English II w/ Mr. Donn If there is no struggle, there is no progress (F. Douglass). Tigers win because they embrace the struggle! Created for Neville High School Students English II GT & Honors

Unit 2: Mini-Project Kafka Dust Jacket If there is no struggle, there is no progress (F. Douglass). Tigers win because they embrace the struggle!

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN USING SYMOBLISM 1. Watch Ted Talk video on flag design (Roman Mars, “The Worst Designed Thing You’ve Never Seen.” 2. List design elements that make a good flag and why. If there is no struggle, there is no progress (F. Douglass). Tigers win because they embrace the struggle!

FLAGS. BOOKS. SYMBOLISM: Great book covers—or dust jackets if it’s a hardback book—are like flags. The higher the stakes—the more serious the country or book content—the more serious the design. A book’s cover communicates what a reader can expect. Examples of good design, bad design:

MEANT TO SELL A CERTAIN KIND OF BOOK. Generally, the more books look like this, the less wealth of content they actually contain.

MEANT TO SELL A CERTAIN KIND OF BOOK. Generally, the more books look like this, the less wealth of content they actually contain.

GROTESQUE (Childrens’ book covers are, well, difficult). (this hardly ever the author’s fault. Book companies put whatever cover They think will SELL the book).

Quickly Out of Style/ No thought of the future.

No context/ Cover does not match content. (this hardly ever the author’s fault. Book companies put whatever cover They think will SELL the book).

JUST WASN’T THINKING (this hardly ever the author’s fault. Book companies put whatever cover They think will SELL the book).

Let your freak flag fly...or, flap. Whichever. Great book covers are like flags. They represent the “undiscovered country” of the book, and should follow the same principles. Examples of great book covers:

KAFKA DUST JACKET PROJECT TRUE FACT: Although he wrote one of the strangest books of the century, Kafka himself was shy and painfully uncomfortable about his own strangeness. In fact, although the first lines of the book show us Gregor waking up as a giant insect, Kafka did not want the main character of his book depicted on the cover. In 1917, Kafka began to suffer from tuberculosis, which would require frequent convalescence during which he was supported by his family, most notably his sister Ottla. Despite his fear of being perceived as both physically and mentally repulsive, he impressed others with his boyish, neat, and austere good looks, a quiet and cool demeanor, obvious intelligence and dry sense of humor

“I write differently from what I speak, I speak differently from what I think, I think differently from the way I ought to think, and so it all proceeds into deepest darkness.”

PROJECT RULES: 1. As per Kafka’s wishes, an appropriate dust jacket would be one that contains symbols that communicate the ideas and feelings related to the characters, setting, and landscape. It should stand for the book’s tone and characters WITOUT trying to pin them down with representational or realistic drawing. 2. You do NOT have to use an insect in your flag design. However, if you DO, you must follow the design principles, as well as Kafka’s assertion that a realistic representation of Gregor should NOT appear on the cover.

MEDIA PRESENTATION You MAY work in numbers of 2 or 3 for a 30 point grade. Be prepared to explain who did what. You MAY work individually for a 50 point grade. Grading: 1. Must follow design principles. 2. Must represent the book. 3. Must be complete/Show effort (pencil on paper will not be accepted.

DUST JACK DESIGN (from Roman Mars’ TED video on flag design): 1. Keep it simple. 2. Use meaningful symbolism. No more than THREE symbols basic colors. (NO GRAY). 4. No writing of any kind. 5. Be distinctive or related (should relate to setting, characters, author’s tone).

MEDIA PRESENTATION: Given our time frame, you will probably want to work on paper. However, if you have tablet or laptop, you may use this or any electronic media. Many artist’s apps are available on phones as well. Either way, you must post a CLEAR, WELL-TAKEN PICTURE of your dust jacket to our Edmodo class page. Talk to me in private if you cannot do this outside of school. We will arrange for you to do so here. You will be ASSIGNED an editor to review your work. DON’T POST until you are sure you are finished!

Assessment: If time, students should present their designs, allowing the class to interpret the meaning of the design. Students may choose to explain if they wish.