The document summarizes key events and characters in Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. It describes how after a terrorist attack in San Francisco, the main character Marcus Yallow is arrested, questioned, and tortured by the Department of Homeland Security. Marcus then creates an underground hacker network called Xnet to spread information about civil liberties violations. He is captured again but eventually finds proof of wrongdoing by DHS and helps force them out of California. The document also briefly profiles several other main characters and discusses themes of privacy, surveillance, and standing up to government overreach.

1. By Cory Doctorow
Reviewed by
Gayle Marchica
Craig Tunks

2. San Francisco, California

3. • After 9/11/01
• No specific date given
• Approximately 4 months
• Action Locations
• Treasure Island
• City streets
• Asian Massage Parlor
• Marcus‟ Bedroom
• Classrooms
• Ange‟s bedroom
• Principal‟s Office

4. Marcus Yallow, aka W1n5t0n, aka M1k3y

5. Marcus Yallow
• Aka W1n5t0n and M1k3y
• Narrator of the novel
• Computer geek and gamer
• Tortured and interrogated
because of the tech gadgets
• Tries to get even with the
DHS
• Creator of Xnet
• Abandoned by his closest
friends
• Clears his name with help
from an investigative
reporter
Ange
• Joins Marcus in revolt
against the DHS
• Stole the state
achievement tests
• Marcus‟ first real love
interest

6. Carrie Johnstone
• Woman with the severe
haircut
• Orchestrates Marcus‟
torture
• Cleared of all wrong doing
Jose-Luis Torrez
• Arrested and detained by
the DHS
• Programmer
• Implemented security
requirements on Xnet
• Leaves Xnet
• Doesn‟t want to live in fear

7. Darryl Glover
• Friends with Marcus since
they were babies
• Stabbed
• Is detained on Treasure
Island
• “I am sorry” sounds
scared and broken
And Supporting
Characters…
• Frederick Benson
• Charles Walker
• Vanessa Pak
• Masha
• Zeb
• Mrs. Anderson
• Major Graeme Sutherland
• General Geist
• Ron Glover

8. Marcus

9. • First Person
• Read only knows what he knows or hears
• Detailed explanations of the computer technology and
terminology
• Focus on Marcus‟ experiences
• Helps keep the reader engaged

10. Teen takes on Department of Homeland Security and Wins!

11. • Terrorist attack on San
Francisco
• Main character Marcus
Yallow is
arrested, questioned and
tortured
• While playing a video
game terrorists attack the
city
• The friends are arrested
when trying to get help for
an injured friend
• After being released
Marcus finds a bug in his
computer (DHS is spying on
him)
• Creates Xbox game disks
to spread the word about
the illegal activities of
DHS
• Friends come and go
• Information gets twisted
• Marcus stays to fight and
is captured again
• Finds the proof of the
DHS and government
wrong doing
• The DHS is thrown out of
California

12. Invasion of privacy, American rights, loyalty, standing up for what you
believe in

13. • Right to Privacy
• Culture is under much surveillance
• Do not have to prove your innocence
• Tracking purchases (debit card, subway, driving routes)
• Give up privacy to ensure safety
• Ability for people to stand up to the government
• Responsibility to standup against the government
• Declaration of Independency “alter or abolish” government
• Influences of external government experiences (Turkey & Korea)
• Teen Love
• Offsets the other themes (intelligence)
• Ange and Marcus develop a relationship

14. Student Privacy, Student Rights to Free Speech, Social Justice &
Security

15. GING Students
By
Emily Richmond
“I say no. I say my shop will not help them spy on my customers.” (Chapter
6, p.90)

16. GING Students
By
Emily Richmond
“I say no. I say my shop will not help them spy on my customers.” (Chapter
6, p.90)
•Privacy Lines
•Security
•Convenience

17. How far should we
go?
By
Massimo Calabresi &
Michael Crowley
“These guys had no business spying on me – Christ, the BART had no business
helping them spy on me. Where the hell did my subway pass get off on finking
me out for having a „nonstandard ride pattern?” (Chapter 7, p. 106)

18. How far should we
go?
By
Massimo Calabresi &
Michael Crowley
•Security vs. Liberty
•Restrict personal freedoms
in name of national security
•Occurring over time
•1947 Federal Employee
Loyalty Program
•2001 USA Patriot Act
•2011 Federal Agents new
powers
“These guys had no business spying on me – Christ, the BART had no business
helping them spy on me. Where the hell did my subway pass get off on finking
me out for having a „nonstandard ride pattern?” (Chapter 7, p. 106)

19. • School districts requirement
to protect students
• Balance between security
and environment
• Knowing who‟s in the
building
• Knowing where students
are
Person & Information
“We also had to evade physical surveillance, of course, but that gets easier
every time they add a new layer of physical snoopery – all the bells and whistles
lull our beloved faculty in a totally false sense of security” (Chapter 1, p. 21)

20. • Against social and
economic inequality
• The minority controls the
majority
• None violent
• Influenced by other
movements
• Tea Party Movement
Similarities
“Never underestimate the determination of a kid who is time-rich and cash-poor”
Chapter 5, p. 86)

21. Social Justice and Young Adult Literature Pedagogy

22. • Justice exercised within a
society, particularly as it is
applied to and among the
various social classes of a
society.
• A socially just society is one
based upon the principles
of equality and solidarity.
Today‟s Teens
“Just because the DHS is out, it doesn‟t mean that you just get to walk out of
here. What‟s happened here is that we‟re getting rid of the bizarro-world version
of the justice system they‟d instituted and replacing it with the older system”
(Chapter 21, p. 348)

23. • Current teen literature
connected to curriculum
• The Outsiders – S.E. Hinton
• Black and White – Paul Volponi
• Hitler‟s Youth – Susan Batoletti
• A Raisin in the Sun – Lorraine
Hansberry
• Civil Disobedience – Henry
Thoreau
• Students connect to the theme
• Enriches the literary experience
• Stretches the reader's cognitive
and emotional response
Today‟s Teens
“Just because the DHS is out, it doesn‟t mean that you just get to walk out of
here. What‟s happened here is that we‟re getting rid of the bizarro-world version
of the justice system they‟d instituted and replacing it with the older system”

24. • Communicate farther than
ever before
• Allows for coordination
• Gets news out
• Privacy for other students
• Privacy for staff
• Training for staff and
students
Student Use
“The best part of all this is how it made me feel: in control. My technology was
working for me, serving me, protecting me. It wasn‟t spying on me. This is why I
loved technology: if you used it right, it could give you power and privacy”
(Chapter 5, p.88)

25. Gayle & Craig

26. • Our way of thinking
• Why we enjoy education technology
• We see on a daily basis
• Impassions “techie” students
• Empowers all students
“It‟s so cool to watch people figure out how the technology around them can be
used to make their lives better” (Chapter 17, p. 267)

27. Follow-up