Kent's Novels/Drama Page

On this page you will find information about a variety of novels and plays we read, including Thornton Wilder's Our Town, Harper Lee's tale of racism and love in the Deep South--To Kill a Mockingbird, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, Lois Lowry's The Giver, and William Golding's Lord of the Flies.

Our Town / Fahrenheit 451 / To Kill a Mockingbird / The Giver / Lord of the Flies /

Our Town

Find a wealth of information about the man at the official Thornton Wilder Centennial Site.

Of even greater value may be Emily's Thornton Wilder Page.

Click here for a brief review of the play. And this site to read what Wilder thought of his masterpiece.

"Blest Be the Tie That Binds" is an old hymn that reveals a major motif in this play. This site contains all the lyrics and tells more than you will ever need to know about the song.

New Hampshire Titles is a series of interviews conducted by the WPA during the Depression and tells of real life in Grover's Corners.

When Rebecca tells George about Jane Crofut's letter that has the strange address, we learn somethings about the immenisty of creation. Here's another song by Monty Python from which makes the point about the infintesimal specks of dust we are.

And speaking of specks of dust, check out Dust in the Wind, an existential song by the '70's band Kansas.

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Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury Central will tell you all you ever wanted to know about the Pulitzer-Prize winning author of this novel.

Fahrenheit 451 is a novel about the ravages on society and the human soul brought about by censorship. This is a review of the work.

This site will give you lowdown on a new movie based on the novel--which will supposedly star and be directed by Mel Gibson.

But Film Scoop has an even better site with all the latest gossip about this proposed flick.

Censorship

Here are two essays written by students in the Novels Course. Debby Austin writes a passionate plea for understanding, while Eric Hall presents a more scholarly approach.

The ACLUpublished a 15 page report on the attempts to censor materials on the internet entitled Is Cyberspace Burning? Fahrenheit 451.2

Censorship and Book Banning Resources has EVERYTHING you would ever need to know about the topic.

Writers' World has a great site about book banning. Make sure to check out the The Dumbest Book Challenges of All- Time!

Bonfire of the Liberties is an interactive site about censorship. Many good graphics, but you'll need a fast modem.

Finally, you may want to visit Banned Books On-Line.

Melissa Horvath and Meggan McCann have written a nice paper on censorship for a college class at some university. Click here to read it.

Want to know about fire fighters who put out fires instead of start them? Go to the New York Fire Dept. web site. Filled with a great many resources.

You'll find even more info on our men and women who breathe fire at The Pennsylvania Fireman, a magazine about the troubles and travails of fighting fire.

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To Kill a Mockingbird

A timeless novel of gentility and hatred in the South, Harper Lee's lone novel focuses on what is good and what is bad in human beings.

Harper Lee

Harper Lee is a reclusive and enigmatic writer. Mockingbird is the only book she ever wrote. It is somewhat autobiographical, which may account for some of the reclusiveness. This site contains several bits of knowledge about her and her hometown.
Another site with info about the author.

Novel Links

This is a short site to introduce you to the work and its characters.
Vanderbilt University places the notes and discussion topics from its Lit courses on To Kill a Mockingbird on the web.
For a more comprehensive view of this classic work, go to To Kill a Mockingbird: Then and Now. It contains background, instructional aids and much more.
Edward L. Thomas has provided a good site with of NOTES on To Kill a Mockingbird.
Of course, the novel was adapted into screenplay, and the 1962 movie is a classic. Go to the Internet Movie Database to learn all about it.
Finally, the Mockingbird Public Theater in Nashville, Tenn., showcases the talents of southern artists. Check out what they are doing this year.

Civil Rights

Of course, this novel contains many messages, but the most glaring concerns that of the struggle for equality. Below are listed several sites which deal with what is still an on-going battle.

Civil Rights: A Status Report tells what advances have been made and what yet needs be done.
Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Civil Rights Timeline discusses landmark events of this century.
For a look at civil rights in Alabama click here.
For those of you with sound capabilities, you can listen to MLK and JFK speak about civil rights (along with other historical people and topics) at WebCorp's Audio History site.

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The Giver

This Newbery Medal winner tells the tale of a society in which pain and war and discomfort have been obliterated. But so have colors and joy and compassion. These qualities have been given to "The Receiver" to hold for the entire community.

Lois Lowry

Kay Vandergrift's Young Adult Page gives some details about this two-time Newbery Medal winner (along with other great YA authors).

This review comes from Teaching K-8 Magazine.

Or you can read the Publisher's Weekly review of The Giver.

My students must complete one of the assignments on Mrs. Findley's Class.

Utopian Communities

Utopian communities have proliferated throughout the United States and continue to the present. People seem to believe social engineering will make for better lives--and maybe they are right! Here are some links to familiarize you with Utopian societies of the past and present and to help you understand what motivates them.

Yahoo's Intentional Communities Links will give you acces to web sites that describe many utopian (intentional) communities throughout the world. There are more than you might think!

Create your own Utopia withNation Building Design a government, a Constitution, and your own crest of arms!

This site give some more detail on cummunal living. Good links

Steve Mizrach provides a more scholarly and more detailed description of Utopias of the past and present.

New Harmony, Indiana, was the site of two Utopian trials, One by George Rapp (the local high school nickname is the Rappites) and one my Robert Owen.

Lord of the Flies

by Sir William Golding
The classic novel of man's descent into the savagery of his own nature.

A biographical site about William Golding

This is a great source for some quick information about the novel.
A very nice site with lots of info.
Fly-PapersHas some interesting links abou the novel.
This page has information about the two movies based on the work.
Elton John and Bernie Taupin wrote a song which captures the essence of the book.
Lost Atolls of the South Pacific tells what life is really like on an island.
Learn the biblical account of Satan, the infernal master and "Lord of the Flies"! (actually, Beelzebub is Lord of the Flies, but I couldn't find much on him, anyway, he is lesser than Satan, and we might as well go with the big dogs here!)