the limits of his healing power and determine how, if at all, they could use it for themselves. If she couldn’t find the answers elsewhere, she would have to look there.

  • Dystopian traits
  • Character development
  • Theme
  • Humanity and scientific influence/research

“The Hope Act has been amended. The age is sixteen now, Kira.” … Kira sat on the couch in silence, watching the other girls complain and thinking about the Senate’s motives. On the surface, this was likely due to the Voice’s ultimatums. Anything less would be seen as a concession, and they were making a statement in direct opposition to them. But in her heart, she knew it had to be because of Samm. The “contingency plans” Hobb had hinted at. She had warned them to ease up, but instead they were tightening their grip, exerting more control. For the people who believed in the Hope Act, sure, this might be seen as a sign of strength and solidarity, but to everyone else? It was practically a declaration of war.

  • Dystopian traits
  • Character development - Kira
  • Theme
  • Reasons for Senate to withhold information

Besides, she didn’t want to be pregnant. Not like this. If she was going to create new life, she wanted to do it because it meant something, not because she was forced to.

And yet she’d just yelled at Xochi for proposing the same idea. She didn’t even know what to think anymore.

For just a second – just the briefest fraction of a moment – she thought about Samm, and wondered if a half-Partial child would be immune.

  • Dystopian traits
  • Character development
  • Theme

“The question about what to do with you is what eventually split us apart,” Samm continued softly. “Some wanted to just finish you off, but most of us, like I said, wanted to save you. Even then, we couldn’t agree on the best way to do it. The arguments grew… heated. To say the least. And then the first wave of our leaders started dying, and it all fell apart. D Company is practically all that’s left of the truly obedient Partials – the only ones with a direct link to the Trust.”

  • Dystopian traits
  • Character development - Samm
  • Theme
  • Contradictory view of Partials