The Portrait of a Dictator

Apprentice

Read/Study

1. Read Stalin: History in an Hour by Rupert Colley
    
    OR

    Watch the documentary Stalin: Inside the Terror (While not graphic, this film does contain dramatized execution scenes)


Know/Understand
Complete one of the following:

• Read Alma 46-50 and do a character study comparing and contrasting Amalickiah and Captain Moroni. Who do you think was the better leader? Why? Do you see any similarities between Stalin and Amalickiah?

• Other Dictators: Read a short life sketch of Benito Mussolini (Fascist Italian dictator that controlled Italy from 1925-1943), or Fransisco Franco (Fascist dictator that controlled Spain from 1939-1975). Prepare a short presentation for the class discussing similarities and differences between him and Stalin.

• In the Topical Guide in your Bibles, look up Pride. Pray for the Spirit to enlighten your understanding as you read some scriptures listed there and see if you can find the definition of pride, why it is so dangerous, and how we can recognize it in ourselves and others. What effects could pride have in the hands of someone with a lot of power? What is the opposite of pride? Please come prepared to discuss your thoughts and inspirations with the class.
 

Become/Serve

• Absolute monarchies are those in which all power is given to or, as is more often the case, taken by, the monarch. Examples of absolute power corrupting are Roman emperors (who declared themselves gods) and Napoleon Bonaparte (who declared himself an emperor). Think about this statement by Lord Acton:

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."

Write a page or two about whether or not you agree with this statement. Is it possible to be a great leader without corruption? Can you think of some examples? As a leader what can you do to safeguard yourself from the influences of corruption?

Journeyman

Read/Study

1. Read Animal Farm by George Orwell


Background: Animal Farm is an allegorical and dystopian novel by George Orwell, published in England on 17 August 1945. According to Orwell, the book reflects events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and then on into the Stalin era in the Soviet Union. Orwell, a democratic socialist, was a critic of Joseph Stalin and hostile to Moscow-directed Stalinism, an attitude that was critically shaped by his experiences during the Spanish Civil War. The Soviet Union, he believed, had become a brutal dictatorship, built upon a cult of personality and enforced by a reign of terror.

2. This book is a satire about the Russian Revolution. Orwell said that almost every detail in the story was inspired by actual events and people. Make a list of the characters in the book and what real-life people they represent, as well as a list of the major events in the story and their corresponding real-life events. (If you need help, you can look it up online).

3. Write 2-3 discussion questions about the book to bring up in our class discussion.


Know/Understand
Complete one of the following:

• In 1946, Orwell wrote of Animal Farm: "Of course I intended it primarily as a satire on the Russian revolution..[and] that kind of revolution (violent conspiratorial revolution, led by unconsciously power hungry people) can only lead to a change of masters [-] revolutions only effect a radical improvement when the masses are alert." In one-two pages, discuss the book and how it relates to this quote. Do you agree? Compare and contrast the differences between the Russian Revolution and the American Revolution. What were the outcomes of each and why do you think they were different?

• What do you think about the ending of the book? Write 1-2 pages on what point you think Orwell was trying to get across when the animals, looking into the kitchen window, could not tell the difference between the pigs and the people?

• Make a poster of the cast of characters. Next to each animal, write what historical person/people they represent, and why you think Orwell chose that particular animal to represent that person. Also analyze the significance of the names of the animals.

Master

Read/Study

1. Read Macbeth by William Shakespeare, I would suggest reading a plot summary if you are unfamiliar with this play, and looking for a copy of the play that has word definitions and phrase explanations to make the language easier to understand.

2. Do a word study on the word: "usurp"

3. Optional: Watch a film version of the play


Know/Understand
Complete one of the following:

• Write 1-2 pages as you characterize the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. If the main theme of Macbeth is ambition, whose ambition is the driving force of the play—Macbeth’s, Lady Macbeth’s, or both?

• One of the important themes in Macbeth is the idea of political legitimacy, of the moral authority that some kings possess and others lack. With particular attention to Malcolm’s questioning of Macduff in Act 4, scene 3, try to define some of the characteristics that grant or invalidate the moral legitimacy of absolute power. What makes Duncan a good king? What makes Macbeth a tyrant?

• Think about the major theme of Macbeth and design a poster for the play that communicates this theme visually.

• Take a scene from the play and create a modern skit based on that scene. You can make this into a group project if you want.

• Create a comic strip for one act from the play.