By now, from teaching this series in the classroom, your students should be aware of what propaganda is. They should be able to not only identify forms of propaganda but they should also be to identify the message that the propaganda is trying to convey. This lesson will explore a particular piece of propaganda in its printed form.
Have students obtain a copy of The Once and Future King by T.H. White. This is a story based on Arthurian legend. It explores the childhood of Arthur and his mentor, Merlin. The book is actually propaganda based on Hitler and his exploits. As students read the book, have them identify areas of propaganda and the message they are trying to convey. Some questions to ask are listed below.
- What do the different views of the animals have to do with the views of society in general?
- Was Arthur's view of the carp correct? If not, how was it different?
- Was Arthur's view of the ants correct? If not, how did it differ?
- Repeat the questions about the carp and the ant for the various animals that Arthur changes into.
- How do the social systems of each of the animals compare to what was going on during Hitler's regime?
- How do the social systems of each of the animals compare to what is going on in the world today?
- Can this book be used as propaganda only for Hitler's time?
- How could this book be propaganda for current times?
- Why does Merlin use this particular method to instruct Arthur?
- What are Merlin's goals for Arthur?
- Why would this book be viewed as propaganda?
- What reason would the author have for conveying messages in such a manner? (As in, why would T.H White not design posters or write songs instead of a book?)
Allow students to discuss their views on this book and reflect about how effective the book uses propaganda. Discuss the advantages of learning life lessons in the manner described in the book as well as the disadvantages.
