Your assignment.
- PART A: Ten Vocabulary words. As you read the text above select 10 vocabulary words (minimum). You select the words new to you, or words used in a way new to you. List each word and then a definition that fits the usage of the word. Look up the definition in an academic dictionary (such asOxfordorMiriam Webster's New Collegiate, but not Google.) Then write the definition IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Select as many vocabulary words as needed to fill up the requirement of 10.
- PART B: Answer the following questions. Do NOT retype the question.
1. Who was Edward Bulwer, Lord Lytton? When and where did he live?
2. When and where does the narrative take place?
3. Can you think why the narrator wishes to remain anonymous?
4. Where does the explorer/narrator find this interesting civilization?
5. Describe the first few buildings the narrator sees? [Hint: some of these paragraphs are marked with amber background color.]
6. What do the beings look like who live in this place. [Hint: the paragraph is marked with a green tint background.]
7. How do these beings feel about praise, ambition, preeminence? Compare their view to our view today where people in our world are supposed to seek praise, to be ambitious, to seek preeminent wealth and power. In your own words measure the strengths and weaknesses of their civilization compared to ours. [Hint: most of this discussion is marked with this color scheme.]
8. How does this civilization feel about taxation and education? [Hint: here's the color scheme.]
9. It seems likely that the anonymous narrator believes that this society of perfection is also female dominated. He also implies that humanity above ground, especially in America, is run by people who are rugged, individual, and manly. Is he afraid of women? Explain in your own words. [Hint: here is the color scheme.]
10. The anonymous narrator seems to say that without crime and violence and chaos, there can be no greatness. And that if there is equality and health and education there can be not greatness. That these things are collectively exhaustive and mutually exclusive. That there is no middle ground. And that the former is run by men and that the latter is run by women. Is there any science to support any of this?
11. Explain how a modern reader, using critical thinking can evaluate these ideas.
12. Is "The Coming Race" fiction or non-fiction? How can you tell?
13. What does the author mean by automaton or automata (plural)? What do they do? Are they intelligent?