1. “Repent, Harlequin!” Said the Ticktockman
By Gabby Thompson and Henry Parson

2. Harlequin Game!
You may not talk or communicate about the game, in any way
The game will last ten minutes
A total of thirty acts of rebellion are required in order to overthrow the government.
You must choose to conform or rebel once every minute (I will tell you when). To signal whether you conform or rebel, you must hold up the appropriate card and wait for 15 seconds before lowering the card.
With every act of rebellion, you lose ¼ of your total life.
If the government has not been overthrown and you’re alive at the end, you get one piece of candy.
If the government has been overthrown and you’re alive at the end, you get three pieces of candy.

3. Introduction How do you define conformity and rebellion?
What are some examples or symbols of those terms?

4. Harlan Ellison Cleveland, Ohio in 1934
Named the “20th Lewis Carroll” (LA Times)
Writes in the windows of bookstores in front of audiences
Awards: Hugo award, Nebula award, the Bram Stroker award

5. Repent Harlequin Written in 1965 Vietnam War
US involvement to stop spread of Communism
The counter-culture reaction of the ‘60s
Challenging societal norms
Civil Rights Movements
The Draft

6. Discussion Question
Why do you think Ellison begins the story with a quotation from Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience”?

7. Page 403 What are some examples of:
Conformity
Rebellion
What do you notice about the language?

8. The Beginning of Rebellion.
Pg. 403
What is the harlequin doing?
Why is he doing it?

9. Conformity
Definition: Action in accord with prevailing social standards, attitudes, practices, etc.
Pretty Alice
P. 406
Interaction with the Harlequin
What are some other examples of conformity?

10. The Final Confrontation
Pg. 409
“I’d rather be dead than live in a dumb world with a bogeyman like you”
“That didn’t used to be a felony”
What about the Ticktockman’s actions?
What does he say he’s going to do?
Does he actually do it?

11. Did Alice conform or rebel?
P. 409
Betrays the Harlequin

12. Structure of the text P. 405 Use of different font styles and sizes
Descriptions
Written in a non-time sequential order
Organized into paragraphs
Systematic

13. Closing Thoughts
P. 410
1984? Who is Winston Smith and what happened to him?
What happens here?
Has the Ticktockman won?
What about the very end? What has happened to the Ticktockman?
What does this mean?

14. Discussion Question
What are the different reactions to the Harlequin at different socio- economic levels of society?

15. Discussion Question
At the end of the section about Marshall Delahanty, the author speaks directly to the reader and tells the reader not to laugh and says, “It isn’t funny.” Why do you think the author addresses readers directly?