Create a writing prompt that encourages students to share their thoughts about the current political climate. Have them apply literature to their opinions and ideas.
Think of a novel that describes some of the political problems of the society in which it is set (example: The Hunger Games, The Scarlet Letter, Animal Farm, The Canterbury Tales, etc)
How might you depict our current political climate as an allegory (a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one) ? What types of things would you choose to represent metaphorically, and why would you like to emphasize these elements? How would you represent your personal opinions through a fictional story? Draft a summarized version of your story, and include any important images or tropes you would use in writing your story.
I really love the political elements of some Shakespeare plays, such as Othello or Titus Andronicus, that deal with racism within the nobility in Rome. I think our current political climate could be applied by examining the racist rhetoric often used in support of (not always by) our president. So, because of that, I feel like a allegory set in a place such as ancient Rome would be distant enough while always being able to provide a scathing political critique. I would choose to represent out government as the dysfunctional noble families like that in Titus Andronicus, perhaps staging a dinner scene where all hell breaks loose and the problems of the nation are all revealed. I definitely would pursue the image of a government as a family, with the trope of the "crazy uncle" or divorced parents to stand in for members of our political climate.
