“Repent, Harlequin!” Said the TicktockmanBy Gabby Thompson and Henry Parson

Harlequin Game!

▪ You may not talk or communicate about the game, in any way▪ The game will last ten minutes▪ A total of thirty acts of rebellion are required in order to overthrow the

government.▪ You must choose to conform or rebel once every minute (I will tell you

when). To signal whether you conform or rebel, you must hold up the appropriate card and wait for 15 seconds before lowering the card.

▪ With every act of rebellion, you lose ¼ of your total life.▪ If the government has not been overthrown and you’re alive at the end,

you get one piece of candy.▪ If the government has been overthrown and you’re alive at the end, you

get three pieces of candy.

Introduction

▪ How do you define conformity and rebellion?▪ What are some examples or symbols of those terms?

Harlan Ellison

▪ Cleveland, Ohio in 1934▪ Named the “20th Lewis Carroll” (LA Times) ▪ Writes in the windows of bookstores in front of

audiences▪ Awards: Hugo award, Nebula award, the Bram Stroker

award

Repent Harlequin

▪ Written in 1965▪ Vietnam War– US involvement to stop spread of Communism

▪ The counter-culture reaction of the ‘60s– Challenging societal norms– Civil Rights Movements– The Draft

Discussion Question

▪ Why do you think Ellison begins the story with a quotation from Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience”?

Page 403

▪ What are some examples of:– Conformity– Rebellion

▪ What do you notice about the language?

The Beginning of Rebellion.

▪ Pg. 403– What is the harlequin doing?– Why is he doing it?

Conformity

▪ Definition: Action in accord with prevailing social standards, attitudes, practices, etc.

▪ Pretty Alice– P. 406▪ Interaction with the Harlequin

▪ What are some other examples of conformity?

The Final Confrontation

▪ Pg. 409▪ “I’d rather be dead than live in a dumb world with a

bogeyman like you”▪ “That didn’t used to be a felony”▪ What about the Ticktockman’s actions?– What does he say he’s going to do?– Does he actually do it?

Did Alice conform or rebel?

– P. 409▪ Betrays the Harlequin

Structure of the text

▪ P. 405– Use of different font styles and sizes – Descriptions– Written in a non-time sequential order– Organized into paragraphs – Systematic

Closing Thoughts

▪ P. 410– 1984? Who is Winston Smith and what happened to him?– What happens here?– Has the Ticktockman won?

– What about the very end? What has happened to the Ticktockman?▪ What does this mean?

Discussion Question

▪ What are the different reactions to the Harlequin at different socio-economic levels of society?

Discussion Question

▪ At the end of the section about Marshall Delahanty, the author speaks directly to the reader and tells the reader not to laugh and says, “It isn’t funny.” Why do you think the author addresses readers directly?