The Iron Heel is a dystopian novel by American writer Jack London, first published in 1908.Generally considered to be the earliest of the modern Dystopian novels, it chronicles the rise of an oligarchic tyranny in the United States. It is arguably the novel in which Jack London’s socialist views are most explicitly on display. A forerunner of soft science fiction novels and stories of the 1960s and 1970s, the book stresses future changes in society and politics while paying much less attention to technological changes.

This would make a nice companion piece to read along with Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and then conclude with projects that invite students to consider positions characters would take on contemporary issues such as those found on ProCon.org.

What does chosen/assigned character value? Which issues would characters from those novel support?  Which would they challenge?  Why?  In the person of a chosen character, develop a persuasive argument to support or refute the arguments for or against a social issue that is being challenged in the Supreme Court.

Or, have a character in Book A challenge a position held by a character in Book B.  Conduct  Spar Debates in the persona of the assigned or chosen character.